Vulnerable Dun

I have been tying a few Vulnerable Duns (a Chris Watson creation) in preparation for the new season. The fly has been tied on various sizes from 14 down to 22 using Aero Dry Wing with a few strands of Krystal Flash UV Pearl for the wing, a body dubbed with Superfine and ribbed with thread (ropped and coloured with permanant marker), a shuck of white McFlylon with a few strands of Krystal Flash UV Pearl and a hackle, in this instance, from a Metz Grizzly Hackle.

FF and FT League Round 4

Round 4 of the League required three Quill Dries. Dressing as follows:

Hook: Partridge Surehold Dry Barbless

Thread: Black 8/0

Wing: Mallard Feather Slips

Tail: Cock Hackle Fibres

Body: Stripped Peacock Quill

Hackle: Whiting Brown Saddle Hackle

This fly proved more troublesome that at first glance. I tried several methods of stripping the peacock quill satisfactorily including hair remover which seem to weaken the quill itself and make it impossible to tie. I eventually opted to soak the quills in water for 24 hours and strip using a very good quality rubber. The slip wings were not easy, are they ever, and after a couple of weeks of tearing my hair out, I tied them in as I usually do with the wings lying along the hook and after one loop of thread moving the waste end in a seesaw motion to create a valley in the slip.

I am third after Round 3 so have high hope of a good finish.

Back to tying some flies for the new season.