Archive of previous dressings and meetings notes
Content from branch members and external demonstrators.
March 24 Demonstration with Semperfli and featuring Philipa Hake
On Tuesday 19th March we had the pleasure of welcoming Ann and Andy Kitchener from Semperfli and Phillipa Hake one of the brands pro team members to do a presentation on their products.
Semperfli, based in Selby, is a British owned brand whose goal is to design the finest fly-tying materials possible. They offer tyers a brand that umbrellas innovation, design, attention to detail and development. In 2022 they were awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.
The theme of the evening was innovation – Andy describes himself as a nutty professor who champions British ingenuity. With a background in computing, he has an analytical mind that relishes the challenge of how to make something and then work out how to make it cost effective!
Semperfli are a brand dedicated to synthetics who look to mimic the traditional natural materials that fly tyers historically use such as peacock herls. Synthetic materials are becoming increasingly popular due to their durability, versatility and their ability to mimic natural materials. They are also less expensive than natural materials, making them a more affordable option for fly tyers. Synthetic materials are also available in a wider range of colours, allowing fly tyers to create more vibrant and eye-catching patterns.
After Andy’s introduction to the brand, we were treated to a selection of flies tied by Phillipa Hake one of the pro team members for Semperfli (she is one of dozens worldwide with pro tyers hailing from USA, New Zealand, Norway and everywhere in between).
Phillipa tied a beautiful selection of flies including a klinkhammer, diawl bach, streamer and a flash damsel all showcasing Semperfli’s innovative materials such as Mopster mop Chenille, Nano silks, and EggStatic. The EggStatic range has been designed specifically to match the natural life cycle of fish eggs and dyed in top of the range computerised dyeing machines. When the fly hits the water, it is transformed as the material slushes together which allows a translucent effect mimicking nature. Add to the effect a UV Fleck in every variant and a wide range of natural and fluorescent colours, there is guaranteed to be a colour to match the fish eggs in your area.
A selection of these products was then available to buy and Bernie Ratcliffe won the raffle prize of a Semperfli foam vice and display mat. We thank Semperfli for making the journey to visit us leaving us all inspired and excited to tie up some new flies with the techniques and materials showcased tonight.
Semperfli website can be found here.
February 24 Tying Evening with Les Lockey
Our February meeting saw the welcome return of Les Lockey, demonstrating a selection of six Ephemeroptera patterns. All superb flies that “WORK“ and worthy of being in your fly box.
Foam CDC Dun, Olive Hopper, Hacklestacker Olive Emerger, Caenis Dynamite Harry, The Timmy, Emerging Floating Olive.
We had a good turn out for Les and his skills and advice were appreciated by all in attendance.
Les’s knowledge of both fly tying and entomology are endless and always make for a fascinating evening not to be missed.
To cap the demonstration, Les finished with a talk and demo of photography skills that can be used for members to take better pictures of the flies they tie. Again, a demonstration of his skills on the subject and very much appreciated by members.
A big thank you to Les for all the work, pictures and instructions he offers us on all his demonstrations.
Mike Warburton
Les has kindly provided full dressings along with high quality images of the flies tied and these can be seen on the Articles page, click here.
Les also provided an image of his photographic setup for obtaining the high quality images that he provides, another great share from Les that will be of use to many for sure.
Oct 23 – Les Lockey – Dressings for NW Branch Demo ( Variations on a theme – Stillwater emergers and damp dries)
1. Shipman’s Buzzer (Dave Shipman, 1979)
Hook: Kamasan B170, size 12.
Thread: Brown Semperfli Nanosilk, 50D, or any fine brown thread.
Breathers & shuck: White polypropylene yarn.
Rib: Semperfli Mirror tinsel, Mirage, 0.8mm.
Abdomen: Fiery brown seal’s fur.
Thorax: Fiery brown seal’s fur.
2. The Midas (Paul Davison)
Hook: Kamasan B170, #12.
Thread: Veevus 14/0, red.
Rib: 4lb. Clear Monofilament / Nylon.
Abdomen: Red, orange, fiery brown and claret seal’s fur, mixed 30:30:30:10.
