A few weeks ago I was just tying up some flies to no particular pattern and ended up with this fly. At the time I just wanted to use up some of my golden pheasant feathers. I?m sure every fly tier ends up buying a golden pheasant skin at some point, but then realises there are not a lot of dressings that call for it.
I love pheasant capes, Ring-neck, Golden, Almond… there each breed of bird have something in common, yet the coloration and patterns of the various hackle on a cape, give a fly tier a endless choice of beautiful hackle. Last time I looked there still are no fly pattern police to say a person cannot modify an pattern using any materials not called for in the Original Patterns Material List.
I really enjoyed reading that Jeff just want to tie some flies using Golden Pheasant Cape hackle, that is good enough reason as any to sit down at the bench and dress some hooks.
This is Jeff Hamm’s 6th contribution to FAOL’s “Fly Of The Week”, and as usual it is a winner.
I remember a remark by the late Jack Gartside, who said that there is a use for every feather on a pheasant. It is up the the individual dresser of fly patterns to come up with a idea, and then carry it through to completion.
I do not normally name my attempts at the vise, using miscellaneous materials, I just fish them and see if the fish like them.
I am a “Completely Outside the Box” type person! I am currently thinking about updating the 1895 Dry Fly Pattern credit to F. M. Halford with a revised of materials for the “Golden Ribbed Hare’s Ear” which before it became a “Nymph Pattern” was a “Dry Fly Pattern”. I normally do not use dry flies in my fishing, but that does not prevent me from update old pattern using modern materials. ~Parnelli
Jeff,
Another lovely wee fly, Mate. Good on ya. I’ll have a few in my box next time I’m on a river. I am one of those who has a skin (make that two) sitting around. Well, actually, one skin is complete with tail. That one VEE has hanging on the wall as art work, and right pretty it is too.
REE
Great fly!
Very , very nice. and old school.
Sweet, very sweet. You do have the touch my friend. Thanks for sharing such a nice looking creation.
Kelly.
Thanks guys. Sorry about the poor colour cquality in the photos; not sure what was wrong that day. I do like what they did with the image of the snipe feather though. I certainly wasn’t the one with the knowledge of how to convert to grey scale to show off the one feather. Anyway, I fogot to get this out on my last outing so it’s still untested. I’m sure it will produce, as the colours from these fibres match well to some of our lighter mayflies. Size 10 might be a touch large, but we’ll see.
- Jeff