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My bag fly is based on the Tom Jones flies and is suggestive of a number of items that find themselves on the trout's menu from time to time. They vary from the original Tom Jones flies in the materials used and the inclusion of an under-tail and beard. They are a good buggy looking fly. In locations where there are populations of red fin, Creation carp or smelt they work well when stripped fast and are probably mistaken for fry. When fished static or on the lift they are probably taken as nymphs, scud or stick caddis. In any case they are a very useful fly to have in your fly box. The lightly weighted versions are good flies to cover fish with because they land softly and as they sink or slosh round in any wave action the fur "wings" moves freely often triggering the desired reaction. Alternatively they work well retrieved at a range of speeds either alone or in a team of flies. I now tie it in three versions. The first is as set out in the recipe below. Originally designed for red fin feeders it has become my favourite bag fly overall. It has red hackle fibres tied under the tail and as a light beard and over time I found these a great trigger point for all versions. The second version is all brown except for the red beard and is a great alternative to a Diawl Back. Finally I tie a bead head version for when I want to fish a little deeper.

See also 'Tom Jones variant'.

Materials

Process

A	Wind the thread in touching turns from the 95% position to the bend of the hook. Understanding hooks If you want to add weight just 3 to 5 turns of .015mm lead toward the eye of the hook is sufficient. Options to add weight to a fly Tie in an under-tail of just 5 or 6 red hackle fibres.

B	Tie in a substantial over-tail of possum tail hair and bind the butt ends along the top of the hook shank to form an under-body. The finished tail should be around as long as the shank of the hook. Trim the possum fur butt ends off at an angle at about the 90% position so there wont be an obvious ridge at the front of the under-body. Select 2 or 3 peacock herl, depending on the quality of the herl and the size of the fly and tie them in toward the front of the under-body. If you hold the herl above the hook as you wind back to the bend of the hook the tied in herl will be neatly positioned on top of the shank of the hook.

C	Form the herl and the thread into a herl rope. Roping peacock herl

D	Wind the herl rope 1/4 of the way up the hook shank. Unwind the herl rope down to where it meets the hook shank and tie the herl off but do not trim the excess herl.

E	Using the thread which was unwound from the herl rope tie in the first of two wings. I have used a bunch of rabbit fur taken from a zonker strip and have pinched the longer guard fibres off between my nail and thumb so to leave a fuller wing of rabbit fur. If you don't pinch out the tips of the guard hairs the wing will be wispy at the tip. Re-form the herl rope.

F	Wind the herl rope forward just a little past the half way mark of the hook shank. Unwind the herl rope again down to where it meets the hook shank and tie the herl off but do not trim the excess herl. Using the thread which was unwound from the herl rope tie in a second wing in the same as the first wing. Re-form the herl rope and take just enough wraps of the herl rope to cover where the second wing was tied in and to progress the herl rope body to just a little past the three quarter way mark of the hook shank. Unwind the herl rope again down to where it meets the hook shank and tie the herl off but do not trim the excess herl.

G	Turn the hook over in the vice and at the 95% position tie in a beard of just a few red hackle fibres.

H	Trim away the butt end of the red hackle fibres. Turn the fly right way up in the vice. Re-form the herl rope and take a couple of final wraps of the herl rope over where the red hackle beard is tied in and the eye of the hook. Unwind the herl rope again down to where it meets the hook shank and tie the herl off and this time trim away the excess herl. Build up a neat cone shaped thread head and whip finish. Varnish the head of the fly Neat heads

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