Legs: Hen Pheasant centre tail fibres,4 each side of body.
Thorax: Seal’s fur, same as for abdomen.
Hackle: Furnace or Greenwell’s Cock Hackle.
Head: 2 Strands of gold Lite Brite, dubbed.
3. Hatching Midge (B. Ord Clarke)
Hook: Varivas 2200BL, size 16.
Thread: Veevus 12/0, Shade C09, Tan
Abdomen: Flattened thread as above.
Rib: Round thread coloured black with waterproof felt pen.
Thorax: Blackened thread as above.
Wing: 3 CDC feathers.
4. The Shiphammer Hybrid Emerger
Hook: The Barbless Hook Co. Klinkhammer, size 16, or Fulling Mill Czech nymph, #14.
Thread: Black Veevus GSP, 50D, or UTC 70 black thread.
Abdomen: Semperfli Mirror tinsel, Mirage, 0.8mm.
Breathers: Strand of black siliconized yarn, (from The Fly Tying Boutique).
Hackle: Cock saddle, Grizzle, trimmed below the shank.
Thorax: Hends no. 46 Spectra dubbing.
5. The No See Um (Phil Bair)
Hook: Fulling Mill Ultimate Dry, sizes 18-20, or similar.
Thread: Veevus GSP, 50D, black, or any fine thread, colour to match hatch.
Abdomen: Thread as above.
Hackle: Grizzle genetic cock saddle.
6. The Nothing Fly (Alec Harvey)
Hook: Guru MWG barbless, size 20,
Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk 30D, Black.
Tail: Black Aero Dry Wing.
Abdomen: Black thread, tied short.
Thorax cover & breathers: Black Aero Dry Wing.
Thorax: Green peacock herl.
7. Mini ND Midge
Hook: Guru MWG Barbless, size 20.
Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk, 30D, Black.
Thorax cover and body: 1/16” Black foam cylinder or 2x2mm black foam strip.
Thorax: Black Mole Rat dubbing (FNF Flyfishing), or any fine black dubbing.
8. Wicked White Top Hat Buzzer (not tied)
Hook: Guru MWG Barbless, size 16, or Competition Barbless, size 16.
Thread: Black UTC 70.
Suspender Post: 3mm. diam. black high density foam cylinder.
Abdomen and Thorax: Black thread as above, coated with UV resin.
Cheeks: TulipT-shirt paint, white, coated in UV resin.
September 23 Tying Evening with Chris Watson
Another enjoyable evening tying with Chris as he moved forward with previous demonstrations covering tying techniques and with a strong emphasis on “ Thread Control“.
A subject that is good to focus on, as the natural tendency for beginners is to use too many unnecessary wraps of thread, thinking we need to make everything extra secure.
Practice makes perfect !
Chris tied four flies, demonstrating several techniques along the way and always with Thread Control.
- A variation of HDA Favourite, featured in the book, The Feather Mechanic 2. (Gordon Van Der Spuy )
- Traditional style Wet Fly, tied to represent a Pin Fry.
- A Wooly Bugger.
- A Flashback bead head Hares Ear Nymph.
Thanks Chris for another entertaining evening. Mike Warburton
Oct 22 – Les Lockey – Dressings for NW Branch Demo ( Variations on a theme – Stillwater emergers and damp dries)
The Cooper Bug, (Emerger), (Jack Cooper)
Hook: Kamasan B170, sizes 14.
Thread: Olive Roman Moser Powersilk, 10/0, or colour to suit body.
Tail, back and head: Cow Elk hair.
Body: Seal’s fur, Orkney peach, or colour to match hatch
Tying Tips: Having gauged the bunch of Elk hair to make a short tail, hold the tail fibres tightly and take a loose turn of thread around the bunch of hair at the tie in point, then make another turn of thread around both the hair and the hook shank and tighten the thread at the desired tie in point. This helps to control the flaring of the hair and allows for the correct positioning of the tail close to the hook bend. When creating the back of the fly, try to keep the hair fibres straight and untwisted. This helps when securing the hair at the head and also gives a much neater finish to the fly. To make the hair shellback more robust, a small amount of thin UV resin can be applied to the hair and cured with a UV torch, if required.
