Fly Tying Inventory
Lady Caroline
One of the most famous traditional Spey flies for salmon and steelhead, featuring olive and brown Berlin wool body, bronze mallard wing, and gray heron hackle. This tutorial demonstrates tying the classic pattern on a modern salmon hook for Spey fishing.
🪶 Ready to tie this?
This pattern needs 8 materials. Sign up free to check which ones you already own.
Materials
Traditional Spey or salmon hook, size 1-6 (e.g., Daiichi 2051 or Alec Jackson Spey)
Black waxed 8/0 or Semperfli Nano Silk
Golden pheasant red breast feather fibers, sparse
Blend of brown and olive Berlin wool (or olive hare's ear and brown dubbing)
Oval gold tinsel and flat gold tinsel
Gray heron feather (substitute: blue-eared pheasant)
Golden pheasant red breast feather, 2 turns
Bronze mallard flank feather strips, set low
How to Tie the Lady Caroline
- 1
Step 1
Secure the hook in the vise and start black thread. Wrap a smooth base to the bend.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in a sparse tail of golden pheasant red breast feather fibers at the bend.
- 3
Step 3
Attach both oval and flat gold tinsel for ribbing, running along the shank.
- 4
Step 4
Dub a slim body with a blend of brown and olive wool, wrapping 2/3 to 3/4 of the shank.
Blend the wool in a 2:1 brown-to-olive ratio for the most authentic color.
- 5
Step 5
Tie in the heron or blue-eared pheasant feather by the tip at the rear. Palmer it forward in open turns over the body.
- 6
Step 6
Counter-wrap the gold tinsel forward through the hackle to reinforce and protect it. Secure and trim.
- 7
Step 7
Add two turns of golden pheasant red breast feather as a collar hackle.
- 8
Step 8
Prepare two matched slips of bronze mallard, moisten, and tie them in low over the body. Build a neat black head, whip finish, and apply varnish.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3FOEkdVneg
Credit: Traditional Scottish pattern / FFI Fly Tying Skills Award Program (Gold Award)