Dark Heron Starling

[Johnno]

An early New Zealand wet. Likely other countries have one similar.. but this is ours:



Hook: 12 - 16 Of choice (This is a Tiemco 2499 SP-BL)
Thread: Olive of choice
Rib: Gold (I have run out so have to use silver )
Hackle: Starling
Body: Olive dyed Heron herl (Or sub)

This also has a wee thorax of mouse back fur touch dubbed on, but is not on the original.

And this is the same but Glanrhos style with the tip of the starling hackle left on and no thorax..



Just adds a little in my view.

[daringduffer]

Nice flees Johnno - not least the last.

dd

[Soft-hackle]

Excellent!

Mark

[William Anderson]

Johnno, that's a good looking pattern and a nice pic too. I really like the wing on that second fly. Not that it would be any more effective, but the technique is very cool. The dyed Heron is nicely done too. It's a lighter shade than I would have expected a dyed Heron fiber to be. It's a nice compliment to the starling.

w

[narcodog]

Johnno,
Did you dye the Heron and if you did what did you use?

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Johnno,

Both flies look great, but the Glanrhos version really catches my eye. Nicely done. I also thought a dyed heron herl would be a darker shade of olive, but the color looks great.

I have no heron, but have a white eared pheasant and blue eared pheasant skin that I can play with.

[Johnno]

Its a Sub as I have no Heron herl (Hence the "or Sub" in the materials list) and is olive dyed Mallard Flank.

Its quite a good colour the mallard, for a small hydropsyche caddis we have here, so I have stuck with it. I have some grey goose which I coloured with an olive pantone marker and whilst it was a nice body it seemed to me to be too dark for what I wanted.

Having no heron herl, I don't know the base colour (light grey??) The goose is quite dark so maybe the heron herl would give a lighter shade than the goose, but darker than the mallard and may be more authentic to the original. I'll post a coloured goose herl body later.

Here tis:

[letumgo]

Terrific flies, John. I like every version. That is such a nice looking pattern. I am thinking that an starling hackle, dyed a muted olive, would make a nice sub on this pattern. I really like the hook you used. It compliments the pattern nicely.