Transitional Midge, (Emerger), (Rene Harrop)
Hook: Fulling Mill Ultimate Dry, #18.
Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk, 50D, Brown.
Tail: Fine grizzle hackle point tip.
Legs: Front half of CDC Oiler Puff.
Back: CDC Oiler Puff.
Body: Dark tan Superfine dubbing.
Tying Tips: Try to use the longest CDC Oiler Puffs that you can find, as this makes the material far easier to manipulate. Originally designed for hooks size 20 and smaller, the fly can still be tied on slightly larger hooks as her on a size 18, however, this invariably means 2 CDC oiler puffs need to be used, One for the front legs and the other for the back and head. Prepare the puffs by stroking all the fibres away from the tip and remove any short fibres. The degree to which the tip of front oiler puff sits in front of the hook eye, determines the length of the legs when the oiler puff tip is removed – the further forward the longer the legs.
The Wood Duck Nymph,
Hook: Kamasan B830 nymph hook, size 16.
Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk, 50D, Brown.
Tail: Wood duck flank feather tip.
Rib: Fine gold wire.
Abdomen: Wood duck flank feather fibres.
Legs: Wood duck flank feather fibres.
Thorax cover: Wood duck flank feather fibres.
Thorax: Natural hare’s mask fur, dubbed.
Tying Tips: Here the UK, Carolina wood duck flank feathers are usually called Lemon Wood Duck feathers, but the same feathers from its Asian cousin, the Mandarin wood duck are almost distinguishable and can also be used for this pattern. When creating the thorax, remember to leave a small space in front of the thorax before the hook eye to allow the legs to be tied back along the side of the fly, prior to the thorax cover being brought forward and tied down.
Little Black (T.E.Pritt)
Hook: Kamasan B170, #14.
Thread: Pearsall’s Gossamer Silk, Purple.
Body: Tying thread as above.
Rib: Magpie centre tail fibres.
Hackle: White tipped, dark and shiny, cock starling feather.
Tying Tips: Silk threads are noticeably thicker can degrade over time, so it pays to wax the silk before use. This not only helps to protect the silk, but it also increases the security of the dressing while at the same time, minimises the number of thread turns required. Prepare the starling feather by first removing all basal fibres up to the point where the feather webbing ends, then trap the white tip in hackle pliers and draw back the fibres to isolate the tip. Trim off most of the tip leaving a small triangular stub and tie in the feather by the stub using just two turns of waxed silk. Wind the hackle until all the fibres have been wound and secure the feather by its stalk, using another two turns of waxed silk. Keep the head as small as possible by using no more than a three turn whip finish
The Dirty Duster Variant, (Emerger), (Bob Wyatt)
Hook: Kamasan B100 lightweight grub hook, size 12.
Thread: Semperfli Nanosilk, 50D, brown.
Hackle: Dirty silver badger or grizzle cock hackle.
Thorax: Hare’s mask, dubbed.
Body: Hare’s mask, lightly dubbed.
Rib: As for tying thread.
Tying Tips: This is an unusual tying as the fly is tied without a thread base on the hook shank and the tying method is as follows: – With the good side of the hackle feather facing upwards and the tip of the feather forward of the eye, secure the thread and the stem of the cock hackle behind the hook eye at the same time. Continue to bind down the hackle stem and thread tag to a point opposite the hook point and remove the waste thread and hackle stalk. Create a thin fur noodle by lightly dubbing the hare fur onto the thread, then wind the fur noodle to the eye and back to the starting position, forming the thorax. Continue to wind the fur noodle down around the hook bend and when the body is complete, spin the thread clockwise to form a round thread. Use the round thread as a rib by winding the thread in open turns, stopping at the thorax. Wind the hackle in close turns from the eye to the end of the thorax where it should meet the thread rib. Wind the thread as a rib through the hackle to the eye. Form a neat head, whip finish and remove the thread. Trim off all hackle fibres below the hook shank to complete the fly.
