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1st spey fly attempt

506 views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  TD 
#1 ·
First off i know this isn't a traditional spey fly. I've always wondered how to tie them though. I have used rhea for some time know and tonight i discovered online that people strip the feathers to be able to palmer it.

My dislikes are i dont like how long the rhea strands are. Second i cant seem to palmer the malard flank right. Third i didnt have the right feather they use on the top portion so i used a purple hackle feather.

Suggestions please?
 

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#2 ·
One of my favorite fly designs, the Purple Poem, also has a wing of purple hackle tips. I'd suggest the the wing be just a bit shorter, and of matching down-curved feathers.
 
#6 ·
Give blue-eared pheasant a try in place of the rhea on the perple fly. You may like the soft look of them a bit better. I like rhea on flies like intruders, where I'm want to them to stay flared out a bit, but on flies like your purple one, I like a softer feather that sways a bit more.

My .02

Nice looking flies!
 
#8 ·
I'm not "cool" so this may be an opinionated comment, but I use Rhea for Intruder type flies and softer types of hackle for my spey flies. The schlappen, pheasant rump, or blue eared pheasant that I use is much shorter than the rhea you use and goes just beyond the hook and is much sparser. I like the look of the Sid Glasso type ties. That being said, I am tying to please myself, not the fish.....Your flies or an egg sucking leech would probably catch as many fish! If you like rhea, you might try spinning it in a loop and clipping off the butts so the strands aren't so long, that might give you the look you are trying for.......
 
#9 ·
Kyle,

Some very nice first attempts. Here are my thoughts on the purple fly.

1) Use more tension on the tinsel as you wrap. This will prevent the edges of the tinsel popping out. Also make sure you keep each new wrap overlapped with the previous wrap.

2) Your rhea hackle looks nice. Use schlappen or BEP as alternate materials, each material will give a very different look. Typically you will strip one side of these feather before you tie it in. This keeps the flies sparse. You do not want to over dress spey flies. Counter wrap with fine wire for extra durability.

3) The hackle tip wings are a bit long. Try to have the tips line up with bend of the hook or a touch shorter. If you use tips that have a slight curve (pick two with a left curve and two with right curve and put them back to back) so they will sit lower over the body. One crucial step to keep the wing low is to avoid any buildup of thread or hackle stems behind the tie in point for the wing. This bump will kick the wing up. Also try and tent the wings by tying the stems slightly on the side of the hook. This also keeps the wing low in the Glasso style.

4) Strip one side of the duck flank before tying it in for the collar. This keeps the fibers all pointing back.

5) The head is pretty big. Be judicious with thread wraps. It only takes 3-4 tight wraps to secure each material. I like to use 8/0 thread on my speys which gives more allowance for extra wraps.

Overall a very nice first effort! Keep at it!
 
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