I call this one The Spartan. It is based on a Hornberg but instead of using two mallard flank feathers on each side of the fly, I use one on the top. You fish as you would any streamer and the larger trout at the private lake I fish prefer the pattern during the morning and the Fall when the mosquito fish are available. Materials Hook: Tiemco TMC 5262 or similar 3X long, heavy wire streamer hook, size 2-4 Thread: Black 8/0 - 14/0 Head: Small-medium size black cone head Body: Flat silver tinsel Underwing: Red and yellow dyed buck tail fibers, sparse Overwing: 1 mallard flank feather Step 1: Slide on the cone head and attach the hook in the vise. Tie in a length of silver tinsel. Step 2: Tightly wrap the tinsel to the rear of the shank, stop above the hook point, reverse direction and wind the tinsel back to the starting point. Trim away excess. Step 3: Tie in a sparse number of red buck tail fibers. They should extend a little past the hook bend. Clip away butt ends. Step 4: Tie in the same amount of yellow buck tail fibers so they extend the same as the red fibers. Clip away excess. Step 5: This one is difficult to explain. You want pick a mallard feather that is in proportion to the pattern. Choose a feather with the stem running directly down the center so the fibers are equal on both sides. Step 6: Tie in the feather over the buck tail so the fibers follow the hook shank. Clip away excess. Step 7: Prepare a grizzly hen feather that is fairly long and webby. Tie in for the collar. Step 8: Wrap the collar and whip finish. With any luck, you'll end up with something like this: The red and yellow buck tail fibers will give a hint of color under the mallard flank feather when the pattern is wet. I hope the pattern works as well for you as it does me. Go Fish!
Nice one Gene. Can't stress enough the importance of step 5 and picking out a good, straight, well proportioned feather, and tying it straight down the shank, otherwise your fly won't sit right.
This is true. You need to look at a number of feathers before you find one with the quill at the center of the fibers. It also is important not to get carried away with the buck tail fibers... a little dab will do ya. Thus: Spartan. I've also tied them with 4X long hooks but they don't seem to work any better than the shorter ones... so, to save on tinsel I use shorter shank hooks.. that tinsel stuff can get expensive!
Gene, What kinda tinsel are you using (lol)? Very nice fly; I like the Ducktail-like wing. Regards, Scott
Scott, my silver tinsel is made from real silver. The only way I obtain the stuff is when a masked man on a white horse with a native american sidekick shows up. "Who was that masked man?" "I don't know but he left a spool of silver tinsel."
thats a VERY cool streamer Gat, thank you for sharing. im tying some up in different colors right now.
