When tying imitations of the mayfly dun, mallard flank feather is a very effective but under-used material, at least on this side of the Irish Sea. The light speckling creates an effect similar to that of a mayfly dun’s wings, especially if the feather has been dyed either yellow or a similar shade known as summer duck. It comes in a range of sizes, the smallest of which provide the base for the classic Fan-wing Mayfly where a pair of matched plumes create wings where the natural curve of the feather diverge or fan to imitate the mayfly’s wings.
In wet flies the material is normally used as a hackle, the long fibres sweeping back over the body. It can also be used in a similar way when used to tie a dry fly but in this instance it is normal to use a smaller plume so that the hackle turns can be used in a more upright position. Also the feather fibres may be used in bunches.
HOOK: Size 8 medium weight wet fly or nymph hook
THREAD: Yellow
TAIL: Moose hair
RIB: Thick brown thread
BODY: Cream coloured dubbing
WING: Dirty yellow CDC and dyed yellow mallard flank
THORAX: Dark brown dubbing
HACKLE: Golden badger, ginger or grizzle cock hackle
- Fix hook in vice and run thread down shank until it reaches the bend. At this point catch in a few moose hairs to form the tails and a length of brown thread.
- Secure waste ends of moose hair and brown thread along the shank. Take a pinch of cream fur and dub onto thread. Wind on the fur in close turns.
- Apply further turns of fur to create a tapered body. Wind thread in two close sets of double turns then carry it along the body in open, evenly spaced turns.
- Secure the loose end of the brown thread then trim off the waste end. Take a large CDC plume that has been dyed dirty yellow and catch it in by its tip.
- Take hold of the CDC feather by its base and working toward the eye apply three or four turns. As each turn is applied stoke fibres back over body.
- Secure CDC feather and trim off waste. Take a dyed yellow mallard flank feather and strip off the base fibres. Catch in the tip on top of the CDC fibres.
- Secure the base of the mallard feather and trim off the waste then catch in a badger cock hackle. Dub on a small pinch of brown fur to form a thin rope.
- Wind on close turns of fur in front of wing to form a small thorax. Take hold of hackle tip with pliers and wind on two or three open turns over the thorax.
- Once hackle has reached eye, secure tip with tight thread turns before trimming off waste. Build a small head then cast off thread with a whip finish.