Fly-tying

The Yellow Owl is a realistic impression of a hatching olive, buzzer or sedge pupa. It is also easily seen and can act as a “sighter” for other more inconspicuous or low-riding flies in a team.

Material list for the Yellow Owl Shuttlecock Variant

Hook: Size 12-14 standard wet-fly.  Thread: Yellow  Wing: Natural grey CDC  Body: Yellow stripped peacock quill or Synthetic Quill  Thorax: Dyed yellow hare’s fur or man-made substitute

Step

Step 1. Fix the hook in the vice and run on the tying thread. Apply close turns of the thread along the shank to form a secure base for the wing.

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Step 2. Select three medium-sized CDC plumes, ensuring they contain a large number of soft fibres. Place together so their tips are level.

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Step 3. Offer plumes up to hook and catch in so their tips project past the eye. The wing should be roughly the same length as the hook shank.

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Step 4. Secure the CDC plumes with tight turns. Trim off the waste ends with scissors to create a taper, then cover them with tying thread.

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Step 5. Wind the thread in touching turns down the shank to the bend. Select a stripped peacock quill and catch it in at the bend by its tip.

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Step 6. Take thread back up the shank, laying down a smooth bed for the body. Grasp the end of the quill with pliers and wind it to the wing base.

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Step 7. Each quill turn should touch the previous turn: no gaps. Secure the end of the quill at the wing base. Remove the waste. Varnish the body.

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Step 8. When the varnish has dried, take a small pinch of dyed-yellow hare’s fur and dub it on to the thread. Apply a few turns to form a thorax.

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Step 9. Take the thread to the eye and apply a few turns under the wing to give it a slight upward slant. Cast off the thread with a whip finish.