Fly Tying Inventory
Coffin Fly
This is the Dette version of the Coffin Fly as it was tied in the 1970s. It is a classic upright-winged dry with a pair of black hackle tips for wings, a long wood duck tail, a pale body of natural seal fur and a collar of badger hackle. The dark wings over the light body give the fly its strong contrast. The wings go on first, then the tail, body and two hackles are added behind them. Tied here on a size 12 Partridge H1A hook.
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Materials
Partridge H1A dry fly hook, size 12
12
Waxed 12/0 thread, tan
Tan · 12/0
Black hackle points, one pair
Black
Wood duck flank fibers
Natural seal fur dubbing
Natural
Badger rooster hackle, two feathers
Badger
How to Tie the Coffin Fly
- 1
Step 1
Start the thread behind the eye and lay a short thread base where the wings will sit.
- 2
Step 2
Pair two black hackle tips back to back and tie them in on top of the shank with the tips pointing forward over the eye. Trim the butts.
- 3
Step 3
Stand the wings upright with thread wraps in front of them, then split them apart with figure-eight wraps so they form a V.
- 4
Step 4
Wrap the thread back to the bend. Tie in a bunch of wood duck fibers for a long tail and bind the butts along the shank.
- 5
Step 5
Dub the seal fur thinly onto the thread and wrap a slim body forward to just behind the wings.
- 6
Step 6
Prepare two badger hackles and tie them in by their stems behind the wings.
- 7
Step 7
Wrap the first hackle in close turns behind and in front of the wings and tie it off behind the eye.
- 8
Step 8
Wrap the second hackle through the first in the same way, tie it off and trim both tips.
- 9
Step 9
Form a small neat head, whip finish and trim the thread.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ljKmvrjPNc
Credit: Umberto Oreglini / Down By The River