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Fly Tying I

A Course For Beginners


Offered by the Southern Wisconsin
Chapter of Trout Unlimited
Proportions of Dry Flies

EC 05

A: Hook shank length


B: Wing length = A = hook shank
C: Tail length = A = hook shank
D: Hackle length = A = hook shank or
1½ times the hook gap
E: Hook gap
F: Body length = 2/3 of hook shank
Welcome!
Welcome to Southern Wisconsin Trout Unlimited's beginners'
fly tying course. The goal of this class is to teach the basic
skills and concepts of fly tying. The techniques, ideas, and lore
covered in this course will provide you with a solid foundation
with which to enjoy the art and skill of fly tying.
The fly patterns of this booklet were chosen to expose you to a
variety of fly tying techniques and to build upon the skills you
learn in each session. Instruction in class, however, is only part
of the learning process. Practice is essential. You are encour-
aged to take materials home and practice the fly patterns cov-
ered in class. Please ask questions of your instructor about
both fly tying and fly fishing. Each is an enthusiastic and
accomplished educator.
Fly tying is a rewarding endeavor, and we hope you will enjoy
learning it. Fly tying will make you a better fly angler, because
you must observe insect and trout behavior to do it well. The
skills you develop here will serve you for a lifetime.
All materials needed in class are provided, but you must supply
the fly tying tools and thread. Tools essential for the course
are:
1. A fly tying vise
2. A pair of small scissors
3. A thread bobbin
4. Fly tying thread [size 6/0 (140 denier) in brown, olive,
yellow, black, and medium gray]
5. A bodkin
6. Hackle pliers
7. A hair stacker
8. A tube of tacky dubbing wax
9. Head cement
10. A whip finisher (although finishing knots can be tied by
hand)
Your instructor can advise you on where to obtain these supplies.

Copyright, Southern Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, 2018

1
History of SWTU Fly Tying Courses
Fly tying courses taught by the Southern Wisconsin chap-
ter of Trout Unlimited (SWTU) were made possible by do-
nations in the 1960’s to SWTU in memory of Adolf Bieber-
stein, Larry Knack, Roy McDonald, Ed Lloyd, Lloyd Rid-
dle, and Chuck Amacker. The courses have grown and
prospered during ensuing decades because of continuing
contributions by SWTU chapter members. Many talented
volunteers organized and staffed the courses over the
years. Notable instructors in recent years include Dick
Berge, Tom Ehlert, Larry Meicher, and Henry Haugley.
They set high standards of excellence, standards that
continue today. Dedicated instructors and eager students
make the winter fly tying courses a premier activity of our
Trout Unlimited chapter. Indeed, current and past officers
and leaders of SWTU have consistently been either stu-
dents or instructors (or both) of the fly tying courses. The
courses today offer a comprehensive curriculum that
brightens the winter months and instructs over 60 stu-
dents annually at two different locations near Madison.
Your enthusiasm and involvement will improve not only
your fly angling skills but also the cold water resources of
Wisconsin.

SWTU is able to offer this course at no cost to


you due to the generous donations of past and
present TU members. If you feel the course was
beneficial and would like to continue that tradi-
tion of support, please talk to your instructors.
2
Please consider joining Trout Unlimited
Trout Unlimited (TU) was founded in 1959 by a group of
Michigan Anglers who were deeply concerned by deteriora-
tion of trout habitat and trout fishing. Over 400 local TU
chapters from coast to coast organize approximately
140,000 active TU members today. Trout Unlimited volun-
teers and professionals are at the forefront of fisheries res-
toration work at the local, state and national levels.
Trout Unlimited's Mission
To conserve, protect and restore North America's
coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.
TU believes that what is good for trout, salmon and steel-
head is good for anglers.
TU believes that wise management of our water resources
is fundamental to the preservation and enhancement of our
environment and fishery resources.
TU believes that sound land and water management prac-
tices and enjoyment of good fishing go hand in hand.
TU believes that preserving water quality will also preserve
trout, salmon and steelhead fishing.
TU is a unique national non-profit membership organization
dedicated to the enhancement, preservation and restoration
of the nation's cold water fishery resources.
As described by Art Newmann, a founding member of TU,
"Take care of the fish, and the fishing will take care of itself".

