Red Tag Diawl Bach

Step by Step's

Step 1

Run the thread down the hookshank, catching in a length of red holographic tinsel. Stop the thread at a position opposite the barb.

Leaving the bobbin hanging. Take hold of the tinsel and wind it around the hook bend and back up again. Take hold of the bobbin again and secure with thread and trim the waste tinsel. Varnish the tinsel and leave to dry.

Step 3

Once the varnish is dry, catch in some red game fibres for the tail.

Step 4

Catch in some wire underneath the hook shank.

Step 5

Catch in 3 peacock herls by their tips and return the thread towards the eye.

Step 6

Wind the herls up the hookshank towards the eye, making sure not to cross the herls, secure with thread once at the eye and trim any waste. I tend to trim the peacock herl body into a carrot type shape with scissors on all my Diawl Bach's and Cruncher's. ie. Tapered.

Step 7

Wind the wire back up the hook shank to create a rib. I normally perform a reverse rib on the diawl back so that the herls are well and truly secured. A reverse rib is basically winding the rib in the opposite direction to that of the peacock herls.

Step 8

Invert the fly in the vice. Take some hackle fibres and introduce them to where they will be tied in. Perform two wraps of thread around the hackle fibre stems and let the bobbin hang loose. Now adjust the hackle fibres until you are happy with their position, then take the bobbin again keeping the thread taught and secure the hackle fibres in with thread. Trim any waste ends that are protruding.