Marjan Fratnik’s remarkably simple (and equally effective) little dry fly!




Dressing

Hook: Fine wire , down eye, 12 –26
Thread: Any, to suit hook size
Body: tying thread, fine dubbing optional . Colour to suit. I’ve used UTC 70, Yellow in the step-by-step below.
Wing : CDC plumes, number to suit size of fly. Usual guidance is 3-4 for a # 12-14, 2 for a # 16 etc.
This will vary with barb density, size and shape of plumes used. For # 20 and smaller, I just use stripped barbs.

Method

Catch in thread, pass to bend and back ( or pass to bend and apply thin rope of dubbing)

( I repeat step one here, in larger sizes)




2. For a #14 (Tiemco 902 BL here) marry three plumes in a stack. It helps if the feathers are each of similar size, shape and curvature.



3 (a) Fratnik apparently trims the butts, then attaches the feathers thus:
Attach using “pinch and loop”. Try to maintain the layered effect, one feather on top of another.




3 (b) Alternatively, you can tie the whole feathers in, with 5 or 6 turns of thread, then trim.



You will need to be pretty firm with your thread wraps either way, to then complete step 4.



4. Lift up the feather bundle, and take a turn or two of thread tight in the angle between the upper part of the shank and the lower part of the wing. This lifts the stems, and barbs clear of the shank. An angle of 45 deg. is prescribed, though I’m happy enough with a little less.




5. Whip finish. The head may make itself large, - I think that looks OK on this fly. Then clip wing to size. I generally let it hang off the bend a bit.



Job done.





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One thing that I like about this pattern is that it actually gets easier to tie as it gets smaller – a curious distinction, at least among flies that I fish!

After tying in body material of your choice, strip a bundle of CDC barbs from a large feather. Tie down, in the middle of the bundle., right at the eye with two or three thread wraps. I leave the scabs on.



Fold back the leading half of the bundle, and bind it down with a few thread wraps ( and you don’t need many – nice thing about CDC!)



Follow steps 4 and 5 as above




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A few (of many) options:

Dubbed body.



Uni-Mylar body




Curved hook






A very simple fly, but I hope someone here finds this of use.





Cheers,

.D.

Simplicity in itself!

Excellent SBS 'D'

__________________
Roddy

"Sod it! I am going out to sink a klink!"

Clever stuff.

Thanks

__________________
[COLOR="Blue"]"A fish seen is a fish nearly caught"[/COLOR]

One method, a million flies. i can see me using this alot.
Thanks

Nice.

Deadly in a buzzer hatch on stillwater or river.

Had four fish on one tonight. #16 Lightly dubbed amber superfine body.



Dougie

Thanks folks

One of my favourite versions I neglected to include in the first post:



6/0 Uni-thread rib .

Head's a bit fat

Of course, I did that on purpose to imply a midge's thorax ( ).

Anyone else have any favoured body materials?

Cheers,

.D.

.D.

I am not sold on the thread-only body on the original F-Fly. Not durable enough I have concluded. I touch-dub mine and that seems to make a big difference for some reason.

Also, I tie mine with a reverse wing, leaving the stubs about 1/3 or 1/4 body, then fold back the wing and fix angle. The permanent separation of wing and body this results in makes for a better performing fly, especially after the CDC gets wet or a bit slimed up.

Have you tried?

Cheers,
Hans W

I'm quite happy with the thread body - more so with UNI-thread.

Have you any illustrative material for your winging method? I think I understand - the cut stubs lie in the gap between shank and "overwing"?

I've not tried

Cheers,

.D.

.D.,

I will tie you one after supper, and post image.

Cheers,
Hans W