For more information or to become a member


of Trout Unlimited, visit www.swtu.org.

3
Table of Contents
Positioning your hook 5
Starting your thread 6
Tying a half-hitch knot 7
Woolly Bugger 9
Tan Scud 10
Partridge & Orange 11
Pass Lake Wet Fly 12
Zebra Midge 13
X-Caddis 14
BWO Sparkle Dun 15
Rusty Spinner 16
Pink Squirrel 17
Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear 18
Foam Beetle 19
Pheasant Tail Nymph 20
Griffith's Gnat 21
Adams 22
Elk Hair Caddis 23
Letort Hopper 24
Parachute BWO 25
Wisconsin Hatch Charts 26
Basic Materials List 27
Hook Conversion Table 28

4
Positioning the hook in your vise

EC 05

5
Starting your thread

EC 05

6
Tying a half hitch knot

EC 05

7
Notes

8
Woolly Bugger – Streamer
Hook: 3X-long streamer hook, #8
Thread: Black 6/0 (140 denier)
Weight: Non-toxic wire to cover hook shank
Tail: Black marabou
Ribbing: Red copper wire, small
Body: Black chenille, small
Hackle: Black or brown very webby rooster hackle
Wrap bare hook shank with non-toxic Tie in a full marabou feather as a tail
1 wire and cover with a thread base. 2 at a point above the hook barb. Lash
the butt ends of marabou to the hook
shank and return thread to the tail.

Tie in, in order, the wire ribbing, Wrap the chenille in touching turns to
3 hackle feather (mounted by its tip), 4 behind the hook eye. Tie off and trim
and chenille. the waste.

Wind the hacking forward in even, Counter wrap the wire through the
5 open turns to behind the hook eye. 6 hackle, wiggling the wire side to side
Tie off and trim the waste. to avoid binding down hackle barbs.
Tie off, trim waste, and whip finish..

9
Tan Scud – Wet Fly
Hook: Heavy wire nymph hook, #10
Weight Non-toxic wire, size 0.020" diameter
Thread: 6/0 (140 denier), tan, gray, or white
Rib: Copper wire, medium
Shellback: 1/8" Mylar strip or latex scud back
Body: Tan nymph dubbing

Wrap the bare hook shank with non- Tie in the copper wire.
1 toxic wire and cover with a smooth 2
base of thread.

Tie in the strip of Mylar. Spin dubbing thickly onto thread and
3 4 wrap a rough shaggy body, leaving
~1.5-2 hook eye diameters of space
behind the eye.

Pull the shellback over the body and Tease out dubbing fibers by brushing
5 tie off behind the eye. Wrap wire rib 6 the sides and bottom with Velcro. The
in an open spiral, tie off behind the finished fly should be very shaggy.
eye, and whip finish.

10
Partridge & Orange – Wet Fly
Hook: Wet fly, #12
Thread: Hot orange, 6/0 (140 denier).
Body: Silk or rayon floss.
Thorax: Hare's mask fur, natural
Hackle: Hungarian partridge, tied sparsely as a collar

Wrap a thread base over the thorax. Remove the barbs from one side of
1 Position the thread ~1.5 hook eye di- 2 the hackle stem. Tie in the hackle
ameters behind the eye. feather by its tip with bare stem laying
against the hook shank. Trim waste.

Bind the floss to the hook shank and Wrap a smooth and tapered floss
3 trim waste. Return the thread to the 4 body. Tie off the floss and trim waste.
thorax.

Dub a bulbous thorax of hare's mask Wrap ~2 turns of hackle forward to-
5 fur just behind the hackle tie-in point. 6 ward the hook eye. Tie off, trim
waste, and whip finish.