Mike’s Dry Hawthorn Variant
Hook: Kamasan B160, short shank hook, size 10 or 12.
Thread: Veevus GSP, 50D, black.
Legs: Knotted black pheasant tail fibres.
Body: Strip of 2mm. x 3mm. black foam.
Wing: Tiemco Aero Dry Wing, white.
Thorax: Black seal’s fur, or similar.
Tying Tips: To create the foam body, cut a strip of craft foam 3mm. wide and pinch off one end to create a short taper. Carefully flame the tapered end with a lighter flame, then gently pull the foam to encourage the taper. Tie in the pheasant tail legs first and take the thread slightly forward of the tie in point, before tying in the tapered foam body. This prevents the foam from disturbing the position of the legs. When the wing has been tied in, take the thread to the eye before dubbing it with seal’s fur, then wind on a prominent thorax from the eye back to the wing. Bring the foam over the top of the thorax and tie it down behind the thorax and after whip finishing cut off the excess
foam leaving a small foam stub. For use in difficult conditions, it is worth making the wing more prominent by using more Aero Dry Wing than normal.
The Floating Sparkler Fry (P. Davison)
Hook: Competition Barbless, size 10. (from Flybox)
Thread: Black Veevus GSP, 50D.
Wing and Tail: Holo black and gold Angle Flash, or similar.
Underwing: Golden olive Aero Dry Wing.
Body: 3mm White Plastazote foam cylinder.
Head: Superglue covered with UV resin.
Tying Tips: Although any kind of flash material can be used, the foam body needs to be formed using only Plastazote foam cylinders. High density foam is not pliable enough for the job. Pinch off one end of the cylinder to form a small, tapered point and use this to tie in the cylinder. Coat the thread covered shank with superglue, then wind the foam cylinder up the shank in tight touching turns over the glue. For additional buoyancy, use more Aero Dry Wing. To create the back of the fry, take all the material at the eye and pull it back over the body under slight tension, ensuring an even distribution of flash material on both sides of the shank. Now apply some superglue to the front of the flash material and keep the material under tension until the glue has had time to soak into the fibres and hardened. If required, add a coat of fine UV resin over the glued area and cure with a torch. To finish the fly, create the wing and tail by making an upward sloping cut away from the hook bend.
The Quill Cormorant
Hook: Competition Barbless, size 10, from Flybox, or similar.
Thread: Black GSP 50D, or any fine flat thread.
Body: Black thread as above.
Rib: Natural stripped peacock eye quill,
body and rib coated with UV resin and cured.
Thorax: A few strands of fluorescent orange marabou.
Wing: Black marabou tip fibres.
Cheeks: Split Jungle Cock nail.
Tying Tips: A flat thread will help to make a smooth underbody on which to wind the peacock quill. The best marked quills are those that pass through the eye of the peacock eye feather. Use UV resin sparingly and if you can, rotate the vice until the resin is cured. Only 4 or 5 marabou fibres are required for the thorax, and if required they can be wound over a very light dab of superglue for additional security. Carefully stroke the marabou fibres back after each turn. For the wing, simply use the aligned spikey tip fibres of a marabou feather. Goose shoulder fibres make a good alternative. Use goose biots as an alternative to jungle cock.
Oct 22 – Les Lockey – Dressings for NW Branch Demo
The Soft Hackled Streamer (Jack Gartside),
Hook: Tiemco TMC 811S, straight eyed hook, size 8, or any streamer hook, sizes 6 – 2/0.
Thread: UNI 8/0, White.
Tail: 3 strands silver Flashabou, doubled, with 3 strands pearl Krystal Flash over, doubled.
Body: White marabou blood quill feather, wound as a hackle.
Hackle: Grey mallard flank feather.
The Sparrow (Jack Gartside)
( Nymph, Streamer, Dry,
Soft Hackled Muddler Minnow),
Hook: Kamasan B830 nymph hook, size 10,
Thread: Olive Roman Moser Powersilk, 10/0.
Tail: Cock pheasant rump marabou feather.
