This is the lovely Gathercole pattern from
The Fly-Tying Bible (2003).
The dressing seems to have originated from the True to Life Midge Pupa, which was almost identical and featured in the book
Imitations of a Trout's World (1987)
Ascending Midge Pupa
Hook: Size 12-16 Kamasan B420 or similar
Thread: Black
Breathers: White Marabou
Rib: Clear nylon monofilament
Back: Medium pearl lurex
Body: Black and red feather fibres
Wing Cases: Grey (or brown) feather fibres
Thorax: Grey rabbit fur
Wing Buds: Brown goose or turkey biots
Place the hook in the vice so that the eye is pointing downward as shown. This makes it easier to take the thread around the bend and also tie in materials there.
Try not to take more turns of thread than needed to tie materials in on this pattern, or else you'll end up with a lumpy bum on your fly!
Tie in 3 white marabou fibres halfway around the bend, followed by a 2 inch length of pearl lurex, directly on top of the shank.
Next tie in 3 inches of monofilament for the rib.
Now for the tricky part.
You need to tie in the body material, which is red and black feather fibres.
I suggest using goose shoulder stiffs (used for salmon fly built wings) because these marry well together. The fibres also need to be fairly long.
The simplest way of doing is is to take 2 red fibres from one side of a feather and also 3 black from the same side of a black one. Keeping them together, lay both sets of fibres on your work bench or in your fingers if you can, and manipulate them so that the edge of each set joins together. They should "marry" together quite easily.
Once you have a strip of 5 fibres (2 red, 3 black) trim and moisten the tip and tie in shiny (bad) side up, so that once they are wound, the flue will be exposed on the opposite side.
Return the thread to the position shown below.
Now carefully wind the fibres together, untwisting them after each wind, so that you can see the 2 colours side by side after each wrap.
A trick is to wrap once then in between turns jam the fibres firmly against the shank of the hook with your left index finger or thumb if right-handed. This means you can untwist them with your other hand and also take stock of how the wraps are going.
Once happy, tie in as usual.
Bring the pearl lurex over the back of the pattern as shown. Even this isn't as easy as it should be, since the B420 is offset! Tie in at the start of the thorax.
Rib the body and back with the mono in neat, even turns.
Trim all the waste away and tie in grey or brown feather fibres on top of the shank for the wing cases.
Dub a small amount of brown rabbit fur for the start of the thorax. You only need enough for 1 or 2 turns of dubbing.
Fill about 1/3 of the thorax with the dubbing, then trim and tie in 2 brown turkey or goose biot fibres along the bottom half of the thorax as shown.
Tie in 4 or 5 marabou fibres and leave the tips projecting out over the eye.
Trim up and dub the front 2 thirds of the thorax material on to the thread.
Once you're happy with the thorax, bring the wing case feather fibres over the top of it and tie in just behind the eye.
Trim up carefully and create a neat head in front of the marabou fibres and whip finish.
Cut the white breathing filaments to about 2mm.
Varnish the head and the fly is complete.
Ascending Midge Pupa
Linear Mode
