How to tie the Willie Gunn Samurai

Time Well Spent April 19, 2023

Mikael Frodin’s variant of the world-famous Willie Gunn is a proven fish-catcher both in Norway, where it was devised, and the UK. The highly mobile wing moves seductively in the water.

Material list for the Willie Gunn Samurai

Tube: Medium black FITS and fluorescent orange X-small FITS tubing

Body: Rear, bare tube, followed by Mirage tinsel, Alta Gold Holo SSS braid, Magma Yellow, Hot Orange in Flames and Octopussy Red SSS Glitz dubbing. In smaller sizes use SSS dubbing behind the wing and Glitz in front

Wing: White hair underwing, black overwing. Wing should be tied with long, straight soft fibres, such as goat hair, to get the slim profile only on the top of the fly.

Cheeks: Jungle cock

Hackle: Two turns of soft black hackle or mini marabou

Cone: X-small black FITS turbo

Step 1. Cut a length of black FITS tube (cut to a point at front) and slide on to your mount. Cut the ends of orange FITS tube to a point and push one a third of the way inside the black tube.

Step 2. Apply thread turns where the tubes overlap, then carry the thread down the main tube, leaving a short section bare. 

Step 3. Wind on Mirage then overlapping turns of SSS braid.

Step 4. Secure the loose end of the braid then dub on a generous pinch of Magma Yellow SSS dubbing. This material is positioned under the wing, providing a degree of support.

Step 5. Tease out the Magma Yellow dubbing to create a halo. Next, catch in a pinch of fine white hair, adding a black overwing at least three times the length of the tube.

Step 6. Lock the wing in place with tight thread wraps, then add long cheeks of jungle cock. Apply a pinch of Hot Orange in Flames SSS Glitz dubbing immediately in front of the wing.

Step 7. Take a large pinch of Octopussy Red SSS Glitz and dub it on to the thread. Wind it forward to create a substantial ball, adding the last turn directly onto the thin orange tube.

Step 8. Using a piece of velcro, begin to tease out the fibres of the two front body sections. Keep working, stroking the dubbing fibres back over the wing and body to create a dense “hackle”.

Step 9. Trim any long curly dubbing fibres, then catch in a small black marabou feather by its tip. Wind on two turns of the hackle, close to the front of the body, secure and trim waste.

Step 10. Slide the cone on to the orange tube. Add a drop of Superglue in front of the hackle, push the cone firmly, and slide into position. Trim the tube and burr the end with a lighter.