Jiggy Buggers

This is just your basic wooly bugger tied on a jig hook with a slotted tungsten bead head. I decided to try these out on jig hooks to see if they snagged less while bouncing on the bottom. They might also be fun for ice fishing.

Hook: C400BL Barbless Jig Hook #10 or 12
Bead: 1/8" or 7/64" Slotted Tungsten Bead (3.3mm or 2.8mm)
Tail: Black Marabou
Body: Black Chenille
Hackle: Gray hackle

Harry Darbee's Two-Feather Fly

 

Harry Darbee's Two-Feather Fly

Hook: #14 Emerger

Thread: Blue Dun 70 Denier

Body/Tail: Suitable Feather (eg. short and fat hackle feather, wood duck or mallard flank, grouse for smaller sizes)

Hackle: cock hackle to match

 

For some detailed tying instructions, check out Davie McPhail. He calls it a "Hatchmaster" but from what I know, Harry Darbee invented it in the 50s and called it the Two-Feather. It also was simply called the "Darbee."

Showshoe & UV Finish Emergers

The flies above are the result of some experimentation I've done with #16 Klinkhamer hooks and snowshoe hare's feet wings. Both bodies were finished using Loon's Clear UV Finish - Thin. On the left, I spiral-wrapped dun WonderWrap with UV Pearl Flashabou wrapped between the WonderWrap spirals. On the right, I used a grizzly hackle quill. The idea is that the bodies will easily sink below the surface, with the super-boyant showshoe hare keeping them afloat in the surface film.

Griffith's Gnat

Hook: Standard Dry #14-24 (Mustad 94849 #18 shown)
Thread: Black 70 denier
Body: Peacock Herl
Hackle: Grizzly, palmered

Grizzly Crazy 8

This is a bit of an experiment that I worked on over the weekend. I used some traditional techniques and materials, modern poly yarn, and what I think is a new or at least odd-ball hackling technique to come up with what you see above. I tied the fly with two different hackling techniques (comparisons below). For my first tie, I wrapped the hackle in figure 8s around the poly wings creating an unruly ball of hackle, reminiscent of a hackle stacker, but above and below the hook. On my second fly, I posted both poly wings and wrapped the hackle parachute-style around each wing separately. 

Hook: #12 standard dry

Thread: white 70 denier

Tail: 3 black-barred white Hareline Mayfly Tails (micro fibbets)

Body: stripped grizzly hackle quill, laquered with Loon UV resin

Wings: white poly yard tied spent

Hackle: #12 grizzly hackle tied figure 8 (or double parachute)

Double-parachue

Figure 8

Figure 8s on left, parchutes on right

Classic Adams

Hook: #12 standard dry
Thread: olive 70 denier
Wing: grizzly hackle tips
Tail: mixed grizzly & brown hackle fibers
Body: Adams Gray Super Fine Waterproof Dry Fly Dubbing
Hackle: mixed grizzly #12 & brown #14

Red Quill

Red Quill
Hook: #12 dry
Thread: 70 denier blue dun
Tail: dark dun hackle fibers
Body: stripped quill from Rhode Island Red rooster hackle
Hackle: dark dun
Wing: wood duck