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Current Tags for This Pattern
/
Dubbing /
Partridge /
Soft Hackle /
step-by-step instructions /
Tups /
Yellow /
Partridge & Tups (variation)
tied by letumgoFly Type: Attractor Pattern,
Terrestrials & Midges,
Wet,
General Freshwater,
Target Species: Trout,
Recommended Region: Northeast US,
Material List: Hook -
Mustad Model R70/Size 12
Thread - Pearsall's Gossamer Silk (Primrose Yellow)
Hackle - Hungarian Partridge (body
Hackle)
Abdomen - Tups wool
Dubbing blend (wrapped backwards from the
Hackle tie in point)
Tag/Rib - Pearsall's Gossamer Silk (Primrose Yellow) - (wrapped forward to form tag and rib)
Tying Instructions: The materials are listed in the order they are tyed to the hook.
TYING INSTRUCTIONS:
1) Mount your hook
2) Attach your tying silk with five snug wraps
3) Prepare a partridge feather by stripping off the small fibers at the base of the feather
4) Tye in the partridge feather, with the tip facing out over the eye of the hook. Use only four or five wraps to secure the feather in place.
5) Dub the tying thread and wind it back towards the bend of the hook. Make sure that to taper the dubbing on the thread, so the as you get closer to the bend, the body becomes more slender.
6) Form a small tag with the tying silk and then wrap it forward over the body. By adjusting the pitch of your wraps, you can form the segmentation on the fly.
7) Wrap the partridge hackle back towards the tying silk. Use only one or two wraps of hackle.
8) Wind the silk forward though the hackle fibers, being careful to wiggle it back and forth. This prevents the silk from matting down the hackle fibers.
9) Whip finish with only three or four wraps.
10) Clip off the tying silk and add a small drop of head cement.
Additional background information on the dubbing blend:
I recently bought a book titled "Tying Catskill Style Dry Flies", by Mike Valla. In his chapter on the famous "Tups Indispensable" dry fly, he list a recipe for tups dubbing blend made from wool yarn. I just had to give it a try, so last week I went out and bought the material he listed in the book. I just love the look of this blend.
On page 186, Mr. Valla gives the following instructions for making this tups dubbing blend:
To prepare the dubbing, cut off approximately 25 inches of natural-shade (#098) "Fisherman's Wool". This is available from Lion Brand Yarn Company (http://www.LionBrand.com). Next, cut off 3 inches of True Red (#114) yarn, also available from Lion Brand. The dull orange (needle felting) wool comes from Felt Works Dimensions and is available from many craft stores. Take the lengths of Fisherman's Wool and red yarn and cut into half-inch pieces. First blend the Fisherman's Wool, then the red wool, then combine the two and mix again in a blender. Once these are blended, tease out approximately 1 inch of cheddar-shade needle felting wool and cut into quarter-inch pieces. Blend with the previous two. This results in a creamy pink dubbing with just a hint of dull orange scattered faintly throughout the wad."
One of the things I liked about this method is how reproducible it is. By giving the lengths of the wool yarn that was used, it is very easy to produce the same blend of dubbing time-after-time. It also makes it easy to tweak the mixture to form other variations. The fly I tyed (above) is made with this dubbing blend.
Presentation Tips: Dead drift, down-and-across, Leisenring lift, you name it...
