by Bill Houk
This article was written by Bill Houk, whom I met at the FFI Fly Fest in Grand Rapids Michigan, in September. Thou attendance was low the fly fliers had a great time talking and demonstrating for one another.
Bill Houk is a dedicated fly tier with over two decades of experience. As a member of the FFI Fly Tying Group, he has achieved the Bronze level of fly-tying certification and is currently working towards the Silver. Over the past five years, Bill has generously contributed more than two thousand flies and dozens of hand-tied leaders to the Tie-a-thon. Additionally, he serves as a staff member for the Middlebury Reel Recovery retreat.”
The Red Arrow is the first example of a traditional Irish fly. The original pattern called for dyed seal fur in blackvand red. We will be substituting the Fulling Mills Seal X for seal fur. The Red Arrow fly features a black and red dubbed body, a common variation in Irish flies. There is a joke that if you tie a Red Arrow in chartreuse, is it still a Red Arrow? Any fly tied in the arrow style but not red and black should be called a Broken Arrow variant.
Substitutions in color or materials fit this broken classification.
Traditional Materials:
Hook: Wet fly #10-14
Thread: Black
Tail: Golden pheasant tippets
Rib: Silver oval tinsel
Body: Seal’s fur dyed red and black
Hackle: Black hen
Broken Arrow (Variation 1)
Materials:
Hook: Mustad S80 3906 3XH/STD #10-14
Thread: Black
Tail: Golden pheasant tippets
Rib: Silver oval tinsel
Body: Wool red and black
Hackle: Black hen
To learn about the Red Arrow and tying techniques click on the image below:
Red Arrow by Bill HoukClick on the “book” above to read more!