Drake Magazine Online

Softhackle Frenchie







Getting the tailwater boxes in order. I guess you could use something subtle for the hackle but with that thorax, what's the point? Weight optional.


hook - Mustad 3399A #14
thread - UTC 70 fire orange
tail - hen badger
rib - small wire copper
abdomen - pheasant tail
thorax - Sow/Scud dubbing Bighorn orange
hackle - partridge dyed orange (1Tbs Rit Sunshine Orange/1 cup water)

Claretbumbler's Mayfly







Found this one here.

hook - Dai Riki 075 #8
thread - Uni 8/0 fire orange
tail - bleached pheasant dyed orange (1Tbs Rit Sunshine Orange/1 cup water)
rib - oval tinsel gold
body - dubbing orange
body hackle(s) - olive/Grizzly dyed yellow (1 Tbs Rit Lemon Yellow, 1/2 Tsp Rit Golden Yellow/1 cup water)
1st shoulder hackle - fluoro yellow
2nd shoulder hackle - chukar partridge dyed orange (1Tbs Rit Sunshine Orange/1 cup water)
3rd shoulder hackle - grizzly dyed olive (1 Tbs Rit Golden Yellow, 1 Tsp Rit Dark Green/1 cup water)

Gartside's Evening Star (variation)







Never heard of this Sparrow variation; swapped out the marabou tail for dyed rump cuz I liked the color.


hook - Maruto 2312 #6
thread - Danville 6/0 black
tail - pheasant rump dyed black
rib - x-small wire gold
abdomen - peacock herl
hackle - pheasant rump dyed black
thorax/head - pheasant aftershaft dyed black (spun in loop)

Cap'n Fishy's Scarlet Mayfly







Red is a bitch to dye.


hook - Dai Riki 075 #8
thread - Uni 8/0 fire orange
tail - bleached pheasant dyed scarlet (3Tsp Rit Scarlet, 2 Tsp Rit Golden Yellow/1 cup water)
rib - small wire gold
body - tinsel gold
body hackle(s) - hot orange/black
shoulder hackle - chukar partridge dyed scarlet (see above)

turtlenecks.

choose:
a) smaller heads... or
iv) longer hooks.

Robinson's Big Ugly



A B.C. pattern for selective trout. Easier to call it a Big Ugly, which it is, than a Down Wing Red Tag Dry, which is what it is.


hook - Dai Riki 300 #8
thread - Danville 6/0 black
tail - Craft Fur red
rib - x-small wire gold
body - peacock herl
wings - hackle tips grizzly
hackle - grizzly


mash barb, start thread at 2/3 mark; tie in rib, wrap to bend




cut a clump of Craft Fur (original called for dyed polar bear; fresh out); tie in trim (gap width)






tie in peacock; wrap to 2/3 mark, tie off/trim






counterwrap rib; helicopter end, cover with thread






prep hackle tips, convex to convex; measure (2x shank), tie in/trim








tie in hackle




wrap hackle; tie off/trim, half hitch x 2, SHHAN

Denson's Fiery Crippler








hook - Dai Riki 075 #8
thread - Danville 6/0 wine
rib - oval tinsel gold
body - dubbing fiery brown/claret/ant brown
body hackle - brown
1st shoulder hackle - golden pheasant rump dyed orange (1Tbs Rit Sunshine Orange, 1 Tbs Rit Golden Yellow/1 cup water)
2nd shoulder hackle - hen brown


Denson's Fiery(er) Crippler







No offense to the chicken but that brown hackle was a bit drab so I brightened things up a bit

hook - Dai Riki 075 #8
thread - Danville 6/0 wine
rib - oval tinsel gold
body - dubbing fiery brown/claret/ant brown
body hackle - rust brown (1Tbs Rit Sunshine Orange, 1 Tbs Rit Golden Yellow/1 cup water)
1st shoulder hackle - golden pheasant rump dyed orange (1Tbs Rit Sunshine Orange, 1 Tbs Rit Golden Yellow/1 cup water)
2nd shoulder hackle - hen rust brown (1Tbs Rit Sunshine Orange, 1 Tbs Rit Golden Yellow/1 cup water)

Denson's Flame







First try at WOIGO; needs work (have to find an alternative since I only have 2 packs of the Mango left and they don't make it anymore).

hook - Dai Riki 075 #8
thread - Uni 8/0 fire orange
tail - golden pheasant tippets dyed scarlet (3Tsp Rit Scarlet, 2 Tsp Rit Golden Yellow/1 cup water)
rib - small wire gold
body - dubbing golden olive
body hackle - dyed WOIGO (2 packs Koolaid Mango/1 cup water)
wing - deer hair dyed orange
1st shoulder hackle - hen dyed orange (1Tbs Rit Sunshine Orange/1 cup water)
2nd shoulder hackle - Mearns Quail (jay substitute) dyed blue (Regatta - 3/4 Tsp Rit Aquamarine, 1/4 Tsp Rit Royal Blue/4 cups water)

Danie's Western Green Drake







A B.C. Wulff variation from Danie Erasmus; apparently the bugs fresh out of the shuck have a darker body, hence the brown dubbing.


hook - Dai Riki 300 #8
thread - UTC 140 brown
tail - moose body hair
rib - UniStretch Yellow
body - dubbing brown
wing - elk hair dyed dark dun
hackle - brown/grizzly dyed yellow (1Tbs Rit Golden Yellow/1 cup water)

trimmed out underneath for flatwater situations

Peter Ross Snatcher







Saw one version with a teal flank wing which looked a bit weird; the grizzly hackle up front creates a similar effect.


hook - Dai Riki 135 #12
thread - Danville 6/0 black
tag - Danville Depth Ray fire orange
rib - small wire silver
abdomen - medium tinsel opal
body hackle - hen black
thorax - dubbing red
front hackle - hen grizzly
cheeks - biots dyed hot orange (tips trimmed)

Denson's Traffic Light Crippler




hook - Dai Riki 075 #8
thread - Danville 6/0 black
rib - small wire red over medium opal over holo red tinsel
body - dubbing black/squirrel body
body hackle - grizzly
1st shoulder hackle - golden pheasant red
2nd shoulder hackle - hen black


mash barb, start thread; tie in wire, then red, then opal tinsel and wrap to bend




dub thread/dub body (sparse); leave some room up front for the shoulders






rib red tinsel




then opal over top




tie in hackle; wrap to bend






capture tip with wire and continue rib forward, over top tinsel; helicopter end, cover with thread




after watching enough Ryan Houston vids, found this way locks the hackle securely with minimum wraps; tie in (folded) hackle by trimmed tip with dull side facing and butt forward over eye




fold back and lock with a couple wraps




wrap hackle, tie off/trim




repeat with second shoulder






wrap hackle, tie off/trim, whip finish, SHHAN

Sheridan Lake Sedge Pupa







A B.C. stillwater pattern; about as simple as they come. Original called for medium wire rib; the doubled/twisted small size is about the same thickness and a lot more flexible.


hook - Dai Riki 280 #8
underbody - non-tox .030
thread - Danville 6/0 brown
rib - small wire gold (doubled/twisted)
body - Arizona Synthetic peacock
legs - pheasant tail
head - peacock herl