Blue Quill Tute

Blue Quill

 

  Here is how I tie the Blue Quill. The photo’s aren’t the best (not a professional photographer by any means) but my aim is to show how I tie split wings using poly on small flies without bulking up the body.

Hook: standard dry #16 94840

Thread: 8/0 Gray

Tail: Light Blue Dun Cape fibers

Wing: Light Gray poly

Body: Stripped light blue dun hackle stem

Hackle: Blue Dun (Ewing)

 Before we start I had ordered and received a Blue Dun Cape from Ewing. It was a weird color and not the shade I expected. I thought ‘what am I going to tie with this?’ Well, in truth I learned when trout are competing for a swarm of a hatch I don’t think they are as picky as one would think.   Another thing is I found in a swarming hatch having my dry look exactly the size and shade of the natural it is frustrating trying to get them to pick mine out among the many on the water. For this reason I found that a larger dry, especially in wavy water, or a dry in calmer water that is a little different in color will draw more attention. If the trout are competing they will be more likely to see and take mine than the many naturals.

1. Thread base hook shank.

2. Tie in tail

 

3. Tie in a thin diameter of Light Gray poly as if tying it like spent wings with figure eight wraps.

4. Bring poly up, like tying parachute style, and make 3 wraps of thread around the base of the poly. As you see the wings are split and do not bulk up the body behind the wing.

 

5. Tie in the hackle stem at the bend of the hook and bring the thread in front of the wing.

 

6. Wind the hackle stem over the hook shank, for the body, and I make a couple of wraps in front of the wing before tying it down.

 

7. Trim the hackle stem and tie in the hackle. I put the bare hackle stem between the wing when I secure it bringing the thread in front of the wing.

8. I make about three wraps behind the wing and try to get at least 2 wraps of hackle in front of the wing. Clip the excess hackle.

 9. Finish head with thread wraps and whip finish. I add head cement to the head of the dry. Also you can now trim the poly wing to desired length.

 

10. Front view of split wings completed fly.

 

 The original pattern calls for winding fine silver wire around the stem body to keep it from fraying from the trout teeth. I’m not sure if the silver wire was meant to also add a little sparkle to the body. It does add weight though to these small dries and I feel a small dry fly doesn’t need any more weight than needed. To this I’ll coat the hackle stem body with head cement or rod varnish to toughen the stem.

For a Blue Dun I tie in the same manner but use super fine Blue Dun dubbing for the body.

Hope this helps.

~doubletaper