The fly in the photo was tied with cream colored thread, wine colored wapsi-wire ribbing, and a grizzly hen hackle.
Pattern:
Hook: Nymph (12-16)
Thread: color based on preference (so far I've used olive, brown, cream)
Ribbing (optional): wapsi wire
Hackle: Soft hackle tied facing forward in the Tenkara style (my favorite is grizzly hen)
Instructions:
The traditional fly is quite simple and designed for quick, easy tying.
- Wrap thread from behind eye to a third of the way back on the shank, and then halfway back to the eye.
- Align the hackle on the hook such that the tip is at the butt of the fly.
- Tie in the hackle behind the eye (tip will still be free facing rearward.
- Wrap hackle towards eye and back, stroking fibers forward to get the forward facing hackle traditional to Tenkara flies.
- Tie in hackle.
- At this point, tie in wire if desired and wrap back to hook bend binding down hackle tip and then forward again to thorax creating smooth tapered body. I sometimes like to leave a little of the hackle tip exposed.
- Counter wrap wire to create rib and tie off at thorax.
- Whip finish behind hackle with two 3-4 turn whips.
