I am re-reading Patrick Dorsey's fine book about tying flies for tailwaters. In it, he tells how he took over the assignment of tying an old pattern - The Breadcrust. The fly at the top is the fly tied by Pat Dorsey - the original pattern referred to in one of the comments below.
The bottom photo is my version tied recently.
I tied this fly with a bead head and I added peacock hearl between the swept back grizzly hackle and the bead head. I think it makes the fly look neater and it adds a material that trout seem to love - peacock hearl.
The somewhat difficult part of tying this fly is that it is done using a split bird feather. It is supposed to be a ruffled grouse. I did not have that bird, so I used a leading wing feather from a partridge. You split the "bone" of the feather lengthwise. Then, you clean the pith material out of the "bone" and soak it in water to make it more pliable. Then, you trim the feather barbules with a scissors fairly close to the middle bone of the feather. Then wrap it forward on a hook which has already been built up slightly with an underbody of smooth yarn tied down.
I think the fly imitates a cased caddis.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks for looking!!!
OK for first attempt, original pattern much better. What quill are you using? Doesn't look like grouse (red phase)called for in the original. Keep trying.
ReplyDeleteI did not have grouse. I used Partridge. Can you email a picture of your tie of this pattern? i have seen a lot of different patterns for this fly. I respectfully disagree about adding the peacock hearl. I think it improves the fly.
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