Sea trout Flat wing
Firstly may I wish you all a happy new year!
The seasonal festivities family birthdays and goodbye ceremonies are now over and I have more time to get back to what is most important. Thats right, fishing and fly tying! So please accept my apologies for being vacant the last couple of weeks, but now I am back in the saddle with the first sea trout fly of the year. Please enjoy and much more will come soon.
Yours,
The Feather Bender.
This sea trout flat wing variant is a sure winner and an attractor of larger fish.
The original flat wing pattern was developed by the late Bill Peabody a well known fly tyer and fisherman from Rhode Island in the US. The original pattern was developed for stripped bass but was also found to be just as successful on many other salt water species. Recently a number of flat wing patterns have been developed for salt water sea trout and sea bass fishing in Northern Europe and have proved to be extremely effective.
One of the great things about tying these modern flat wing patterns is that the design lends itself extremely well to individual interpretation in size, colour and material use. But remember that the key word for tying flat wings is sparse, if you over dress these flies you defeat the whole point with them. Try and use materials that are light but create volume, but always consider the movement of the material in the water when fished and don´t forget its reflective and flash qualities. Some fly tiers also make use of a tandem hook on larger patterns, attached by mean´s of a wire or mono extension with the tail hook, up side down. But I find that this in most cases completely changes the action of the fly.
Hook Mustad S71SNP-ZS # 8-2 http://www.mustad.no/productcatalog/product.php?id=193
Tying thread Dyneema
Tail Two flat wing saddle hackles and Flashabou
Body Mother of pearl Body Braid coated with Bug Bond
Under wing White buck tail and five strands of Crystal flash
Over wing Yellow Olive and blue buck tail mixed
Topping Five strands of fine peacock herl
Throat White buck tail
Cheeks Jungle cock
1. Secure your salt water hook in the vice and attach your tying thread at the rear.
2. Tie in two medium long saddle hackles flat on top of the hook shank as shown along with a few strands of flashabou or similar.
3. Cut a length of MOP Bills body braid at the base of the flat wing tail.
4. Wrap the body braid over the whole hook shank taking care to leave enough space for the wing and head.
5. tie in a bunch of white buck tail and a few strands of crystal hair for the wing.
6. Mix a small bunch of buck tail in your chosen colours and even in a hair stacker.
7. Tie in this bunch on top of the white under wing.
8. Tie in another smaller bunch of white buck tail for the throat of the fly.
9. Top off the wing with four or five strands of peacock herl.
11. Using a dubbing needle or similar make the peacock herl curve in the right way.
12. Select two jungle cock eyes and tie in one each side of the wing base.
13. Whip finish. Colour the head of the fly with a waterproof felt pen and varnish.
Once the flat wing has become wet you will understand how the wing and tail fall naturally into place to form a fantastic mobile bait fish imitation.
