Shuttle cock brush

 

Emergers which resemble a shaving brush became popular a couple of years ago and continue to get support in the fishing press.  They are tied to represent a nymph that is trapped in the surface film just at that point of time when it is opening its wings. They are best fished, as a covering fly, to fish feeding on the surface on emerging nymphs. Whilst the recipe below is for a fly dressed in black you should also tie this fly in charcoal, hares ear, turkey brown, olive or the colour of any other natural you are seeking to imitate.

Materials

Hook Thread Tail Ribbing Body Wings Thorax
Dry fly size 10 to 14 Black Black hackle fibres Fine silver oval tinsel Black dubbing Black deer hair Peacock herl

Process

A
  1. Wind the thread from the 95% position to the bend of the hook.
  2. Take your thread to exactly where you intend to tie the wing in. This is about the 3/4 position.

B
  1. Tie in a brush wing.

C
  1. Tie in a hackle tail equal to half the length of the shank of the hook.

D
  1. Select a small amount of dubbing and using the single strand dubbing technique dub a uniform body up to where the wing is tied in.

E
  1. Select a couple of peacock herl with good flue and tie them in directly behind the wing.
  2. Take one of two wraps of herl behind the wing and then whilst holding the wing out of the way take three or four wraps of herl in front of the wing.
  3. Trim the excess herl off close to the hook shank just behind the eye of the hook.
  4. Whip finish, trim and varnish the thread directly behind the eye of the hook.