Wednesday, January 9, 2013

A Catskill Classic - Flick's Red Quill

If you are a trout fisherman, you are probably familiar with this wonderful Catskill style dry fly that Art Flick created several decades ago to imitate the male Hendrickson - Ephemerella subvaria - that hatches in mid April to early May.  In sizes #12 and 14, it does the job very well.  In smaller sizes, #16-18, it is an effective imitation for the Blue Quills and Mahogany Duns and other small, rusty-brown colored mayflies.  You can also use them in sizes #10-12 for the Slate Drake/Isonychia. The bottom line; the Red Quill is one of those dry flies that everyone should have in their box.

 
RECIPE
Hook: Standard Dry Fly -sized per above
Thread: 6/0 Olive
Wing: Woodduck flank fibers - upright and split
Tail: Medium dun hackle fibers
Body: Stripped dark brown hackle stems - coat with head cement for strength and to draw out color. 
Hackle: Medium dun
 
When I tie this fly, I use two hackle stems for the body tied in at the tips and then wrapped together at the same time.  Today's genetic hackle capes tend to have fairly thin stems, so I use the shorter saddle hackles found along the sides of the dry fly cape.  These tend to be a little thicker, so they provide for a nice segmented body.
 
For more info on Art Flick and his flies, there's a nice thread in the fly tying forum at Sparse Grey Matter.   
 
Sharpen your hooks.

2 comments:

Swamp Yankee said...

That Hackle stem body looks awesome! Great fly

TomK said...

You KNOW I have to ask, when is the video coming out? Or could you tye one at the show later this month? That's awsome!