Body: 2 parts Grey squirrel fur, 1 part rabbit fur,
dyed olive, and 1 part olive Antron, mixed.
Collar: Cock pheasant rump feather, sparse,
extending to tip of tail, or beyond.
Hackle: Cock pheasant rump aftershaft or filoplume, wound in front of collar.
The Casual Dress Nymph ( Polly Rosborough)
– from Tying and Fishing The Fuzzy Nymphs.
Hook: Kamasan B830 nymph hook, size 10 – 12.
Thread: Black Veevus GSP, 50D.
Tail: Muskrat guard hairs plus some underfur.
Body: Muskrat underfur, dubbed in a dubbing loop and brushed with Velcro.
Collar: Muskrat body fur with guard hairs, spun in a dubbing loop.
Head: Black Ostrich herl.
The Pine Squirrel Fry, Mini Zonker.
Hook: Kamasan B800, size 10.
Underbody: Fine lead wire.
Thread: Olive Roman Moser Powersilk, 10/0.
Undertail: Pearl Krystal Flash.
Tail, Back and Collar: Olive pine squirrel zonker strip.
Body: Olive Ice Dub, Olive Glister and UV fibres mixed.
Side Flashes: Black Krinkle Mirror Flash.
Eyes: Jungle Cock nails
The Wet Daddy (Stan Headley)
Hook: Kamasan B800 lure hook, size 10.
Thread: Brown Semperfli Nanosilk, 50D.
Rib: Small oval gold tinsel.
Body: Natural Raffia.
1st Hackle: Ginger or barred dark ginger cock, tied 2/3rds down body.
2nd Hackle: Golden pheasant tippet feather.
3rd Hackle: Brown partridge shoulder feather.
Nov 21 – Les Lockey – Dressings for NW Branch Demo
The CDC Bubble Wing Sedge
Hook: Kamasan B170, size 12/14, or similar.
Thread: UTC 70, brown, or any flat brown thread.
Antennae: 2 Bronze Mallard fibres.
Wing/Bubble: 3 medium CDC feathers.
Abdomen: CDC fibres, dubbed.
Thorax: Fox Squirrel fur, spun in a split thread dubbing loop and trimmed below the shank.
The CDC & Biot Olive Dun
Hook: Kamasan B170, size 12/14, or similar.
Thread: Olive Semperfli Nanosilk, 50D, or any fine olive thread.
Tail: Coq de Leon Fibres.
Body: Dark olive turkey biot.
Wings: 2 CDC feathers.
Thorax: Olive CDC feather fibres, dubbed.
The CDC Hatching Midge
Hook: Varivas 2200 fine curved hook, size 16/18.
Thread: Black Veevus GSP, 50D, or any flat thread to match hatch.
Plume: 3 small CDC feathers, applied individually.
Abdomen: Tying thread.
Thorax: Black Superfine dubbing.
Wing: Single strand of pearl Krinkle Mirror Flash.
The CDC and Elk
Hook: Competition Medium (Flybox), size 12/14/16, or similar.
Thread: Brown or black Nanosilk, 50D, or any fine thread.
Body: Natural CDC feather, wound flat for the body and like a hackle near the head.
Wing: Comparadun Deer Hair. (tied like an elk hair caddis)
The CDC Olive Nymph
Hook: Kamasan B170, size 10/12, or similar.
Weight: 3.3 Nickel Bead.
Thread: Olive Semperfli Nanosilk, 50D, or any fine thread.
Tail: Brown cock hackle fibres.
Abdomen: Olive CDC feather, twisted and wound.
Thorax: Olive Peacock Dub or similar and olive CDC feather fibres wound in a dubbing loop.
The CDC Olive Dun
Hook: Fulling Mill Ultimate Dry, size 14/16, or similar.
Thread: Brown Semperfli Nanosilk, 50D, or any fine brown thread.
Wings: 4 small CDC feathers.
Tail: Coq de Leon Fibres.
Thorax Cover: Thin strip of green or brown foam.
Abdomen & Thorax: Single olive or olive dun CDC feather, wound flat.
North West Fly Dressers' Guild 