Hand-tied fly

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This macro photograph shows the classic March Brown pattern, meticulously tied to your specific instructions. The hackle is now positioned as a sparse collar, leaving the bottom of the hook completely clear. The tail has been refined into two distinct, separate hackle-stalk strands. The original holographic tinsel body and mottled wing remain, perfectly preserved.

Hook

Standard Dry Fly Hook (e.g., TMC 100, sizes 10-14)

Thread

Brown or Olive 8/0

Tail

Two individual strands of dark mottled hackle (or Coq de Leon), tied to split and splay apart.

Body

Pearl/Holographic Tinsel (Purple/Blue iridescence)

Ribbing

Gold wire (Fine)

Wing

Mottled Partridge or Hen Wing (Upright and divided)

Hackle

Sparse dark brown/grey mottled cock hackle, tied as a collar.

Tail

Secure the thread base. Select two perfectly matched, long, stiff hackle fibers. Tie them in at the bend, and then use a figure-eight wrap between the two strands to force them apart into a 'V' shape. They must be stiff enough to support the fly on the water's surface.

Body

Tie in the gold wire and tinsel. Wrap the tinsel up the shank to form a smooth body. Counter-wrap the gold wire over the tinsel to secure it and add durability.

Wing

Prepare the partridge or hen wing section. Tie it in using a figure-eight wrap to create a realistic, divided, upright wing.

Hackle

Select a hackle with fibers of the correct length (about 1.5 times the hook gap). Tie it in just behind the wing. Wrap 3-4 turns of hackle, ensuring the fibers are distributed evenly as a collar *above and to the sides* of the hook. Crucially, ensure no fibers point directly downward.

Finish

Build a small thread head, whip finish, and apply head cement.

Details

Imitates

Mayfly

Targets

Trout, Grayling

Hook size

12-16

Colors

Purple, Grey, Olive, Gold