Grouse and Goose Twist Softhackle

[NJpatbee]

That is a great looking fly! Now I have worked with goose quill fibers but have never twisted it with silk before. Could you give a description of this process or point me to another thread where it may have been described before? Thanks.

[William Anderson]

Thanks for comments.

Pat, I am not sure at this point when I started doing this. Probably something I saw someone else do, and it has a long history, back to the earliest North Country spider lists, on flies like the Spring Black or Black Gnat. I like to wrap herl fibers forward from the bend to the hackle and rib them as much as anyone, but I really get excited about a mottled body that is slim and textured. The twisting of the silk with the herls adds a lot of durability to the body like twisting the peacock herls with a wire or thread to create a rope, only the rope created with 2-3 goose quill fibers or pheasant fibers is very slender. Tie in 2-3 herl fibers from a tail or wing by the tips, usually around the thorax area and tie in a length, or sometimes two of silk and bind these all down toward the bend of the shank, careful to make sure the last wrap or two are not as tight as the rest. A hard wrap at the point where you are going to bring the herls forward will break them off, sometimes even with the silk twisted in. Bring them forward in touching or less than touching turns, spun very tight like a cord or more loose. Sometimes I take an extra turn of the twist over the previous at the thorax as a kind of bump behind where the hackle will be wrapped. Just the smallest suggestion of thorax. Sometimes a pinch of dubbing behind the hackle, sometimes not.

Here are a couple examples of other flies that I have tied with the same technique. There must be dozens of them on this site, but a simple search left me overwhelmed. I typically call the body a twist, just to distinguish the body construction from a herl/rib combo. I wouldn't say one is more effective than another, but it appeals to me and they are very effective. A bonus is the messy, arbitrary body result which makes these very fast to tie.

Light, Medium and Dark Twists, and a few more.
http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5770

March Brown Twists - go all the way to the bottom of the page. I like the golden pheasant twisted with the silk.
http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=5317

[NJpatbee]

William - Thank you for the detailed description and the links to additional similarly tied flies! I am very impressed with the thin but textured body that results as opposed to wrapping the silk over the previously wrapped fibers or herls. This is next on my list to learn and practice, and thanks again for displaying and describing the technique.

[William Anderson]

Here's another tied using the same technique. This is one of my favorite results. The herl is a turkey tail dyed olive, twisted with primrose silk.




http://www.flymphforum.com/viewtopic.ph ... ive#p21175

[tie2fish]

Sweet! Very nice.

[Smuggler]

That on a dreary spring day with olives in about a size 18? Forget it. That's seriously the only pattern you'd need.

[William Anderson]

You boys are very kind.

[NJpatbee]

William - what type of silk did you use?

[William Anderson]

William - what type of silk did you use?

I have a few types, but for nearly all my bodies I use Pearsall's gossamer silk. Great feathers in MD carries it, as does Jimsflyco. Give him a call and see what he has.

[NJpatbee]

William - I have been using Pearsall's Gossamer but cannot seem to get the look of your examples, although each of the flies I have tried tying are very fish worthy. Looking at your examples I suspect I am winding the goose quill fibers and silk too tight but I will keep at it.