First Attempt at a AK Best Olive Quill Dun

All about flies Fly Tying
1

Here is my first attempt at a dry fly using a rooster quill. I normally dub, but after watching a bunch of AK Best videos and reading his books, I like this outcome better. Let me know what you think and how I can improve. Thanks!

Mike

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2

I like the tilt on the tail, the hackle is splayed nicely and the body segmentation looks good; only nit I’d pick is the wing - looks a bit long, unless you’re tying a western green drake.

Regards,
Scott

3

Thanks Scott. I tend to get one of the proportions a little off when I tie a new pattern for the first time. I agree the wing can be a little shorter. Thanks for the feedback.

4

Yeah, the wing. If I rember AK likes them a little bit longer than the classic catskill. I think he calls for shank + eye…but maybe I’m not remembering correctly.

Body, tail and hackle collar look great.

5

I would agree that the wing is a touch long but other that that very nice job. Nice body , perfect tails and hackle. I don’t think the fish will mind a bit.

6

Compared to this:

http://www.flytyingworld.com/PagesA/akbest.htm#Olive Quill Dun

7

to tell if its a balanced fly drop it to desk top from 6-8 inches high, if it lands up right its balanced…

8

Thank you all for the tips. Does anyone know where to get good quality stripped quills. I used D’s and I had a lot break before I got this one to work and that’s after soaking in water for a while. I am guess the best way is to make my own, but any suggestions on pre stripped quills would be welcome. Thanks.

9

Soak them in water for a while before using

10

For help with quill bodies check this out:http://www.troutflies.com/tutorials/hairwing/index.shtm

11

get some white or cream horse tail and dye or use a permanent marker. works better than a quill.

12

Okay, I’m curious. Why do people refer to quill bodied flies in posts or articles, etc., as, 'AK Best Quill Bodied flies? He certainly wasn’t the first to identify the material or start using it in dry flies. He certainly wasn’t the first to write about it quill bodied flies in print, either books or magazines. So?

Allan

13

It’s not just the quill. I’m using hen hackle tips as the wings, wrapping the hackle they way he does as well as doing the tail the way he does. So overall it’s an AK style quill dry fly.

14

How does AK tye his tail different than earlier tyers? He uses hackle, right? I guess if you used calf tail, elk, moose or other ‘kair’ type material for the tail and wings of a Wulff, the fly would be called a Cow, an Elk, a Moo, something appropriate to the material, respectivelyy (a poor attempt at sarcasm).

Allan

15

I’d say it’s some style, some technique - particularly when compared with the classic Catskill.

  1. Tail and wings are generally longer/higher than a classic Catskill;

  2. Before the tail is tied in, a thread bump is created in order to spread the fibers and cock them upwards. (A little head cement on the tail at the tie in point helps keep the fibers separated even when wet.

  3. The quill body is actually made from two quills and is wrapped in such a way to make a tapered body:

  4. The wing is tied on after the body with the butts pointing forward - in order to create an impression of a bigger thorax;

  5. The hackle is tied in front of the wing with the first wrap behind the wing going backwards and then forward back to the tie off point. The cross wrapping gives a bigger spread of hackle compared with a classic Catskill:

  6. His method of tying in the wings is hard to explain but it actually has its own entry in the Benchside Reference.