Fly of the Month Bob Ireton brings together his experience in fly fishing, aquatic entomology, and knowledge of fly tying techniques and materials, to design and tie durable and effective flies.

   Volume 5,  Issue 2                                                                  February 2004

QUILL GORDON
Fly, Text, and Photography by Bob Ireton

The Quill Gordon is the most famous of the traditional Catskill dry fly dressings. It was originated by Theodore Gordon, father of American dry-fly fishing. The Catskill style, using stiffer hackles than traditional dry flies, has been the most popular dry-fly type on American waters for about a century. This fly nicely captures the mayfly silhouette. More important, it perches on its hackle points and tail fibers, giving the proper light impression on the water of a mayfly dun drifting on the surface waiting for its wings to dry. In brisk water, this light impression is the key that triggers trout to move upward to take the fly.

MATERIALS

Hook - TMC 100, Dai-Riki 300, Daiichi 1100, Mustad 94840, Orvis 1509, or standard dry fly hook.
Size - 12-16.
Thread - Black, 6/0 or 8/0.
Wings - Wood Duck flank feathers.
Tail - Dark blue dun hackle fibers.
Body - Stripped peacock herl quill.
Hackle - Dark blue dun dry fly hackle feather.

TYING STEPS -  click on pictures for larger view

1 - Place the hook properly in the vice. Attach thread behind hook eye, leaving a space of one hook eye between thread and eye. Lay on a thread base rearward, stopping above hook barb. Then bring the thread forward with well-spaced wraps, and stop at the wing tie in location. Tie a half hitch.
2 - Select a nice wood duck flank feather. Moisten the feather with water, and stroke the fibers from the base towards the tip to make the fibers more manageable. Position the feather on top of the hook with the tip extending past the hook eye. Adjust the feather/thread position so the upright wing will be approximately 1/4 hook shank distance behind the eye of hook, and the wing as long as the length of the hook shank. Tie in with a couple of soft loops, and make any final adjustments. Tighten loops, and make several more tight loops. Cut off butt end of feather, and even up thread wraps. Tie a half hitch.
3 - Lift wings to an upright position, and lock in this position with thread wraps. Divide the fibers to form the wings using figure eight thread wraps. Bring thread back above hook point area, and tie a half hitch.
4 - Select some dun hackle fibers, and adjust the fibers so the tips are even. Lay on top of hook shank with the tips facing rearward. Tie in with a couple of soft wraps. Adjust so length of tail is the length of the hook shank. Tighten thread wraps, and add several more. Cut butt ends of fibers, and tie a half hitch.
5 - Select a piece of peacock herl. Lay it on a hard, flat surface, and using a rubber eraser, rub against the lay of the fibers, and remove the fibers from the quill. Now soak the quill in some warm water for a few minutes to make the quill more flexible. Then tie the quill in above the tail. Bring the thread forward, evening out the abdomen as you go. Tie a half hitch behind the wing.
6 - Palmer the quill forward to form the abdomen. Tie off behind wing, and cut off excess. Tie a half hitch. Bring thread forward of the wing.
7 - Tie in the hackle feather. Tie a half hitch.
8 - Palmer the hackle feather several wraps behind the wing, and several wraps in front of the wing. A Catskill type fly has more hackle than a traditional style dry fly. Tie off, and snip off excess feather. Form a head, tie a couple of half hitches, and then a whip finish. Cut off the working thread. Put some head cement on the thread.

Copyright © 1998 - thisyear The Buckeye United Fly Fishers, Inc. Cincinnati, OH 45242