Fly Tying Inventory
Orange Head Mary
A Fulling Mill pattern that has been around for many years, the Orange Head Mary is close to a Pheasant Tail with a fluorescent orange tungsten bead. Cheech has found it a steady producer on his local trout streams, and it can stand in for an egg pattern in spring and fall. Either a standard or a slotted bead works, depending on how the fly will be fished. A Coq de Leon tail, copper rib, hare's ear thorax and pearl tinsel wing case fill out the fly. Tied here on a size 14 hook.
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Materials
Fulling Mill 35025 Grab Gape Hook, barbless, size 14
14
Plummeting Tungsten Beads - Neon Colors, fl. orange, 7/64" (2.8mm) (or Firehole Stones Neon Matte Slotted Tungsten Beads, fl. fire orange, 3.0mm)
Fl. Orange · 7/64"
Hareline Dubbin, hare's ear
Hare's Ear
How to Tie the Orange Head Mary
- 1
Step 1
Slide the orange bead onto the hook and set the hook in the vise.
- 2
Step 2
Wrap a short section of lead wire behind the bead for the underbody and push it up against the bead.
- 3
Step 3
Start the thread behind the lead and wrap back to the bend.
- 4
Step 4
Tie in a small bunch of Coq de Leon fibers at the bend for the tail and trim the butts.
- 5
Step 5
Tie in several pheasant tail fibers at the base of the tail, then tie in the copper wire at the same spot.
- 6
Step 6
Bring the thread forward to the front of the abdomen.
- 7
Step 7
Wrap the pheasant tail fibers forward to form the abdomen. Tie them off and trim the excess.
- 8
Step 8
Spiral the copper wire forward through the abdomen as a rib. Tie it off and trim the waste.
- 9
Step 9
Tie a piece of pearl tinsel on top at the front of the abdomen, pointing back over the body.
- 10
Step 10
Dub a short hare's ear thorax up to the bead.
- 11
Step 11
Fold the tinsel forward over the thorax and tie it off behind the bead. Trim the excess.
- 12
Step 12
Whip finish behind the bead and cut the thread.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6A9C_wTKsI
Credit: Cheech / Fly Fish Food