Claret carrot

 

Based on the design of the carrot fly this version is particularly appealing to fish feeding on emerging Mayfly in Tasmania's central and western lake.

claretcarrote

Materials

Hook Thread Body Hackle
Hanak H300BL #12 Danville's orange 70 denier Orange seals fur Brown cock hackle

Process

 

A
  1. Wind the thread in touching turns to the bend of the hook. I like to use Hanak Grub hooks for this fly but other short open gape wet or dry fly hooks will also do.
  2. At the bend of the hook tie in a pinch of seals fur with equal amounts facing forward and backward .
claretcarrota

 

B
  1. Pull the seals fur that is facing forward back over the fly and lock the seals fur in at that position with a couple of firm wraps of thread.
  2. This rudimentary tail will be pinched into shape after the body of the fly has been dubbed on.
claretcarrotb

 

C
  1. Using the single strand method dubbing dub on an acorn shaped body of seals fur from the bend of the hook to the 90% position.
claretcarrotc

 

D
  1. Using Velcro pull some of the seals fur fibres out along the body.
  2. Pinch out any excessive long and wispy fibres from the body and the tail.
  3. Tie your hackle in by it's butt at the 95% position with the shiny side facing forward. This will mean that when the hackle is wound back along the fly the hackles will lean back. Normally for dry flies the hackle is tied in with the dull side facing forward so that when the hackle is wound back along the fly the hackles lean forward.
claretcarrotd

 

E
  1. Take 4 or 5 wraps of the hackle back along the hook shank in the gap between the 95% position and the body of the fly
  2. Take the thread forward to the eye of the hook through the hackle, tie it off with a couple of firm wraps of thread with a blade trim away the butt end.
  3. Build up a neat thread head.
  4. Whip finish and varnish the head.
claretcarrote