| Sunset
Beetle
 
Hook: Heavy
Gauge Dry Fly #8-12
Thread: Brown,
Black, Orange, Red 6/0
Body:
Green Grizzle Hackle (1-3 hackles)
Wings:
Green Grizzle Hackle Stubs clipped and trimmed
Hackle
: Orange,
then yellow, then black or any combination
| 1/ Firstly
start by wrapping base of thread. Then with the
thread at the rear of the fly take a green grizzle
hackle feather and tie in as shown. Remove any fibres
from the base of the feather quill before starting
to make it easier to tie in. Secure to hook as shown
and trim any excess. |
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| 2/ Wind
the hackle forward, each turn tight to the last.
Saddle feathers are ideal but if you don't have
one use several from your cape. The body should
be bulky as shown which gives the fly its unique
look and an ability to float like no other.
|
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| 3/ This
is not a step but rather just another view of
the same stage. Viewed from above you can this
bulk we talked of in the previous step. Once you
are happy with the way the fly is looking move
one. Again remember it may take several hackle
feathers to get the required look.
|
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| 4/ Take
what is left of the hackle feathers, that is the
webby, soft base and trim to use as wings. You
can see the diamond shape that we have trimmed
here being held in the hackle pliers. Prepare
two of these and move onto the next step.
|
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| 5/ Tie
in the wing with the curve of the feather as shown.
Dull side down and curving away from the body.
You can see one of the wings in place here, tied
in and complete. Once you have one tied in do
the second one on the other side to balance it.
Trim any excess and move on.
|
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| 6/ Now
take your next hackle. Don't be constrained by
our instructions here, the colours don't have
to match. In this case we have gone for an orange
grizzle to give it a bit of colour. Red can be
used as well giving it the look we want as we.
Tie in and remove excess.
|
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| 7/ Wind
this hackle forward up to half a dozen times building
out the front of the fly. How much exactly is
up to you but this one works well for me! Once
you have added the wraps of hackle tie off and
trim the excess. Now to the next hackle.
|
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| 8/ Select
a traditional brown or red or ginger cock hackle.
I use all three colours as they are all the same
thing depending on who you talk to. A brown hackle
feather is the generic term. Tie in and trim the
excess.
|
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| 9/ Wind
this hackle forward most of the way towards the
hook eye. You can see in the photo that the fly
is very near to complete. Some may like to use
a little yellow in between the orange and brown
as do I but I have none left so this is the pattern
I have been using lately. Tie off and trim the
excess. |
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| 10/ The
final tie in is of the black hackle. Tie in as
shown, as you have done with the previous two
patterns. Trim the excess and move onto the next
step.
|
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| 11/ Wind
forward and fill out the rest of the fly. Wind
out to the hook eye and then tie off and trim
the excess once again. Add a couple of half hitches
to finish the pattern instead of whip finishing.
|
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| 12/ This
is the the completed fly as viewed from above.
Bulky and definitely buggy looking the wings really
make it an attractive fly that could be taken
for a number of insects near dark.
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|
The
Pattern
This is a pattern that
I picked up from Laurie Matcham at the Tackle Show last
October. He was tying a few doors up from us and we
exchanged some ideas, removed hooks from body parts
and generally had a laugh over the four days of the
exhibition. This is a version of a fly he ties and the
only reason it is slightly different is because I did
not have all the materials needed to match it exactly.
The name is probably not correct either but I never
heard it and this seemed appropriate and will do until
he screams at me!
The fly is simple to tie
although it uses a lot of hackle feathers. Up to six
are needed to complete the pattern. The first thing
you notice when you pick one up is their size. This
is a large fly. Secondly the colours are bright and
not natural and subdued, definitely not suitable for
tricking spring creek risers! Lastly the generous hackle'ing'
means that it is next to impossible to sink.
We have had some considerable
success fishing locally with this pattern right on dark.
In our lakes, on the Pondage at Eildon and on the Goulburn
in those last rays of light this pattern has produced
some decent fish. A great pattern to tie on when you
cannot see any more and are fishing to the sound of
fish gulping after dark. Also fished in the last light
in backwaters to fish mopping up can be quite successful.
Particularly good up in the high country with the streams
around Omeo where big bugs like the Bogong Moth are
found in large numbers.
One day we will get the
name of this fly and the correct tying procedure. But
for now have a go at this one knowing that it does take
fish, looks good and it may just give you some new ideas.
~Antony |
