Dave's Hen Wing Sulphur Dun

Originated By:  Dave Larsen from Eyota, Mn.

Tying Instructions: Start the thread behind the hook eye and wrap a smooth thread foundation back to the bend. At the hook bend, make a small thread bump to splay the tailing fibers. Then tie on an appropriate number of lemon wood duck fibers (you need enough to float the fly, but don't over do it.) The tail should be as long as the hook shank. Advance the thread to about 1/3 the shank length behind the eye, and tie on two matching light ginger hen feathers with lots of web, on top of the hook. Then stand them upright and secure them in this position with several tight wraps of thread immediately in front of the wings and figure eight some thread around the stems to keep the wings split. They should equal the length of the hook shank. Take your thread back to the bend and touch some fly tying wax to the thread, then dub a nicely tapered body to just behind the wings. Right where you ended the body, tie on an appropriate sized dry fly quality neck hackle with the dull or concave side facing the hook eye. Now add another small amount of dubbing material and wrap a thorax for a foundation for the hackle ending slightly behind the eye. Take your hackle pliers and grasp the tip of the hackle feather and wrap forward to just behind the eye. Take just two wraps behind the wing, and two wraps in front of the wing. Trim off the excess hackle tip and wrap a small head and whip finish. Don't forget to trim the hackle off the bottom of the fly. Also, on light colored patterns I don't use head cement, it discolors the fly.