Coch-y-Bonddu
Wet Fly
Tied By Christian Andrews
Hook: #12 – 14 wet / nymph
Thread: red
Tag: black silk thread
Rib: fine gold wire
Body: Peacock herl
Front hackle: black and “red” soft hackle
Head: red thread
Notes:
This fly is an old Welch pattern imitating an aquatic beetle.
The attached illustration is by Charles Orvis in Favorite Flies and Their Histories (1892) by Mary Orvis Marbury.
Lay down a base of red thread
Tie in length of black silk thread at the hook bend; wrap a tag with the black thread; tie off and clip extra
Tie in the gold wire to use as a rib
Tie in three or four strands of <a class=”glossaryLink” aria-describedby=”tt” data-cmtooltip=”Peacock Herl<!– wp:paragraph –>Peacock plumage, widely utilized in fly tying, boasts magnificent iridescent blues and greens. The tail feather yields the renowned pearl for mini fly patterns, while the stripped curls from the eye provide quills for various fly patterns. Notably, the base of the bird's tail yields brilliant, iridescent sword feathers used for wings, such as in flies like the Alexandria.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Peacock herl, with its brilliant metallic green hue, serves as a natural and reflective material, becoming a staple for fly tying and feather art. Feather accessories, including earrings, masks, hair weaves, chokers, and headbands, heavily rely on Peacock herl.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>The Herl is also known as a “Flue”. Hundreds of flues make up the tailing feather that ultimately leads to the tip referred to as the “eye”. The many tail feathers combined are referred to as the “train”. <br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Many flies use or call for a “quill” body. The best “quills” come from the lower part of the eye or the flies just below the eye. A common technique to remove the iridescent barbs is to use a pencil eraser to remove them to expose the quill. There are ways to chemically remove them. A common method is to use 1 part bleach : 2 parts water, mixture to burn them off. This can take a few minutes and is speed up by swirling the feathers in the mixture. Once the barbs have been removed from the quill the feathers need to be immediately cleaned with a water and baking soda solution to neutralize the chemicals and the burning process. <br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Herl proves valuable for large flies when obtained in long and dense form, available in a diverse array of mainly dark colors. Peafowl, encompassing the blue and green species, feature extravagant plumage. Asiatic species, with eye-spotted tails, display these during courtship rituals. The elaborate iridescent coloration and large “train” of peacocks have sparked extensive scientific debate. Charles Darwin suggested their role in attracting females through sexual selection, while Amotz Zahavi proposed, in his handicap principle, that these features act as honest signals of males' fitness. A group of peacocks is referred to as an “ostentation” or a “muster.”<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –>” href=”https://flyvault.net/encyclopedia/peacock-herl/” data-gt-translate-attributes=’[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]’ tabindex=”0″ role=”link”>Peacock herl to the tag; touching wrap to an eye length behind eye (leave room for a front <a class=”glossaryLink” aria-describedby=”tt” data-cmtooltip=”Hackle<!– wp:paragraph –>The term “hackle” has several meanings, each with its own history. Originally, in the 15th century, “hackle” referred to either a bird's neck plumage or a tool used for combing out long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. The resemblance between a bird's neck feathers—particularly those that stand erect when the bird is defensive—and the prongs of the comb-like tool likely led to this connection.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Today, “hackle” can refer to one of the long, narrow feathers on a bird’s neck or saddle, as well as the neck plumage of domestic fowl. It can also denote a comb or board with long metal teeth used for dressing fibers.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>In the plural form, “hackles” describes the erectile hairs along a dog’s neck and back, which stand up when the dog is agitated. This sense of the word extended into the 19th century to describe a similar reaction in humans. To “raise someone's hackles” figuratively means to make them angry or put them on the defensive.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Additionally, in fishing terminology, a “hackle” refers to an artificial fly made primarily from the filaments of a cock's neck feathers or the filaments themselves projecting from the head of an artificial fly.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –>” href=”https://flyvault.net/encyclopedia/hackle/” data-gt-translate-attributes=’[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]’ tabindex=’0′ role=’link’>hackle); tie off; clip extra
Spiral wrap the wire around the herl body; tie off; helicopter off (or clip) extra
