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Fly Tier's Corner
Dry Muddler
by Al & Gretchen Beatty
Twenty-plus years ago Bruce Staples gave Al his start as
a regional/national, demonstration fly tier when he
invited him to participate in the Western Rocky Mountain
Council Conclave. From that start Al's demonstration
tying career progressed to a high point when he was the
recipient of the 1999 Buz Buszek Memorial Award for fly
tying excellence. How wonderful that we can profile a
fly here in this column tied by the new 2001 Buz Buszek
Memorial Award recipient, master fly tier, Bruce
Staples.
When we asked Bruce after the 2001 Awards Luncheon which
of his flies he would like us to profile, he immediately
responded with the Dry Muddler. Al was not surprised and
had bet Gretchen that would be the pattern. Al
distinctly remembered Bruce demonstrating it at his
first Conclave years earlier and at many subsequent
tying programs all over the world. Bruce explained that
he has had a love affair with this pattern for many
years. We wonder if his wife Carol is wise to this
situation. Oh, well that's a subject for a different
discussion. Our purpose here is to share with all of you
a really great pattern and that's what we'll do.
Bruce advised that decades ago Don Gapen created the
original Muddler Minnow now considered by many to be a
classic. That original was designed to be offered to the
fish as a wet/streamer fly. The late Joe Brooks was one
of the first outdoor writers to tie it as a dry fly and
present it as an insect/attractor. Joe had even written
an article about his discovery in a 1963 issue of
Outdoor Life. As often happens in the interesting world
of fly tying, like minds made the same discovery without
ever having crossed paths. This happened to Bruce. He
developed the Dry Muddler many years after Joe Brooks.
In fact, Bruce was not aware Joe beat him to the "punch"
until a few years ago when he ran across the article
while doing research for one of his books for Frank
Amato Publications.
Bruce likes to construct the Dry Muddler on a three or
four X long streamer hook in sizes 4 to 10. He uses size
A thread and chooses a floss color to match the insect
he is trying to imitate. Bruce provides floatation and
durability by incorporating hollow spinning hair with
quill segments coated with Aqua Flex or another flexible
cement. Bruce advises, "The head imparts flotation and
the quill segment wings on either side of the shank
provide symmetry and lateral stability." All of that
aside, we also have developed a love for the pattern and
very well remember a special day on the lower Madison
River when we caught many brown trout on a yellow-bodied
Dry Muddler.
Dry Muddler
Hook: 3XL or 4XL, Size 4 to 10
Thread: Size A, color of choice
Tail: Paired slips of "treated"
turkey quill
Body: Floss, color of choice
Under wing: White over dark
calf tail
Wings: Pair slips of "treated"
turkey quill
Head/collar: Spun and trimmed
deer hair |
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Step 1: Mentally divide the hook shank into four equal
parts and reserve the forward one-fourth for the Muddler's head. Start a thread base at the one-fourth
point and wrap back to the end of the shank. Prepare two
turkey quill slips from a matched pair of feathers that
are about as wide as one-fourth the distance of the hook
gape. Measure the tail so it is as long as the distance
of the hook gape and bind it in place. We find this step
is much easier if you start at the back and work
forward. Trim the excess tail material at the one-fourth
point. Attach the floss and construct a body covering
the back three-fourths of the hook shank. |
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Step 2: Apply an under wing of
white over brown calf tail. Note it ends even
with the back of the body.
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Step 3:
Prepare two turkey slips from the matched
feathers that are as wide as three-fourths the
distance of the hook gape. Measure them so they
extend to the end of the hook bend and bind them
to the sides of the under wing. Trim the excess
wing material and leave your thread at this
location.
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Step 4:
Trim, clean out the under fur, and stack a clump
of deer hair that is about as big around as a
pencil. Bind this clump to the near side of the
hook, flaring it in place. Repeat the process on
the far side of the hook. Bruce's "flaring in
place" collar as described here evenly
distributes the hair around the hook.
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Step 5:
Pull the butt ends of the collar hair up and
advance the thread forward. Trim and clean a
third clump of hair. Spin it over the bare area
on the hook directly behind the eye and in front
of the collar hair. Whip finish and trim the
thread.
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Step 6:
Trim the hair to form the finished fly. We find
a drop or two of Aqua Head or other head cement
is a good final step before going fishing. Try
this great pattern, you will like it!
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