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
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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