This the Jersey Herd. One that like many of the old lures is often forgotten about, but one which has stood the test of time. This is a good fly to use as an “anchor” on a team of buzzers “dead drifted” in a breeze. If more anglers fished their lures like nymphs … there would be a lot more fish caught!! It’s not all about sink and draw or milking the cow in record time.
The body on the Jersey Herd is copper, not, as you see many times, Gold.
The body was originally made from the top of a milk bottle, but as I have none I used Uni Copper tinsel.
You can if you wish of course tie it with a gold body, or silver or orange or……
Instructions assume right-handed tyers
HOOK – Kamasan B830
THREAD - 6/0 Black
BODY – Copper Tinsel
TAIL/BACK/HEAD - Peacock Herl
HACKLE - Orange
You can weight this fly if you wish, I have used medium lead wire.
STEP 1
Mount the hook and apply a drop of superglue, then wrap the lead wire over the wet glue.
STEP 2
Attach the thread and wrap over the lead wire to leave a smooth under body, build a small taper at either end of the lead so that you do not have a sudden drop.
STEP 3
Catch in the peacock Herl, here I’ve used 5 strands. Catch it in with two or three wraps of thread then lift the butts and wrap the thread to the shoulder.
STEP 4
Tie in the copper tinsel at the shoulder, then wrap it to the tail and back to the shoulder and tie off and trim waste.
STEP 5
Mount the hackle. You can tie it in the conventional way, or as I have done here, doubled and by the tip.
STEP 6
Wrap the hackle, tie off and trim waste.
STEP 7
Pull the peacock Herl over the body and tie down at the head and trim the waste.
STEP 8
Tie in another three peacock herls.
STEP 9
Twist them into a rope, wrap to the eye, tie in and trim waste. Then whip finish and trim the tails to length for the finished fly.
Jersey Herd
I found the peacock herl on the back very prone to damage so I always used a copper wire rib to make them last a bit longer. Must tye a few up
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