11
Pass Lake – Wet Fly
Hook: Wet fly / nymph hook, #10
Thread: Black 6/0 (140 denier)
Tail:Golden Pheasant Crest Tippets
Body: Peacock herl, 4-5 strands twisted with a
piece of tying thread for reinforcement
Wing: Calf tail, tied Trude-style
Hackle: Soft hen hackle, brown
Wrap a thread base on the rear ~2/3 Twist 4-5 strands of peacock herl with
1 of hook shank and tie in the tail. The 2 a piece of thread to make a rope.
tail length should equal that of the Wrap herl forward in touching turns to
hook shank. ~1/3 of hook shank behind the eye.

Stack a bundle of calf tail and tie it in Tie in the hen feather by its tip with
3 with the tips extending over the hook 4 the shiny side facing toward the hook
bend to a point about mid-way along eye.
the tail.

Fold and preen the feather barbs Wrap a neat but pronounced head,
5 backwards. Create a soft hackle 6 whip finish, and apply head cement.
collar by wrapping ~4 adjacent turns
of hackle toward the hook eye.

12
Zebra Midge – Wet Fly
Hook: Light wire curved hook, #14
Head: Brass bead, silver-colored, counter-
drilled, 7/64" (2.8 mm)
Thread: Black, 8/0 (70 denier)
Ribbing: X-Fine silver wire
Body: Black tying thread

Insert the hook point into the smaller Attach the tying thread behind the
1 hole of a counter-drilled bead. Posi- 2 hook eye
tion the bead behind the hook eye.

Wrap a thread base in touching turns Wrap the tying thread in touching
3 down hook the shank and partially 4 turns up the hook shank to just behind
around the bend. Tie in the ribbing the bead. The body should be
wire. smooth and uniformly black.

Wrap the ribbing wire in uniformly Build a neat thread head behind the
5 spaced spirals up the hook shank to 6 bead. The thread head should secure
just behind the bead. Tie off the wire the bead tightly against the hook eye.
and trim the waste end. Whip finish and trim the thread.

13
X-Caddis – Dry Fly
Hook: Dry fly, #14
Thread: 8/0 (70 denier), color to match natural
Tail: Ginger Z-lon (sparkly nylon) fibers,
length equal to hook shank
Body: Dry fly dubbing, color to match natural
Wing: Light or dark natural elk or deer hair,
length to hook bend
Wrap a smooth thread base from Position thread at ~1/3 shank length
1 behind the eye to above the hook 2 behind the hook eye and tie in the
barb. tailing material. Trim the waste ends.

Lash the tail fibers to the hook shank, Spin dubbing on thread and dub a
3 finishing above the hook barb. Trim 4 body with a reverse taper (abdomen
the length of the tail to equal the larger than thorax). Leave ~2 eye
length of the hook shank. diameters of space behind the eye.

Clean, stack, and tie in a bundle of Gather the butt ends of the hair, lift
5 deer or elk hair, length reaching to 6 them above the hook eye, and whip
hook bend. Keep all hair fibers atop finish under the bundle. Trim the hair
the hook shank. to form a prominent head.

14
BWO Sparkle Dun – Dry Fly
Hook: Dry fly, #12
Thread: Olive 6/0 (140 denier)
Wing: Deer hair
Tail: Light brown Z-lon/Antron (sparkly nylon) fibers
Body: Olive dry fly dubbing (Superfine, beaver,
muskrat, etc.)

Wrap a thread base. Stack a bundle Trim hair at ~45° angle and bind the
1 of hair and tie in at ~1/3 shank length 2 butt ends with thread. Pull wings
behind eye with tips pointing forward. upright and make a tight "wedge" of
Wing length equals hook shank length. thread in front of the wing.

Tie in the tail and lash the fibers to the Return the thread to the tail. Spin
3 hook shank, ending at the base of 4 dubbing on thread and dub a thin,
wing butts. Trim the length of the tail smooth, tapered abdomen up to the
to equal the hook shank. wing.

