Water Walker

[scotfly]

The Water Walker, a good pattern from the USA. Primarily designed, as a fast water pattern. This one I quite fancy trying during the May Fly time. This is quite an advanced fly to tie, but providing you use the correct materials and pay particular attention to proportions there is no reason not to have a go.
Alter the colours to suit what you?re imitating.
This is the way I dress the fly. The original pattern calls for Elk or Deer hair. I prefer Elk Main, because it?s lighter, to aid flotation, I think it looks better and it is easier to work with. I tie the hackles in the same way as Hans van Klinken does on his Klinkhammer.
This fly was invented by Terry Hellekson, You can read a bit about him at ... http://www.hellekson.com/  A good site, well worth a read.

Instructions assume right-handed tyers

HOOK ?Kamasan B170 #10-16
THREAD ? Colour to suit body material.
WINGS ? Elk Main
TAIL ? Moose Body Hair
HACKLES ? Two Red Game
BODY? Hares Ear

STEP 1
            Lay a base of thread ready for the wing.

STEP 2
             Align the tips of the Elk in a stacker and offer up for length, the wing should be approximately the same length as the body.

Tie in on top of the hook.

STEP 3
               Trim the butts by lifting them and cutting the waste at an angle.

STEP 4
              Lift the wing up and take several wraps of thread in front of it to hold it upright.
Spin the bobbin clockwise to cord the thread first, you will need fewer wraps by doing this.

STEP 5
              Use figure of eight wraps to divide the bunch into two wings. Post both wings as you would do for a parachute fly.

STEP 6
           Mount the two hackles between the wings.

STEP 7
             Align  the tail fibres in a stacker and offer up to judge length. Like the wings they should be the same length as the body.

Then tie in.

STEP 8
            Apply dubbing to the tread and wrap to form the body.

Take the bare thread to the eye and apply some more dubbing.

With last turn of dubbing take the thread to this position.

Then take it between the wings so that you finish with the thread on the far side of the hook  and behind the far wing.

STEP 9
            Wrap the thread up the far wing post, trapping the hackle as you  go and back down again.

Then wrap the hackle down the wing and tie of at the foot of the post.

STEP 10
             Repeat step 9 on the near wing, but this time after you tie the hackle off, make a whipfinish at the foot of the post. When tying the second wing try not to trap any of the fibres from the first wing, if you do, use your dubbing needle to pull them back out.

The completed fly from various angles.