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An Alexandras was one of the first flies I purchased prior to becoming involved in fly tying. I purchased a box of 20 or so just because I liked them and had read about them somewhere. It was a while before I caught a fish on one but once I did I slowly developed an understanding of the flies form and function. Its a fly that has withstood the test of time even though it was apparently banned for a time in Scotland where it was developed because it was just too effective. It remains effective today and is an excellent middle dropper attractor type fly or tip fly when fishing for fast moving rainbow trout. The only downside as I saw it with the fly was that in the original the hook was very exposed. To overcome that shortcoming I have turned the dressing over in the fly and substituted a swamp hen feather for a wing instead of what was a black hen hackle beard on the original.

Materials

Process

A	Wind the thread in touching turns from the 95% position to the bend of the hook. If your adding any weight do it now. I often put just 5 mm of .015 lead wire  under the front third of the hook shank just to ensure that the fly has negative buoyancy and to help it swim point down. Other weight alternatives Tie in a tail of red cock hackles which is about one half to three quarters of the length of the hook long. Take the thread back to the 95% position and tie in a length of multi strand silver thread. The thread I use is called 'Glamour Madeira NO8'. This is an over locking thread consisting of around six individual strands twisted together. Whilst the colour is predominantly silver it does have hints of blue, green and red. You can also "fuzzel" the thread with a pinch of silver UV dubbing. Wind the multi strand silver thread to the bend of the hook along the top of the shank of the hook.

B	Wind the multi strand silver thread back toward the eye of the hook to about the 90% position in touching turns, tie the multi strand silver thread off and trim the excess. Tie in an under-beard of red cock hackles with the tips obscuring the point of the hook and extending to the back of the bend of the hook.

C	Tie in an over-beard of around 5 peacock sword herl that is just marginally longer than the red hackle fibre under-beard.

D	Rotate the fly to the upright position and tie in a single swamp duck feather as a wing. The tips of the wing should be directly above the tips of the peacock sword herl over-beard. Build up a neat head of thread. Whip finish the thread, trim the excess and varnish the head.

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