Deer-hair Hackle (White)

Emerger

Tied By Christian Andrews

Hook: #12 (or choice)

Thread: claret

Materials-

tag: thread

body: Peacock herl

front hackle: white deer hair (spun in a dubbing loop)

Notes:

from the illustration by Charles Orvis in Favorite Flies and Their Histories by Mary Orvis Marbury

It’s deer hair, so maybe should be tied on a dry fly hook.
The example is tied on a #12 nymph hook.
Lay down a base of thread; build a thread tag; take thread to a good eye-length behind eye.
Tie in five (or appropriate number for a full body) Peacock herl; thread wrap to beginning of tag; (twist into a rope with dubbing loop); touching wrap herl to a good eye length behind eye; tie off and clip extra
Stack a pinch of white deer hair
Create a waxed dubbing loop on a spinner
Holding the stacked deer hair by the tips, trim off all but about a half inch (length is determined by how long the hackle should be – 1.25 to 1.5 length of finished hackle)
Place the pinch of dear hair between the loop thread (the wax will help hold them in place); adjust the length in the loop and by tapping on the butt ends (seems to work best if there is enough butt length so the hair will fold over on the thread when wrapping the hackle)
Spin the dubbing loop so the hair is held by the the thread twists
Wrap the dubbing loop onto the hook ; pull the hair toward the hook bend while wrapping; leave plenty of room for a thread head behind the eye
Wrap the head; whip finish; head cement
Clean up around the eye (deer singes nicely with a flame – be careful not to singe the hackle).

https://flyvault.net/wp-content/uploads/formidable/13/whitedeerorvis-150×150.jpg