Tying a Basic Spey Fly Frank G. Swarner III Materials You Will Need Hook: Daiichi Alec Jackson - size 1 Thread: Uni 6/0 Black Body: Wool Yarn - Orange Hackle: Whiting spey hackle – Heron Gray Rib: Oval tinsel - large - Silver Counter Rib: Oval tinsel - small – Silver Rib:  Flat tinsel - large - Silver Throat: Teal Flank Feather Wing: Bronze Mallard Step 1:  Attach the thread to the hook shank just behind the return end of the loop eye. Photo from below Step 2:  Select one strand each of small and large silver oval tinsel.  Each strand should be approximately 4” long.  Both strands will be tied in side by side onto the underside of the hook shank, where the thread is attached.  When the hook is positioned normally in the vice the large oval tinsel should be to the near side and the small oval tinsel on the far side, but they are both still on the underside of the hook shank. If you have a rotary vice it can be helpful to turn the hook upside down for this step. Step 3:  With the hook in the normal position use your left hand and hold both strands to the rear of the hook shank so that the large oval tinsel is on the far side of the hook bend and the small oval tinsel is on the near side of the hook bend.  When the thread is wrapped rearward over the tinsel this will help keep each strand of oval tinsel from being tied on top of each other.  Wrap the thread rearward binding the oval tinsel strands to the hook shank. Wrap back to a point on the hook shank that is directly above the hook point and stop. When the bobbin is hanging plum it should be right at or slightly ahead of the hook point. Step 4:  Snip off a piece of large flat silver tinsel approximately 4” long.  Attach the tinsel to the far side of the hook shank, gold side facing out, with 2 turns of thread.  This should be done right above the hook shank where we stopped from the previous step. To help build a level body, leave some excess tinsel to the front of the tie in point extending to the return wire from the loop eye. Step 5:  Snip off approximately 6 inches of yarn.  Depending on the yarn that is selected, it may have 1, 2, 3, or 4 strands.  Separate the strands so there are only one or two strands to wrap the body.  The yarn shown is 4 strands and is separated into two strands.  For a very fine body use 1 strand.  For a bulkier body use 3 or 4 strands. Step 6:  Take the two strands of yarn and attach them to the far side of the hook shank, right on top of the flat tinsel.  This should be done right above the hook shank where we stopped from the previous step. To help build a level body, leave some excess yarn to the front of the tie in point extending to the return wire from the loop eye. Bind the material to the hook shank by working your way forward with the thread.  Make sure to keep the tinsel and the yarn on the far side of the hook shank. Step 7:  Before the yarn is wrapped for the body, spiral wrap the thread forward to the return wire to get it out of the way for the time being.  Use your fingers to slightly unravel the two strands. Wrap the yarn forward to the midpoint of the body making sure each strand of yarn nestles side by side for each turn.  They are not to be doubled up.  Stop at the midpoint of the hook and attach a large hackle plier to the yarn to keep the body from unraveling. Step 8:  This is a heron gray feather from a Whiting Spey cape that will be used for this fly.  As you can see the majority of the filoplume at the base of the stem has been removed in preparation for being tied onto the hook shank.  The size of the feather and the length of the hackle fibers are up to you.  I chose to keep the hackle fibers slightly longer than the hook shank for this fly. Step 9:  Tie the spey hackle to the underside of the hook shank by the butt at the midpoint of the body where the yarn is stopped.  The curved or backside of the feather should face the hook shank.  Since the tip of the Whiting Spey hackle is so thin it can break easily when tied in by the tip.  Other spey hackle such as Blue Eared pheasant can be tied in by the tip. Why tie in by the tip or butt of the feather?  When fished, the hackle of a feather tied in by the tip will compress against the body.  When tied in by the butt, the hackles stand out a bit more and will not compress as much. Bind the stem to the hook shank and let the stem “walk” around the near side of the hook shank and align it with the return wire.  Snip the stem so it is butt to butt with the return wire.  This will help to smooth the transition from the single wire portion of the hook to the double wire. Continue wrapping your thread forward and stop where the front portion of the body will stop.  Remember that the hackle is in the midpoint of the body and do not crowd the hook eye. View from underside Step 10:  Wrap the yarn forward creating the body and bind the yarn strands to the underside of the hook shank with three turns of thread.  You can snip of the excess yarn as shown or it can be done after the next step. continue to page 2 >>>   Hatches Magazine Subscription Price: $6.95 for each issue The Premiere issue is ready for shipping & the Fall 2008 issue will be available September 1st. Hatches Magazine Subscription Price: $6.95 for each issue The Premiere issue is ready for shipping & the Fall 2008 issue will be available September 1st.