Fly Tying Inventory
Egan's Headstand
Egan's Headstand is Lance Egan's carp fly, designed for sight fishing to feeding carp. Bead chain eyes and a curved hook make it sink slowly and invert, so it rides point up, stands off the bottom and collects less moss. Point up also suits a carp's short lower lip. Legs add side to side stability. Chartreuse is an easy to see attractor, even in murky water. A Natural colorway swaps in brown thread, sand rabbit, brown hackle, a March Brown dubbed abdomen, a fl. orange thorax and pumpkin legs. Tied here in chartreuse on a size 8 hook.
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Materials
UTC Ultrathread 140 Denier, fl. chartreuse (or Danville 140 Denier Waxed Flymaster Plus, fl. yellow)
Fl. Chartreuse · 140 denier
Thin glue, for the eye wraps
Magnum Rabbit Strips, chartreuse, fur only (or rabbit zonker strips, fl. yellow chartreuse)
Chartreuse
Solid and Krystal Tinsel Chenille, fl. chartreuse, for the abdomen (or Fulling Mill Shimmer Chenille, micro)
Fl. Chartreuse
Barred Sili Legs, fl. chartreuse (or Grizzly Flutter Legs, black barred chartreuse)
Fl. Chartreuse
Hareline Peacock Sword fibers
Ice Dub, chartreuse (or Hends Spectra Dubbing, chartreuse)
Chartreuse
How to Tie the Egan's Headstand
- 1
Step 1
Mount the hook in the vise and start the thread a little behind the hook eye.
- 2
Step 2
Tie the bead chain eyes on top of the shank with crossing wraps, close behind the hook eye.
- 3
Step 3
Add a small drop of thin glue to the eye wraps.
The curved hook and bead chain eyes work together to turn the fly over so it rides hook point up.
- 4
Step 4
Wrap the thread back along the shank and down into the bend.
- 5
Step 5
Cut a clump of fur from the rabbit strip and tie it in on the bend for the tail. Trim the butts and bind them down.
- 6
Step 6
Tie in the tinsel chenille at the base of the tail and bring the thread forward to just behind the eyes.
- 7
Step 7
Wrap the chenille forward over the shank, stopping short of the eyes. Tie it off and trim the excess.
- 8
Step 8
Turn the hook over in the vise so the point is up.
- 9
Step 9
Tie a length of barred legs on each side of the fly just behind the eyes so they angle back along the abdomen.
- 10
Step 10
Tie a small bunch of peacock sword fibers on the hook point side just behind the eyes. Fold the forward ends back and bind them so the whole wing lies back over the abdomen.
The fly rides inverted, so this side ends up on top when it is fished.
- 11
Step 11
Dub the thread with Ice Dub and wrap it over the tie-in area and around the eyes to form the thorax.
- 12
Step 12
Whip finish behind the hook eye and trim the legs to length.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwsZpKqQYsc
Credit: Lance Egan / Fly Fish Food