Don's Fly Tying - Nation's Fancy

I cannot think of a better month than to be on the water than in October! In my part of the country hunting season is in full swing. We are blessed with an abundance of big game animals such as whitetail and mule deer, elk, moose, caribou, mountain goat, mountain sheep, black and grizzly bear, all with either open seasons or limited entry draws. I both hunt and fish at this time of year and because most of my hunting trips are at least a week, little time is available for fishing. However, both lake and river fishing can be just excellent in October. Trout in our lakes seem larger and more ready to strike a fly while rivers such as the Vedder abound with salmon!

One of the many reasons that I enjoy being outdoors in early fall is the blaze of colour everywhere! Perhaps this is reason enough in continuing with our Bill Nation fly series to choose one of his more colourful flies for October, called Nation's Fancy. It is though that Bill did not create this fly to resemble any particular insect but I have found that it is a good fall attractor pattern. Just another great reason to enjoy the wonderful autumn fishing!

Materials

• Hook--Mustad 9672 size 6 to 10
• Tail--Golden Pheasant crest feather
• Body--Back half gold floss, front half black floss
• Ribbing--Gold tinsel
• Thorax --None
• Hackle--Guinea
• Head--None
• Wing--Barred mallard flank
• Thread--Invisible mending (original black tying silk)

Instructions

Attach a golden pheasant crest feather to the hook shank allowing it to project back about the same length as the body. As you cinch down the tail, tie in a piece of gold tinsel at the hook bend. Next make the body by first winding gold floss fairly thinly for the rear half and then black floss, just slightly thicker for the front half. Now wind the gold tinsel forward in six or seven turns to form the body rib. The hackle is made with a couple of turns of guinea feather at the hook eye. The final step is to complete the wing by tying down a barred mallard breast feather at the hook eye, making sure that it flows back low to the body. Cement, tie off, and you have completed a great attractor fly, Nation's Fancy!

Your comments are welcome at "dhaaheim at telus dot net"