Fly Tying Inventory
No Hackle Dun
The revolutionary No Hackle dry fly designed by Doug Swisher and Carl Richards, featured as a pattern in FFI educational resources and the Fly of the Month archives. By eliminating the traditional hackle and relying on duck quill wings and split tails for flotation, this pattern presents an ultra-realistic mayfly dun silhouette that fools the most selective trout on flat water.
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Materials
3X fine dry fly hook, size 12-22 (e.g., TMC 5230 or Mustad 94833)
To match body color, 8/0-12/0
Dun hackle fibers or Microfibetts, split into a V
Fine dubbing to match target mayfly species (cream, olive, yellow, or gray)
Matched mallard duck primary or secondary quill slips, set upright
How to Tie the No Hackle Dun
- 1
Step 1
Secure the fine-wire dry fly hook in the vise. Start thread and wrap a smooth, even base to above the barb.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in a tiny ball of dubbing at the rear to act as a splitting post for the tails.
- 3
Step 3
Tie in two equal bunches of hackle fibers or Microfibetts, one on each side of the dubbing ball, creating a V-shaped split tail.
The split tails are critical for balance—they act as outriggers to keep the fly upright on the water.
- 4
Step 4
Dub a slender, tapered body forward, building up slightly at the thorax position.
- 5
Step 5
Cut two perfectly matched slips from left and right mallard quill feathers, each about the width of the hook gap.
- 6
Step 6
Align the quill slips and tie them in upright at the thorax position with several firm thread wraps. Post them upright with thread wraps in front.
This is the most challenging step—a drop of flexible cement on the quill tips before tying in helps keep them together.
- 7
Step 7
Create a small neat thread head, whip finish, and apply a tiny drop of head cement.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1efKr-T2bws
Credit: Doug Swisher & Carl Richards / FFI Fly of the Month Archives; FFI Gold Award Program