A Fly to Tie & Try – November by Les Lockey

The Organza Traffic Light Diawl Bach Nymph

Hook:    Kamasan B175, size 10.

Thread: Black Veevus GSP, 50D, or any 8/0 black thread.

Tail:       Black cock hackle fibres.

Flashback:   Red holographic tinsel with pearl tinsel over.

Body:    Black Organza ribbon prepared as tapered hackle.

Throat Hackle: Black cock hackle fibres.

Cheeks: Split jungle cock nail feather.

Head:    Sybai Spectra Flash dubbing, dark peacock, or Hends UV Ice dub, No 15 black.

TYING

Photo 1. To prepare the Organza body hackle, take a 7.5 cm. ( 3”) length of black Organza ribbon and cut it lengthways down the centre. From the resulting two halves, remove all the longitudinal strands which are woven between the transverse fibres. Take each half in turn and trim the remaining transverse fibres into a taper, with the fibre length ranging from 4mm down to 1mm. and set them aside for later.

Photo 2. Secure the hook in the vice, wind on a bed of thread from the eye to the hook point and remove the waste thread.

Photo 3. Align the tips of a bunch of cock hackle fibres, pull them off the feather stem and with the fibres about the same length as the body, tie them in as a tail, directly onto the bare shank using 2 or 3 thread turns wound towards the hook bend. Trim the waste ends to the length of the body.

Photo 4. In similar fashion, tie in a length of pearl tinsel followed by a length of red holographic tinsel ensuring they both sit squarely on top of the shank with the waste ends the same length as the body. Bind down all the materials with thread stopping about 2mm. from the eye and return the thread to the tail.

Photo 5. Take one of the tapered pieces of Organza and trim away the end few transverse fibres from the narrow end to leave just the outer edge, or selvage. Position the trimmed selvage edge along the side of the shank with the tapered fibres starting at the tail and pointing upwards, then tie it in securely with well waxed thread. Continue to bind down the selvage to about 2mm. from the eye.

Photo 6. Under tension and ensuring the tinsel stays on top of the shank, pull the red holographic tinsel forward, and tie it down securely at the eye. Carefully add a light coat of varnish on top of the red holographic tinsel and while still wet, pull the pearl tinsel forward over the top of the wet varnish and secure it with thread at the eye, then remove both excess tinsels.

Photo 7. Wind the tapered Organza hackle in open spirals up the shank, ensuring the fibres point rearward and that the tinsels remains on top of the hook shank. Tie down the Organza hackle securely at the head and remove the excess Organza hackle.

Photo 8. Align another bunch of cock hackle fibres, and using a couple of upward pinch and loops, tie in the fibres below the shank as a throat hackle. If necessary, manipulate the fibres with your thumb nail to spread the fibres evenly below the shank, then lock them in place with a couple of tight turns of waxed thread. Remove the waste hackle fibre ends and tidy the area with thread.

Photo 9. Position a split jungle cock nail feather on either side of the hook shank and secure it in place with tight turns of thread. Fold the waste feather stem back and bind it down with thread then keeping the thread taught, break off the excess waste feather.

Photo 10. Dub a little dubbing onto the thread and wind it on to form a small, head. Add some varnish to the thread, whip finish through it and remove the thread to complete the fly.

Tying Tips

• Conventional Diawl Bach patterns tied with peacock herl or even pheasant tail fibres are often not very robust, but those made with Organza hackles are incredibly strong and as an added bonus, the individual Organza fibres impart a fair bit of movement in what is usually a very immobile pattern.
• Organza ribbon was originally made from silk, but most modern Organza ribbons are now made from either nylon or polyester. They come in a wide variety of colours and widths, with 12-15mm. being about right for trout flies. It is readily available from craft shops and haberdashery outlets but it can also be purchased from fly tying suppliers as Pseudo Hackle, although in terms of value for money, this is a more expensive option.
• Organza ribbon consists of transverse fibres fixed along both outside edges (selvages), and with numerous longitudinal filaments woven in between. To prepare a length of ribbon for use as a short palmered body hackle, the ribbon needs to be cut lengthways down the centre and all the longitudinal filaments removed from the two resulting halves, leaving just the selvages with the transverse fibres attached to them. The transverse fibres on each half of the ribbon can then be trimmed to a fine taper with fibres approximately 1 to 4 mm. in length. The thin end of each tapered hackle can then have some of the transverse fibres cut off leaving just the dark selvedge edge which is then used to tie in the Organza hackle.
• Although not strictly necessary, I always tie down the two tinsels at the head separately, as this allows me to apply a light coat of varnish on top of the red holographic tinsel before securing the pearl tinsel on top. This introduces a very slight separation between the two tinsels which I feel intensifies the colour shifting traffic light effect and also helps to keep both tinsels together. Initially at least, this effect seems quite bold, but after the Organza hackle has been wound over it, the effect becomes much more subtle as it shines and shifts between the fibres.
• When winding the tapered Organza hackle up the body, keep it taught, but take care to keep both tinsels squarely aligned on top of the shank.
• Remember to leave enough room at the head for the cheeks and dubbed head. About 2mm. on a size 10 hook is a good guide.
• Coloured goose biots can be used as an alternative to the jungle cock nail feather cheeks.

Fishing hints

• This is an excellent year round nymphal pattern but is arguably most effective at the end of the season when the trout have become sated on fry.
• It can be fished on any density line depending on the prevailing conditions, although my preference would usually be for either a floating or long midge tip line.
• I often use this fly on the dropper with last month’s floating sparkler fry pattern on the point making a rather unusual, but very effective washing line set up, ideal for fishing over shallow water or decaying weed beds, but it can be equally effective when fished as part of a team of nymphs and cast towards the shore with a pulled retrieve.