Apply more dubbing and dub in front Tie off, whip finish, and apply head
5 of and behind the wing in a "figure-8". 6 cement. Use your fingers to spread
Dub a tapered thorax ending just be- the wing hairs into a 180° arc around
hind the hook eye. the top half of the fly.

15
Rusty Spinner – Dry Fly
Hook: Dry fly, #14
Thread: Rusty brown 8/0 (70 denier)
Tail: Microfibetts; tan, cream, gray, or brown; split
widely; 1 or 2 fibers on each side
Body: Rusty brown dry fly dubbing
Wing: Polypropylene yarn, white, tied flat

Wrap a smooth thread base and tie in Divide the microfibetts into two widely
1 2-4 microfibetts as a tail. Tail length 2 split tails by placing figure-8 wraps
should be ~1.5 - 2 times the length of around the base of the tail. Each side
the hook shank. should consist of 1 or 2 fibers.

Bring the thread to ~1/4 of the shank Rotate the poly yarn perpendicular to
3 behind the eye. Tie in a piece of 4 the hook shank and tie it down firmly
white poly yarn parallel to hook shank with figure-8 wraps.
with a couple of loose wraps.

Return the tying thread to the tail. Dub the thread again and wrap a pro-
5 Spin dubbing tightly onto the thread 6 nounced thorax. Whip finish behind
and wrap a thin and slightly tapered the eye and trim the wings to a length
abdomen. slightly shorter than the hook shank.

16
Pink Squirrel – Wet Fly
Hook & Bead: Heavy wire curved hook, #10 with a 1/8" gold bead
Thread: Gray 6/0 (140 denier)
Weight: Non-toxic wire; 0.020" diameter
Tail: Six strands of Crystal Flash
Rib: Red copper wire, small
Abdomen: Hare's mask fur mixed with ice dubbing
Thorax: Bright pink nymph/scud dubbing
Thread the bead onto the hook (point Cover the wire and hook shank with a
1 goes into smaller hole). Add 5-6 2 thread base. Tie in the tail of Crystal
wraps of wire for weight. Push the Flash (6 strands total) and the wire
wire firmly up against the bead. ribbing.

Spin abdomen dubbing thickly onto Wind the wire ribbing through the ab-
3 thread and wrap a rough shaggy body 4 domen in an open spiral. Tie off the
to ~1/3 of the hook shank behind the wire and trim the waste.
eye.

Spin thorax dubbing thickly onto Whip finish behind the bead and apply
5 thread and dub a pronounced thorax. 6 head cement.
The pattern inventor, John Bethke,
ties the thorax of Coral Pink chenille.

17
Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear – Nymph
Hook: Heavy wire nymph hook, #10
Thread: 6/0 (140 denier), brown
Weight: Underbody of non-toxic wire
Tail: Long hair fibers of a hare's mask
Ribbing: Flat gold tinsel
Abdomen: Lightly colored hare's mask fur
Wing case: Mottled turkey feather fibers
Thorax: Darkly colored hare's mask fur
Wrap wire weight on a bare hook Cover the wire with thread. Return
1 shank. Attach thread and tie in the tail 2 thread to the rear and tie in the gold
hair, underfur removed. Tail length tinsel. Spin dubbing fur roughly onto
equals ~1/2 of the hook shank. thread.

Wrap dubbing to a point ~1/3 hook Spin dubbing fur thorax roughly onto
3 shank behind the eye. Wrap tinsel in 4 thread. Wrap a bulging and shaggy
open turns, tie off at front of abdomen; thorax.
trim waste. Tie in wing case.

Pull the wing case over the thorax and Trim the waste ends of the wing case,
5 bind it down just behind the hook eye. 6 build a neat head, and whip finish.
Pick out fur fibers of the thorax to be
quite shaggy.

