Quill John

[scotfly]

One of two submissions for a recent swap on another board.
This is a quillified variation of John Barr?s Copper John. Though I haven?t seen one, it?s such a simple and predictive variation that I?m sure there will be one like it out there.
See the Copper John sbs for further tying details.

Instructions assume right-handed tyers.

HOOK ? TMC 5262
BEAD ? 2.6MM Gold
THREAD ? Black 8/0
TAIL ? Brown Biot
BODY ? Stripped Red Game Quill
THORAX COVER ? Black Flexi-Body with Pearl Lurex over (Epoxy over)
THORAX ? Peacock Herl
LEGS ? Brown Hen Hackle Fibres


STEP 1
Mount a suitably sized gold bead on the hook.



Then wrap some lead wire on the hook and push it tight up into the recess in the bead.



STEP 2
Attach the thread and build up a taper from the end of the lead wire.



STEP 3
Tie in two brown biots, one on each side of the hook and curving away from each other.



Wrap the tags ends down up over the lead wire to become part of the tapered underbody.



STEP 4
Strip your chosen hackle stem and tie in on top of the hook shank.



Then wrap to form the body. Tie off, trim the waste and whipfinish at this point.



STEP 5
Give the quill body two or three coats of varnish, allowing the varnish to dry between coats.
It pays to do several at a time.



Once the varnishing is completed you?re ready to continue the tying process.



STEP 6
Reattach the thread and tie in the pearl Mylar



Followed by the Flexi-body.



STEP 7
Tie in the peacock herl for the thorax.



Then wrap and tie off to form the thorax.



STEP 8
Prepare a hackle by snipping out the centre.



Then tie it in so that the fibres sit either side of the thorax.



STEP 9
Pull the Flexi-Body over the top of the thorax and tie down.



Follow with the pearl Mylar and tie down.



STEP 10
Whipfinish and detach the thread.



STEP 11
Tie several flies to the same stage then stick them in your fly dryer. Then apply a smear of epoxy to the thorax of each fly. Spread the epoxy so that some of it touches the body and some of it touches the bead.



Then turn the dryer on and leave it running until the epoxy has gone off. Resist the temptation to touch the epoxy until it is fully set.
If you don?t have a fly dryer you will have to do this stage by hand.



STEP 12
Finally, once the epoxy is fully set remove the fly from the dryer and that is your completed Quill John.