Two Tone Dabbler

[AndrewMWalker]

Hi All,

At the BFFI show I purchased some lovely Mallard Bronze feathers dyed orange from Cooks Hill.

When I got them home they looked a little garish and I could not quite bring myself to using them as a dabbler cloak... I've been pondering this for a few days and I came up with the idea (I'm sure it's not original!) of pairing a slip of the orange mallard with a slip of bronze mallard with the bronze being the upper feather...

This is when I came up with....




It's only version 2 off the vice so I'm hoping to make it better with a few more ties. I think it's too heavily cloaked and could so with the finer touch of a dabbler master like OO or Scratch.

Back to the vice to see if I can improve the fly. It's heading in the right direction to be quite perch like.

Cheers Andy

[Captain Scarlet]

Originally Posted by AndrewMWalker

Hi All,

At the BFFI show I purchased some lovely Mallard Bronze feathers dyed orange from Cooks Hill.

When I got them home they looked a little garish and I could not quite bring myself to using them as a dabbler cloak... I've been pondering this for a few days and I came up with the idea (I'm sure it's not original!) of pairing a slip of the orange mallard with a slip of bronze mallard with the bronze being the upper feather...

This is when I came up with....




It's only version 2 off the vice so I'm hoping to make it better with a few more ties. I think it's too heavily cloaked and could so with the finer touch of a dabbler master like OO or Scratch.

Back to the vice to see if I can improve the fly. It's heading in the right direction to be quite perch like.

Cheers Andy

Nice tying mate, and the effect on the Mallard looks good.....

Without a side shot, or closer look, then I'd say the 'cloak' is fine... If your attemting to perfect the pattern for Perch, then maybe a "McClearn" style Mallard 'wing' sitting on-top would be more appropriate, like a 50% cloak, as Perch have a darker top half then lower half....Just a thought.

Thanks for sharing

Carl

[AndrewMWalker]

Hi Carl,

Thanks, I'll try and post a better picture, I get better results when i go outside but it's wet and miserable here in Wales.

Not too worried about the definitive perch imitation, but I thought it had some of the traits.

Hopefully the next one or 2 versions off the vice will be better

A

[Captain Scarlet]

Originally Posted by AndrewMWalker

Hi Carl,

Thanks, I'll try and post a better picture, I get better results when i go outside but it's wet and miserable here in Wales.

Not too worried about the definitive perch imitation, but I thought it had some of the traits.

Hopefully the next one or 2 versions off the vice will be better

A

Hi A, Aye, its not too good here either for taking pictures...

Certainly like the fly and has plenty 'Perchiness' about it... Look forward to MK 2 and MK 3 Dabblers...

Carl

[Wee Jimmy]

Its a really nice effect with the two colours of bronze Andrew.Another wee gem of inspiration from the tyers on the forum... Feathers from Steve Cooper did you say...?

[Former member]

Andrew
Looks good, I did something similar with my Juicy Fruit Dabbler, I used Fire Orange and natural and rolled them together before tying but looking at the pic it is hard to notice it, looks better in the daylight.



Keep em coming.
Cheers
Gerry

[AndrewMWalker]

Hi Gerry, I should have realised that I'd seen this done before, I've got your Juicy Fruit flies and a load of others in a word document of flies I aspire to match in design and quality!

Here's another attempt. Better profile I think



Cheers

Andy

[Former member]

Looks good, defo fish catcher. Is that grey mallard drake dyed orange or bronze as looks a bit light for dyed bronze?
Keep em coming.
Gerry

[AndrewMWalker]

I have to be honest I don't know and it does not say on the packed. It is quite a bright colour so you could be right about it being grey mallard.

Going to knock our 1 more orange and bronze then I'll give olive a bash!

Cheers

A

[Wee Jimmy]

Originally Posted by AndrewMWalker

Going to knock our 1 more orange and bronze then I'll give olive a bash!

Actually....orange,oilve and bronze together would be very 'Perchy'...sorry for wading in...