18
Foam Beetle – Dry Fly
Hook: Dry fly, #12
Thread: Black, 6/0 (140 denier)
Body: Peacock herl, twisted with a piece of tying thread
Overbody: Black foam, 2mm (5/64") thick, width equal to hook gap
Legs: Black round rubber legs, medium
Topping: Brightly colored poly yarn or craft foam

Wrap a thread base. Trim an end of Tie in 3-4 strands of peacock herl
1 the foam strip to a point and tie in at 2 bundled with a piece of tying thread.
the rear of the hook shank, compress- Trim waste herl. Position thread ~1.5 -
ing the foam tightly. 2 hook eye diameters behind the eye.

Twist the herl gently with the piece of Pull the foam strip over the body and
3 thread and wrap the body in tight 4 tie down tightly at the forward end of
touching turns. Tie off the herl and the peacock herl, thus creating a
trim the waste. narrow "waist".

Attach one strand of black rubber legs Tie in a small piece of bright poly
5 to each side at the waist. Trim the four 6 yarn. Trim to length and whip finish at
legs to length. the waist. Trim the foam to form a
prominent head.

19
Pheasant Tail Nymph – Nymph
Hook: Wet fly / nymph hook, #12
Thread: Brown 6/0 (140 denier)
Tail: ~6-8 Pheasant tail feather barbs
Rib: Copper wire, small
Abdomen: Butt ends of tail fibers, twisted into a rope
Legs: ~6-8 Pheasant tail feather barbs
Thorax: ~2-3 Strands of peacock herl
Wing case: Butt ends of leg fibers, pulled over the thorax
Wrap a thread base and tie in the tail Twist butt ends of tail fibers into a
1 with 2-3 wraps of thread; do not trim. 2 rope. Wrap forward in touching turns
Tie in wire. Lift tail fibers and bind wire to ~1/3 hook shank behind eye. Tie off
to hook shank. Trim wire waste. and trim waste ends.

Counter-wrap the abdomen with wire Tie in leg fibers, tips extending forward
3 in uniformly spaced open turns. Tie off 4 for ~2/3 the length of hook shank. Tie
and trim waste wire. in peacock herl just forward of the ab-
domen.

Wrap peacock herl to form a pro- Fold tips of the pheasant barbs rear-
5 nounced thorax; trim waste ends. Pull 6 ward, half laying along each side.
butt ends of pheasant barbs over the Bind down the folded legs just behind
thorax, tie down, and trim waste ends. hook eye and whip finish.

20
Griffith's Gnat – Dry Fly
Hook: Dry fly, #16
Thread: Black, 8/0 (70 denier)
Ribbing: X-fine copper wire (optional)
Hackle: Grizzly rooster hackle
Body: Fine peacock herl, 2-3 strands

Cover the hook shank with a thread Tie in the hackle immediately forward
1 base and tie in the ribbing. 2 of the ribbing. The dull side of the
hackle will face forward when
wrapped.

Tie in the peacock herl immediately Twist the strands of herl together and
3 forward of the hackle. Wrap the 4 wrap forward in touching turns. Tie off
thread forward smoothly to a point herl behind the eye and trim the waste
behind the hook eye. ends.

Wrap the hackle forward in an open Counter-wrap the wire through the
5 spiral to just behind the hook eye. Tie 6 hackle, being careful to not bind down
off the hackle stem and trim the hackle barbs. Tie off the wire, trim
waste. waste, and whip finish.

21
Adams – Dry Fly
Hook: Dry fly, #12
Thread: Gray, 6/0 (140 denier)
Wings: Grizzly hen hackle tips, upright and divided
Tail: Mixed grizzly and brown dry fly hackle barbs
Abdomen: Dubbed gray muskrat underfur
Hackle: One grizzly and one brown rooster feather

Wrap a thread base. Align wings, Lift wings to vertical and wrap a tight
1 shiny sides touching. Wing length 2 wedge of thread forward of wings.
equals hook shank. Bind bare stems Divide wings ~30° from vertical (60°
to shank, tips forward. Trim waste. total). Secure with figure-8 wraps.

