Daddy Longlegs, step by step

[Hans]

This fly has proven to be very effective in hot summer, when daddies are around.
Step 1: put the hook into the vise in the normal position, and tie in a bunch of deerhair, elk or moose will do fine too.
Tie it down to the bend of the hook, remove the hook from the vise, and put it back in, in the position shown in the picture.
Wind the thread round the hairs, carefully pulling the hairs to the right. Wind up to the desired length of the tail, and wind it back to the hook-shank. Cut the loose ends of the hairs. A tiny drop of varnish will seal the cut-end of the tail and prevent water to enter the hairs.
Put the hook back in the normal position.
Take 4 knotted pheasant-tail fibres, tie them in, poiting to the left as shown in the picture.
Take 2 hackle-points, tie them in, spread them, using a wind behind the feathers.
Tie in 2 knotted PT fibres, pointing over the eye of the hook.
Tie in a cock-hackle, and hackl this in front of the wings, but behind the 2 front legs.

Casting this fly may cause it to spin, thus making a nasty mess of your tippet.
I suggest using a slightly heavier tippet to prevent this.
Enjoy!
Hans.

[Ian_M]

Great job Hans, that it a cracking fly.

[haresear]

Thanks Hans.
Excellent fly , the detached body Daddy, and surprisingly durable too. I love them for hill lochs on calm days. Must tie some more of those up as I've exhausted my supply tied many years ago.

Alex

[Hans]

2 years ago I fished the Avon, and this pattern gave me lots of fun, the violance it was taken with, great memories....
Hans.