| Hook:
3/0 heavy wire hook (Tiemco 800s, Eagle Claw 254SS, Daiichi 2546)
Tail: Green
grizzly saddle hackle over pale blue saddle hackle over pale olive
saddle hackle over a touch of chartreuse bucktail over two strands
each, double over of dark blue, olive, yellow, pink and silver Flashabou
over white bucktail.
Body: Pearl
Bodi-Braid with red marker gills.
Bottom Wing:
White bucktail
Top Wing: Dark
blue bucktail over dark olive bucktail.
Eyes: Yellow
#3 Witchcraft
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Tying
Notes:
All saddle hackles are tied
in flat, that is, on the horizontal and unlike a Deceiver which
is tied on edge.
The flat-hackle tying technique works
well for tying tinker mackerel. The barring on mackerel is imitated by
the flat-tied green grizzly hackle. The flat hackle also gives the fly
a wiggle during the retrieve.(Note: For more detail on the flat-tying
technique, see J. Kenney Abrames' Striper Moon.)
Allow the Flashabou to extend
at least one-half inch beyond the longest saddle hackle.
It's easier to position a whole saddle
hackle by first making three loose wraps below the fluff and, by holding
the tip and stem and moving it slightly forward, to align it to the top
of the hook shank.
After you get the hackle in position,
keep a finger on top of it while binding it down.
Position the eyes a little behind
and above the head of the pattern. Coat with 30-minute epoxy to cover
the eye and head only. A second coat may be required.
Whenever you're tying in bucktail,
spread it around the hook shank to give the appearance of bulk, but retain
the illusion of translucency at the same time.
You may be wondering why there's chartreuse
bucktail in the middle of the fly -- Just a collar, single hair thick,
gives the fly life and doesn't look bright at all.
Hot Tip: After the fly is completed
and the epoxy has dried, run the fly under a hot water tap to blend and
set the hairs in place. This tip was given to me by Kenney Abrames, and
it works on just about every pattern that uses a blend of colors.
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