Tis the season for tidings and joy! Since we’re all stuck inside most of the time anyway, why not make the most of your fly tying skills and tie your loved ones a handmade Christmas Tree? Let’s face it, you probably have most of the materials already. If not, now you have a reason to visit your local fly shop or you can get creative and find substitutes amongst your materials. When you’re done, email us at info@deneki.com and show us with the Subject Christmas Fly. We would love to see what you came up with!
Originator: Unknown
Tier: Mike Brown, owner of Mossy’s Fly Shop in Anchorage, Alaska. A lifelong Alaskan with a passion for family, fly fishing, and tying.
Note: One disclaimer I must make about the pattern ahead. You will notice in one shot there are some bead chain eyes, my plan did not work out and I had to remove them. I am going to leave decorating the tree up to the creative mind of the tier.
Photography Credit: Cooper Brown, Instagram @focus49th
Material List:
- Shank: Aqua 51mm
- Thread: Veevus GSP 100 White
- Conehead: Large Gold
- Beadhead: ¼ Metallic Red
- Lower Cone: Pro Tube Conedisc Large Chartreuse
- Tree Base: Medium Brown/Black Speckled Chenille
- Tree Body: Green Deer Hair
Step 1. Slide your gold cone, red beadhead and conedisc onto the shank. Start your thread at the back. Do not start your thread at the front and work back, you want to leave the shank clear of the thread to make the spinning of deer hair smoother.
Step 2. Tie in your chenille, make 3 or 4 wraps and tie off.
Step 3. Cut a decent clump of deer hair, comb out the under fur and stack the tips. Tie in your first clump of deer hair. Keep the butt ends as short as you can, this will make it cleaner. Make your first wrap of thread with a little bit of pressure then make your second wrap with pressure and pull down on to shank, this make the hair start to spin.
Step 4. Repeat step 3, but this time make your deer hair length a little shorter. This will help create a nicer taper and reduce the amount of trimming.
Step 5. Repeat Step 4, again making the next clump a little shorter
Step 6. Repeat Step 4, again making the next clump a little shorter
Step 7. Repeat Step 4, again making the next clump a little shorter
Step 8. Repeat Step 4, again making the next clump a little shorter
Step 9. Repeat Step 4, again making the next clump a little shorter. Trim hair to desired taper and look.
Finished Christmas Fly.
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