Wickham's Fancy (wet)

[scotfly]

Tom Stewart, in his book, ?two hundred flies and how to dress them? gives two possible explanations for this fly. The first is that Dr T. C. Wickham, of Winchester wanted a copy of a fly known as a Cockerton. He went to his flytying friend Jack Hammond, also of Winchester, who dressed the fly according to the doctor?s instruction. Either the doctor or the flytier erred and the completed fly did not quite match the Cockerton, apparently having more gold and less hackle. But it was a killer and can be dressed either wet or dry.
The other explanation is that the fly was invented by George Currell, also of Winchester, for a Captain John Wickham in 1884.
We will never know its origins for certain, but what we do know is that this is a great fly.
As well as the wet and dry versions (and the wingless version) there is also a version called the Pink Wickhams, which has Corncrake for the wings and was first tied by Francis Francis in 1885.
Here, as in the dry version, I have use teal, inside out, for the wings, but any ?blae? feather will suffice. The body hackle is Indian cock rather than a genetic cock, which is too densely fibred and stiff for a wet fly.

Instructions assume right-handed tyers

HOOK ? Kamasan B175 #14
THREAD ? Black 8/0
HACKLE ? Palmered Indian Red Game Cock
RIB ? Fine Gold Wire
TAIL ? Red Game Hackle Fibres
BODY ? Flat Gold Tinsel
WING ? Teal

STEP 1
Attach the thread and make a few turns at the head.



Then tie the hackle in.



STEP 2
Tie in the rib.



STEP 3
Tie in the tail fibres.



STEP 4
Tie the tinsel. Take the thread back up the body and one turn past the hackle.



STEP 5
Wrap the tinsel to form the body, tying off in front (to the right) of the hackle.



STEP 6
Wind the hackle in an open spiral to the end of the body.



STEP 7
Catch in the hackle tip with the wire, then continue the ribbing to the shoulder and tie off.



Trim the waste hackle tip off, and worry the waste wire off.



STEP 8
Tie in the wings (making a better job of matching them up than I have done here)



STEP 9
Trim the waste, form a neat head, whipfinish and varnish for the completed fly.

[Ian_M]

Great job as always Scotfly.  I would not be without this fly in my box.  Never tried it dry so just off to read the SBS on that version.

[scotfly]

Do you think a paired or rolled wing makes any difference? 

To the fish; no.
To me; yes.