First Wickham's Fancy

[iamasmith]

I wanted to have a go at some more traditional ones and saw Davie McPhail's recent YouTube posting on the Wickham's fancy so here are my results.




I found it really hard to get a body hackle small enough even on the new cape. This is on a size 14 btw. May have to get yet another one :S

The other thing I found was doing these sedge wings for the first time and getting the swept look tends to push them really low to either side of the body, anybody else found that?

[Chris Reeves]

Andy,

It looks to me like your mounting the wings too low on the body. Are you using two hackles or just one. If it's just one, then stop the hackle sooner and leave yourself more space to mount the wing using a loop and pinch.

If your using two hackles, I'd either put the front hackle on after the wing if its a softer hackle, or tie it as a beard hackle. This will let the wing sit much more naturally on top of the hook.

Make sure you have a flaty bed of silk on which to mount the wing. If the silk is lumpy or sloped the wing will not lie nicely.

Hope this helps

Regards

[iamasmith]

Cheers Chris,

Yes it's two hackles as per Davie's YouTube video with the second hackle tied after mounting the wing and yes you are right the wing is very low at the moment.

It sits higher when first tied on but when I pulled it into shape to get the swept look it started to lay fairly low and obscure the body from the side.

That being said when you look at the fly in 3 dimensions it actually looks quite lifelike having the wing like that but it's not traditional and it's not what I'm aiming for.

Thanks for the pointers I'll have another go.

[bbamboo]

Ahh the wonderful Wickham's Fancy

I don’t tie a wing on mine (not any more)
Top-drawer fly really excels in bright sunshine. Sometimes works when nothing else will for some strange reason

Still one of the best (in my view anyway)


Gary

Bamboo rod maker

[iamasmith]

Ah, but Gary the wing (done properly ) is beautiful and I'm going to fish it where the Alders are currently skating around.

I just love that effect when the wing is smoothed into an olive shape and the Wickham's Fancy is a beauty to hold the two wings in a great position with that palmered hackle.

I'll have a proper run at a few and see if a little more pressure on the binding of the wing won't pull it up higher before I comb it into that olive shape.

Cheers again for all the comments folks ^^