Tie in a soft front <a class=”glossaryLink” aria-describedby=”tt” data-cmtooltip=”Hackle<!– wp:paragraph –>The term “hackle” has several meanings, each with its own history. Originally, in the 15th century, “hackle” referred to either a bird's neck plumage or a tool used for combing out long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. The resemblance between a bird's neck feathers—particularly those that stand erect when the bird is defensive—and the prongs of the comb-like tool likely led to this connection.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Today, “hackle” can refer to one of the long, narrow feathers on a bird’s neck or saddle, as well as the neck plumage of domestic fowl. It can also denote a comb or board with long metal teeth used for dressing fibers.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>In the plural form, “hackles” describes the erectile hairs along a dog’s neck and back, which stand up when the dog is agitated. This sense of the word extended into the 19th century to describe a similar reaction in humans. To “raise someone's hackles” figuratively means to make them angry or put them on the defensive.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Additionally, in fishing terminology, a “hackle” refers to an artificial fly made primarily from the filaments of a cock's neck feathers or the filaments themselves projecting from the head of an artificial fly.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –>” href=”https://flyvault.net/encyclopedia/hackle/” data-gt-translate-attributes=’[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]’ tabindex=’0′ role=’link’>hackle (traditionally used coch-y-bonddu feather that had black rim and center with red between the black); wrap to end of feather; catch in; pull back on <a class=”glossaryLink” aria-describedby=”tt” data-cmtooltip=”Hackle<!– wp:paragraph –>The term “hackle” has several meanings, each with its own history. Originally, in the 15th century, “hackle” referred to either a bird's neck plumage or a tool used for combing out long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. The resemblance between a bird's neck feathers—particularly those that stand erect when the bird is defensive—and the prongs of the comb-like tool likely led to this connection.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Today, “hackle” can refer to one of the long, narrow feathers on a bird’s neck or saddle, as well as the neck plumage of domestic fowl. It can also denote a comb or board with long metal teeth used for dressing fibers.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>In the plural form, “hackles” describes the erectile hairs along a dog’s neck and back, which stand up when the dog is agitated. This sense of the word extended into the 19th century to describe a similar reaction in humans. To “raise someone's hackles” figuratively means to make them angry or put them on the defensive.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Additionally, in fishing terminology, a “hackle” refers to an artificial fly made primarily from the filaments of a cock's neck feathers or the filaments themselves projecting from the head of an artificial fly.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –>” href=”https://flyvault.net/encyclopedia/hackle/” data-gt-translate-attributes=’[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]’ tabindex=’0′ role=’link’>hackle fibers and wrap back over feather end to make the head; clip or snap off extra <a class=”glossaryLink” aria-describedby=”tt” data-cmtooltip=”Hackle<!– wp:paragraph –>The term “hackle” has several meanings, each with its own history. Originally, in the 15th century, “hackle” referred to either a bird's neck plumage or a tool used for combing out long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. The resemblance between a bird's neck feathers—particularly those that stand erect when the bird is defensive—and the prongs of the comb-like tool likely led to this connection.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Today, “hackle” can refer to one of the long, narrow feathers on a bird’s neck or saddle, as well as the neck plumage of domestic fowl. It can also denote a comb or board with long metal teeth used for dressing fibers.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>In the plural form, “hackles” describes the erectile hairs along a dog’s neck and back, which stand up when the dog is agitated. This sense of the word extended into the 19th century to describe a similar reaction in humans. To “raise someone's hackles” figuratively means to make them angry or put them on the defensive.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –><!– wp:paragraph –>Additionally, in fishing terminology, a “hackle” refers to an artificial fly made primarily from the filaments of a cock's neck feathers or the filaments themselves projecting from the head of an artificial fly.<br/><!– /wp:paragraph –>” href=”https://flyvault.net/encyclopedia/hackle/” data-gt-translate-attributes=’[{“attribute”:”data-cmtooltip”, “format”:”html”}]’ tabindex=’0′ role=’link’>hackle;
Finish head; whip finish; head cement.
