Couple of muddlers

[mot]

Been attempting some muddlers, I've only tied a handful of muddler heads and I'm hooked already, I just love spinning deer hair. Heres some pics of my first attempts.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Kate Muddler - I might have gone a bit far with the head on this one, I just couldnt resist packing in a bit more so the head might be a bit large. I could trim it back a bit more I guess but I didn't want to over work it.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

Invicta Muddler - Less happy with this one, I could have tied the jay in as a throat hackle, I tried to be clever and wind it but it doesnt look good, I caught it when I was trimming the head too. The head is probably a better proportion though.

Comments welcome

Cheers
Mot

[savage take]

they are pretty good for a first attempt, beware muddlers are very addictive..

[loomy]

These look really good -- they don't have to be an exact pattern ! about 25 years ago I tied about 3 dozen what I called mini muddlers (I named them killers) on size 10 & 12 B160 hooks, I tied the bodies as I would some dabblers etc,some without palmering with different coloured deer hair wings and they worked unbelievable infect still have 3 of them left ! they worked really well with orange,black and believe it or not blue wings. keep your mind open trout are open to offers..

loomy

[mot]

Thanks chaps, high praise indeed coming from you.

Yep already finding it addictive, couldnt resist one more tonight.



Pearly Invicta Muddler - Probably a bit heavy on the deer hair again, although only one bunch it was a bit of a fist full. Must learn to hold back a bit

[syphogenic]

Here's a wee tip you might want to use mot....when you've palmered the body and spun a collar of deer hair...pull it all back and wrap a piece of fine copper wire around the body holding down the collar and palmered feather. Once you have spun your head you can chop away at it with no fear of cutting anything you don't want to. Once you have shaped it just unwind the wire. Simple really.

[mot]

Nice tip Sypho, will give it a go.

any other tips on how to improve greatly appreciated
Cheers
Mot

[Wee Jimmy]

Your muddler heads look fine to me mot...I think with muddlers its simply a case of judging how much of a bunch of deer hair you need for the size of fly and becoming comfortable with the handling and spinning of it.
I used to use two bunches of hair.The first one to form the collar and a second bunch for the bulk of the head.Nowadays I can do it with just one bunch which for a size ten,is approx the thickness of a biro pen.

Clearing all of the underfur helps you achieve a trouble free spin and stacking it will give you a nice neat,level collar....

[bbj]

Spinning the hair onto bare hook shank (catch in your thread a few mm away from the eye and tie up to that point before spinning) makes life easier as well - may be well known to most, but it was only after I'd been tying muddlers for years that I was told this.

[muddler9]

Not too heavy at all, Mot. The pearly Invicta is tied and trimmed exactly as it should be IMO. Shame you'll have to wait so long to try them on wild browns.
If you fish for rainbows, these flies are really handy on the point of a washing line.
Have a go at a Dunkeld muddler, omitting the jay beard and jungle cock. It catches a lot of fish for me and I rarely use any other.

All the best,

Dave.

[scubacrazy123]

I'm still a beginner at this tying lark, although I think I am improving.
Until, that is, I try spinning deer hair. I am very, very bad at it.
I know, the best way to improve is practice, but it is very frustrating. My tying area floor looks like a barber's shop !!
So well done. These are very good.