MARABOU MAYFLY

SUBMITTED BY: James Whalen

Fly Tied by James Whalen
 Photo taken by Ruben Breitkreutz

FISHING METHOD:  Floating line with 10 -18 Ft leader.  Use a slow retrieve (6 - 8 seconds for each hand twist) with a couple 2 - 3 inch pulls every 25 - 30 seconds. Try wind drifting the fly off an indicator. Clear Intermediate sinking line with a 9 foot leader. Use a slow hand twist retrieve trying to keep the fly just off the bottom.

TYING NOTES:                                      

1.     Pinch your barb and lay down a thread base to the bend of the hook.

2.     Tie in the ribbing material.

3.     Tie in 6 to 8 Marabou fibres for the tail.

4.     Wrap the body with the remaining Marabou and stop at the 2/3-point of the hook shank.

5.     Counter wind the ribbing material up the body (5-7 wraps) and tie off.

6.     Tie in 8 to 10 Pheasant tail fibres with the points facing forward. The legs should be about half the length of the hook shank. Do not cut of the butts of the pheasant tail fibres.

7.     Tie in 3 or 4 strands of Marabou; wrap forward to build the thorax.

8.      Tie off and trim the thorax material.

9.     Split and secure the legs evenly on each side of the thorax.

10. Pull the Pheasant tail butts forward, tie off and build a small head.

11. Add a small amount of glue to the tying thread, and whip finish the fly.

Finishing the fly this way keeps the glue from being absorbed in to the thorax.