Avalon Permit Fly

Materials

How to Tie the Avalon Permit Fly

1. 1

   Step 1

   Start the tan thread and tie the brass eyes on top of the shank a short way behind the hook eye with figure-eight wraps. Glue them well.

   A permit's crushing jaws will twist loose eyes, so do not skip the glue.

2. 2

   Step 2

   At the bend, tie an 8 cm piece of 25 lb hard mono along the top of the shank with the long end trailing off the back. It becomes the keel at the end.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Tie a small tuft of hot orange arctic fox at the bend for the mouth and trim it to about 1 cm.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Tie a strand of black Krystal Flash on each side for antennae, a few centimetres long.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Add one Loco Leg on each side, trimmed to about 5 cm, then tie in two strands of pearl diamond braid at the bend and leave them trailing back for now.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Tie in a tan blood quill marabou by its tip and wrap it forward to just behind the eyes, stroking the fibers back as you go. Tie off and trim.

7. 7

   Step 7

   Just behind the eyes, tie a short rabbit strip on each side, angled outward like a delta wing, to form the claws.

8. 8

   Step 8

   Pull the diamond braid strands forward over the back of the body as a shellback and tie them down behind the hook eye.

9. 9

   Step 9

   Switch to the fluorescent orange thread. Slide four beads onto the mono, bring it forward to make a loop about 2 cm long and 1 cm deep, and tie it down behind the hook eye. Trim the excess.

   Keep the loop small and tidy: it is what keeps the fly upright and makes the beads click.

10. 10

    Step 10

    Build a neat orange thread head, whip finish, and seal it with UV resin or cement.