Twitcher

[scotfly]

This is a fly I use to great effect on stillwaters on summer evenings when sedge are about. Normally with an Invicta on the point and this on the dropper, or If I was fishing three flies I would have a Sedge pupa on the point, the Invicta on the middle dropper and this one on the top (bob) dropper.  It also ?pulls? well fished on the top dropper during the day as a surface disturbing attractor style fly.
It is tied on a Kamasan B175, which is a heavy(ish) wet fly hook. By using a heavier hook and lightly treating the muddler style head with floatant this will swim low on the water creating a very tantalising ?bulge? which fish seem to find irresistible.
I  tie this in the #12 - #16 size range, favouring #14 and #16, and vary the amount of deer hair used to suit condition. On the example here I have tied it quite ?full? for use in bigger wave, but make sure you have plenty tied ?lighter? (with less deer hair) to use on those evenings  when there is only a slight ripple on the water.

Instructions assume right-handed tyers.

HOOK ? Kamasan B175 #12 - #16 (#12 here)
THREAD ? Black Roman Moser Power Silk
RIB ? Gold Wire
BODY ? Hair?s Mask Blend
HACKLE ? Brown Partridge
COLLAR ? Tips of Deer Hair
HEAD ? Deer Hair

STEP 1
             Start the thread and wrap to the point shown.



STEP 2
           Tie in the gold wire.



STEP 3
           Apply the hair?s mask to the thread and wrap to form the body.



STEP 4
             Follow with the rib and tie off.



STEP 5
              Prepare the hackle by stripping the waste flue from the base of the hackle, then sweep the fibres to right angles to the stem.


Tie the prepared hackle in by the tip.



STEP 6
          Wrap the hackle and tie off.



STEP 7
            Clean and stack the deer hair and offer up to judge the length. Because you?re making a collar with the tips the best way to do this is to place the tips behind the eye then advance them forward so that the eye of the hook is in the middle of the deer hair.



When you?re happy with the length transfer the grip to your left hand, then, keeping a tight grip on the tips, make two or three thread wraps and pull tight, flaring the butts. It?s very important to keep a tight grip on the tips here, you want to flare the butts only.



Then advance the threads to the front (right) of the flared butts.



STEP 8
          Clean and stack a second bunch of deer hair, but this time trim them to nearer the finished length, dispensing with the tips altogether this time. This makes it a little easier when it comes to trimming later.



Place the hair on top of the hook shank, then take two loose turns of thread round the middle of the bunch. Then pull tight, as the thread tightens release your grip of the hair and allow it to spin round the shank and flair. Then advance the thread to front (right) of the bunch.



STEP 9
             Form a neat head, whipfinish and detach the thread.



STEP 10
             Trim the hair to length, being careful not to trim the hair collar or the hackle.



STEP 11
               Finally, varnish the head for the completed fly.

[bushy palmer]

That's a bonnie beastie

Regards


Brian

[Malcolm]

Very nicely tied - but why "Twitcher"? It's a Hare's ear muddler, one of my favourite flies albeit I don't bother with the partridge.

Malcolm

[garryh]

give it a tuft of hare fur for a tail and its a "donny murdo"the gaelic for danger mouse.been a favourite of the orkney lads for years. :

Garry

[scotfly]

but why "Twitcher"? It's a Hare's ear muddler,

Couldn't agree more Malcolm, but that's the name I first saw it as so it's the one I use.