EB9DH Drake

Fly Patterns
1

Boy, that’s a mouthful.

Yes, it is.

This past summer I had an idea for a yellow sally, a pattern that had a bit of weight that needed to be fished dry. Rather than a straight hackle or straight parachute approach, I decided to combine the two for a 9DH, read 90 degree hackle, effect. Only fished that fly a couple times, but it caught fish both times.

The FEB drake which I’ve tied in the past also has a bit of weight to it. So I decided to use the 9DH technique to improve floatation. Had the opportunity to try it yesterday. Caught several fishies with it.

Hard to believe that I’ve never seen this technique demonstrated before, but I haven’t. Not to say that others haven’t been using it for who knows how long ?? Just to say that it hasn’t been published in any material on fly tying that I’ve seen.

The technique is obviously very simple - do the parachute and then instead of tying the hackle off on the post or on the shank, wrap the hackle forward several turns ahead of the parachute then tie it off. ( I wind hackle on parachute flies counterclockwise, which makes this technique very easy. I suppose it would be as simple when winding hackle clockwise ? )

Besides improving floatation, the technique has the added benefit of getting some “leggy” stuff down at the front of the fly.

John

Bottom line is that a number of fish approved, and …

2

Nice looking fly!!

3

I must have challenged you when I asked if you had anything new - you came up with some LuLu’s. Can hardly wait to tie some up and try them.

4

Interesting — I have never seen this technique used either… good idea!

5

In my book there is not a higher approval rating than that. The last couple of weeks I have found some very unapproving critics as well as a few more accepting of my attempts.

6

I tied one of my favorite biot parachutes this way and the size 14 was a little crowded with the two hackles, but I guess nothing says it has to be neat, does it? I did get one jump at it, but couldn’t stay long enough to give it a fair try. Sure floated well.

7

… yellow sally this afternoon. That was the original 90 degree hackle fly that I tied. Caught one large fish that broke off the tippet at my feet. And a smaller one that didn’t break off.

The size 14 yellow sally has a red tying thread egg sack, a yellow tying thread abdomen, ribbed with the tag of the red egg sack thread, then a couple grizzly hen hackle tips as down wings and a white antron parachute post, finished with a grizzly hackle wound parachute style and then wrapped forward several turns in 9DH fashion and tied off.

John