Claret Bumble

Materials

How to Tie the Claret Bumble

1. 1

   Step 1

   Prepare the jay first. Split the feather along its center and keep the side with the barred blue fibers, stripping it to leave a slim strip that can be wound like a hackle.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Fix the hook in the vise, start the black thread and run it back to the bend.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Tie in a small bunch of golden pheasant tippet fibers at the bend for the tail. Bind the butts down and trim.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Tie in the small oval gold tinsel at the bend and leave it hanging.

5. 5

   Step 5

   Dub the claret seal's fur onto the thread and wind it forward to form the body, leaving room behind the eye for the hackles.

6. 6

   Step 6

   Prepare a medium claret cock hackle and a natural black cock hackle and tie both in at the front of the body.

7. 7

   Step 7

   Wind the two hackles together in open turns down the body to the bend. Trap the tips with the oval tinsel.

8. 8

   Step 8

   Wind the tinsel forward through the hackles to the front of the body, wiggling it through so fibers are not tied down. Tie it off and trim the tinsel and hackle tips.

9. 9

   Step 9

   Tie in the prepared jay strip at the front and wind it as a collar. Tie it off and trim.

10. 10

    Step 10

    Stroke the jay fibers back, form a small head, whip finish and varnish.