Fanwing Adams

Fly Patterns
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1

It’ll probably twist the leader like crazy, but who cares? These are fun to tie.
If you want to see how to tie fanwings properly, check out Davie McPhail’s video (thought it was going to be hard, but if you follow his directions, it’s just as easy as tying in standard hen hackle tips)

//youtu.be/XUWYojRgdnE

I swapped out mallard for partridge, just to see how it worked; seemed to behave properly.

hook - Dai Riki 320 #12
thread - Danville 6/0 brown
tail - hackle fibers brown/grizzly
body - dubbing muskrat
wing - partridge breast feathers
hackle - brown/grizzly

Regards,
Scott

2

If you’ve read Ray Bergman- and any flyfisher worth his/her salt should- his fave dry fly was a fanwing Royal Coachman. He liked the high visibility, and the way it settled on the water oh, so gently. But I suspect he was using a gut hawser to keep the leader from twisting horribly.

Chuck

3

Scott, in your best guess, would one of these guys, tied in a #18, “propeller” with 5X tippet?

I’m leery…but would love to try some.

Jeremy.