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David Westwood's Stillwater Fly of the Month

Sparkle wing Grey Duster Parachute

This fly is as general purpose as you can get, but it seems to work well once the fish are in the top of the water. The sparkle wing post makes it a lot easier to see, and the parachute hackle allows the fly to be right in the surface.

Pattern

Hook: Ashima F15 sizes 10 to 20
Silk: Camel 8/0 Unithread
Tail: three or four badger hackle fibres
Abdomen: Grey mole or muskrat fur, tied in neatly
Wing post: I use yellow, orange or bright green Mystic, but any hi-vis material can be used
Hackle: Badger cock, which can be longer than for the equivalent dun pattern

Tying

Put on the silk and take it to the tail. Tie in three or four good quality cock badger fibres. Dub on to the silk some grey fur and take the dubbing forward toe the wing position, which needs to be about four to five mm from the eye.

Loop and tie in a post wing, and then tie in the hackle. Take the dubbing forward to the head and then back to the wing post, wrapping around the wing post to conceal its base. Leave the thread now behind the wing post and put on three or four turns of hackle. Secure the hackle by turning the silk around the wing post, and trim off the hackle.

Tie off around the wing post and finish.

Fishing

This is another static fly, which  just sits there until it is hit. But, it will be hit because it is in the film, just where the spring fish like their food. The odd twitch in a rise can do no harm at all.

Variant

I sometimes tie the fly with a wing post of cul de canard, or with holo tinsel. Just Gink the hackle and let it sit.

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David Westwood of NorScFly ties exclusively for private clients. All patterns for all gamefish, including magazine flies, and repeats of that last fly you have left. Contact him at Davidflies@btinternet.com