Bind tail fibers to hook shank. Tail Dub a tapered abdomen covering
3 length equals hook shank length. 4 ~60% of hook shank, leaving ~40%
Trim butt ends of tail fibers. bare at the thorax for a hackle collar.

Stack two prepared hackle feathers Wrap hackles together, shiny sides
5 together. Bind their bare stems to the 6 facing forward. Place ~2-3 wraps be-
hook shank just forward of the abdo- hind and ~2-3 forward of the wings.
men. Trim waste ends Secure hackle, trim, and whip finish.

22
Elk Hair Caddis – Dry Fly
Hook: Dry fly, #12
Thread: 6/0 (140 denier), color to match natural
Rib: Fine copper wire
Body: Dry fly dubbing, color to match natural
Hackle: Medium ginger rooster, palmered through body
Wing: Elk or deer hair, natural light or dark

Wrap a thread base to the rear of the Wrap the spun dubbing to a point 1/4
1 hook shank and tie in wire. Return 2 hook shank length behind the eye.
thread to the rear and spin dubbing Tie in hackle stem with its shiny side
material thinly onto the thread. facing the hook eye.

Wrap the hackle in open turns toward Counter-wrap the wire forward
3 the rear, finishing at a point mid-way 4 through the hackle to bind down the
between the hook point and barb. hackle stem. Tie off wire and cut the
Maintain pressure on the hackle stem. waste of both hackle and wire.

Clean and stack a bundle of hair. Tie Gather the butt ends of hair, lift them
5 in just forward of the hackle with tips 6 as a bundle, and whip finish under the
extending to hook bend. Keep all of bundle. Cut the thread and trim the
the hair atop the hook shank. hair bundle to form a prominent head.

23
Letort Hopper – Dry Fly
Hook: 2XL dry fly hook, #10
Thread: Pale yellow, 6/0 (140 denier)
Body: Yellow dry fly dubbing or poly yarn
Underwing: Slip of mottled turkey feather; width ~1/2 of hook
gap; tip trimmed to a broad "V"; tied in flat
Wing: Deer hair, length to bend of hook
Head: Spun and trimmed deer hair
Wrap a smooth thread base along the Spin dubbing onto thread (or use poly
1 hook shank, leaving ~1/3 of hook 2 yarn) and wrap a body over the rear
shank bare behind the eye. ~2/3 of the hook shank. Leave ~1/3
of hook shank bare at the front.

Tie in the flat underwing. The length Clean and stack a bundle of deer hair.
3 should extend beyond the hook bend. 4 Tie in the wing forward of the abdo-
men, length to hook bend. Keep all
materials atop the hook shank.

Clean another bundle of deer hair and Lift the butt ends of spun deer hair
5 spin it around the remaining bare 6 and whip finish behind the hook eye.
hook shank just behind the eye. The Trim the butt ends of hair to form a
hook shank must be bare for spinning. prominent head behind eye.

24
Parachute Blue-Winged Olive – Dry Fly
Hook: Dry fly, #12
Thread: Olive, 6/0 (140 denier) or 8/0 (70 denier)
Wing Post: Polypropylene or Antron yarn, white
Hackle: Medium dun rooster, barb size ~1½ times hook gap
Tail: Medium dun rooster hackle fibers
Abdomen: Olive dry fly dubbing (e.g. Superfine, beaver, etc.)
Thorax: Same as abdomen, but a darker color.
Tie in a thin piece of poly yarn under- Gather the poly yarn vertically above
1 neath the hook shank. 2 the hook shank and wrap thread ~1 to
1½ hook eye lengths up the post.
Trim post to hook shank length.

Strip some hackle barbs from the butt Tie in the tail fibers. Dub a thin
3 end of hackle and tie the stem ver- 4 abdomen and a slightly thicker thorax.
tically against the wing post. Position the thread adjacent to and
just behind the wing post.

