Pale Evening Dun

[gingerdun]

Like Ray I did see the dark tag from the waxed primrose. Did you use cobbelers wax or normal uncolored wax and do you make the colour by purpose so dark??
Wondred why the dubbing was not with a dark silkthread. Did you use other wax on the dubbingblock??

Ruard,
I only used one wax, natural color, and quite tacky, on both the spinning block and for waxing the first few inches of tying thread. I can't remember the source of the wax. In retrospect I would only wax enough thread for the first few wraps and tying on the hackle. Then the tag would have been the same as the head. To be honest, I wasn't thinking about the color change, being so focused on getting the taper right.

Lance

[tjd]

Lance,

That fly appears very similar to your Dad's tying style, and that's pretty special.

Very fishy looking, sir.

Well done!

Best,

Tim

[CM_Stewart]

Have to agree with earlier comments. Looks like your father's fly to me.

My father was two years behind yours (born in 1916) and the Turle knot was the only one he ever used (and from the first time he ever took me fly fishing it was always with nylon tippet).

[gingerdun]

Thanks for the comments. It is a fun project.
Chris, that's interesting about your father's use of the Turle knot with nylon tippet. I wonder if he also did the trick of putting the tip through the loop a second time to prevent the knot from failing?

The combination of Turle knot and up-eye hook caused the fly to swim at an upward angle, which is why my Dad liked the up-eyes. Looked like the bug was swimming to the surface to escape, something that no self-respecting trout could allow to happen.

[William Anderson]

Lance, the taper on this really is beautiful. I can't speak to the turle knot or the angle of penetration (I'm feeling like the fish has more to do with that than the hook eye), but the body on this is beautiful. Is this a case where you pre spun a body with a fore and rear taper or tapered from sparse continuing to a thicker body? I would love to be able to reproduce a PH fly with this kind of accuracy. I'm afraid it's just not in me. Very well done.

w