Wickham's Fancy (dry)

[scotfly]

That venerable old fly the Wickhams Fancy is about as versatile as it gets. There?s a wingless version, a wet version and this one, the dry version. All are good, proven, fish catchers.
I?ve used metal tinsel for the body here because I prefer the colour of metallic tinsels better, they have a duller more subtle glint to them, and if they?re tarnished a little, so much the better, IMO.
For the wing I?ve used Teal wings, with the paler underside to the outside. You could though use any similar ?blae? feather.

Instructions assume right-handed tyers.

HOOK ? Kamasan B170 #14
THREAD ? Black 8/0
WINGS ? Teal Wing
BODY HACKLE ? Red Game Cock
TAIL ? Red Game Hackle Fibres
RIB ? Fine Gold Wire
BODY ? Flat Gold Tinsel
HEAD HACKLE ? Red Game

STEP 1
Attach the thread and lay a base of thread, return the thread to the tie in point for the wings.



STEP 2
Select your wing slips, measure for length and tie in.



After securing lift the wings and make a few thread wraps in front (to the right) of them to lift them into the upright position.
You can if you wish make a figure of eight wrap between the wings to split them slightly, but I use a different technique which you?ll see at a later step.



STEP 3
Trim the butts, then tie in the body hackle. The body hackle should be a little shorter in fibre length than the head hackle which will be tied in later.



STEP 4
Tie in the rib



STEP 5
Tie in the tail fibres.



STEP 6
Tie in the flat tinsel for the body.



Then wrap to form the body. Take the tinsel one turn past the hackle and tie off.



STEP 7
Wrap the hackle down the body in even turns.



STEP 8
Catch in the hackle tip with the wire, then rib through the hackle and tie off.



STEP 9
Tie in the head hackle.




I tie the hackle in on top of the shank and take the stem between the wing slips to split them.



Trim the waste stem.



STEP 10
Wrap the hackle through to the head and tie off.



STEP 11
Trim the waste, form a neat head, whipfinish and varnish for the completed fly.

[Ian_M]

nice looking fly.

[rabbitangler]

Do you do a lot of fishing with split winged dry flies?

[scotfly]

Only occasionally now, I think more for nostalgia. I still like tying them though and they do still work.