Wrap ~5 turns of hackle down the Tie down the hackle stem with 2-3
5 wing post in touching turns, with each 6 tight wraps against the wing post.
wrap placed below the previous one. Bring thread forward and whip finish
behind the hook eye.

25
Appendices

Major Wisconsin Mayflies Hatch Chart


Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept
Common Name Hook E L E L E L E L E L E L E L
BWOs #16-24 xxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXX
Hendrickson #14 xxxXXXXxxxxxxx
March Brown #10-12 xxxxXXXXxxx
Sulphur #16-20 xxXXXXXxxxx
Gray Drake #12 xXXXXXxxx
Light Cahill #12-14 xXXXxxxxxxxxxx
Hexagenia #4-8 XXXxx xxxxxxxxx

Brown Drake #10 XXX


Trico #20-24 XXXXXXXXXXXX
White Mayfly #12-14 xxxxxxxxx

Major Wisconsin Caddisflies Hatch Chart


Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept
Common Name Hook E L E L E L E L E L E L E L
Little Black Cad #16-18 xxXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxx
Amer. Grannom #16-18 xxXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxx
Green Caddis #16-20 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXXXxxxxx

Tan Caddis #16 xxXXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


White Miller #14 xxXXXXxx

Major Wisconsin Stoneflies Hatch Chart


Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept
Common Name Hook E L E L E L E L E L E L E L
Early Black #15-20 XXXXxxxxxxxxxx
Yellow Sally #14 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

E=early; L=late; xxxxxxXX = Intensity of hatch (increasing)

26
A Basic Materials List
Fly tying materials needed in class are provided, but you may
wish to obtain supplies for additional fly tying at home. Indeed,
practicing at home is essential to becoming a skillful fly tyer. The
following materials represent the "core" of a fly tying materials in-
ventory. This inventory will be sufficient for tying many flies
known to be effective in local waters.
Thread: Black, brown, olive, yellow, and gray in sizes 6/0 and 8/0
Hooks: Dry fly (fine wire), nymph (heavy wire), and streamer
(heavy wire, long shank) hooks. The most common
hook sizes hooks for Wisconsin are #14-20 for dry flies,
sizes #14-18 for nymphs, and sizes #6-12 for streamers.
Feathers: Pheasant tail, turkey tail, marabou, wood duck or mal-
lard flank, goose biots, peacock herl, duck wing feath-
ers, rooster hackle (see below)
Hair: Natural deer or elk hair, natural or dyed bucktail, white calf
tail, moose mane or body
Hackle:
Dry fly hackle: Rooster cape (or half cape) in grizzly, brown, and
medium dun.
Wet fly hackle: Brown hen cape; Hungarian partridge; strung
saddle hackle in black, brown, and olive
Dubbing materials:
Natural furs in colors to match desired insects: Muskrat, bea-
ver, or microfiber dubbing for dry flies; hare's mask, pos-
sum, or squirrel for nymphs
Synthetic fibers: Antron or Antron blends (adds sparkle)
Body Materials:
Chenille: black, brown, and olive, small
Antron or polypropylene yarn, white
Ribbing: medium gold/silver mylar tinsel, medium copper wire,
fine silver and gold wire
Lead or non-toxic wire, fine (.015") and medium (.020")
Foam, 2mm black
Rubber legs, black and white, medium

27
Hook Conversion Table

28
Proportions of Nymphs

EC 05

A: Hook shank length


B: Tail = 1/3 to 1/2 of hook shank
C: Abdomen = 1/2 to 2/3 of hook
shank
D: Thorax/Wing case = 1/3 to 1/2 of
hook shank
E: Hook gap
F: Legs = 1/2 of hook shank

This instructional booklet was authored and assembled by the


volunteer instructors of the Southern Wisconsin chapter of Trout
Unlimited. Special thanks go to Phil Anderson, Jim Gentry,
Henry Nehls-Lowe, and Eric Christensen.

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