Murdoch

 

Another old fly this little beauty has its origins on the salmon and trout streams of Ireland probably around the 1820's. Its alternative name of  'hares ear and red' gives away its ancestry. Early versions of the fly presented were no more than a gold ribbed hares ear with a woodcock type wing tied on top. Over time the recipe has evolved.

This fly has many applications and is equally at home as a single fly twitched along just below the surface to represent a mudeye, as a wee wet fished in rivers either alone or in a team or as a member of a team when loch style fly fishing.

Materials

 

Hook Thread Tail Rib Body Legs / beard Wings
Size 8 -12 Tiemco 3769 Black cotton Grizzly hackle barbules Gold or silver wire Hares ear coloured seals fur Red hackle barbules Ring neck Pheasant feathers

Process

 

A
  1. Wind the thread in touching turns to the bend of the hook.
  2. Tie in a tail of grizzly hackle barbules that is around 2/3 the length of the hook shank.
  3. Tie n a length of wire at the bend of the hook.

 

B
  1. Load your thread with dubbing and build up thick cigar shaped body over the rear 3/4 of the hook shank.

 

C
  1. Wind the he wire forward along the body creating 4 or 5 segments along the body of the fly.

 

D
  1. Tie a beard of hackle barbules that is long enough to partially cover the point of the hook.

 

E
  1. Select 1 or 2 ring neck pheasant feathers (also known as church window feathers).
  2. Bend the quill of the wing feather or feathers so that when tied in the feather will sit comfortably over the body of the fly.
  3. If your using 2 feathers repeat this process tying in the the second church window feather on top of the first.
  4. Build up a neat head.
  5. Whip finish and varnish the head of the fly.