Coleopter S
mall and medium beetles of all colors are probably the land insects that fall into the water the most. The model presented here is a dressing by Roberto Messori and was first presented in ‘Fly Thread’s 2006 special Dressings’ edition. The readers that recreated this model are well aware of it’s potential. Indeed, it is more buoyant and “convincing” than expected. It is built with a feather bent in the style of the ‘Wonder’ wings. The latter
is placed over the abdomen and cupped by a series of pheasant barbs that are dyed red. The fly presents a perfect dimension, is very light as it withholds air, and has a similar consistency to that of the insect. It is a fly that will rarely be ignored by fish that have already tried a bite of a beetle. For this dressing I have preferred to present the images taken of the original model of Roberto Messori.
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The finished red beetle. The dressing is made with some pheasant barbs that are passed backwards and forwards, some Cdc and some thread.
1) Fix a TMC 100 hook n. 12 and wrap a UNI 8/0 thread up to the bend of the hook. Here, fix a tuft of fibers taken from the tail of a pheasant. In this case, dyed red.
2) Put two Cdc feather together. Flip their barbs ‘Woder’ style and fix them behind the eye of the hook as shown.
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3) Divide the pheasant barbs then flip both sides forward creating an ellipse around the hook.
Now fix the thread at the head with a knot or pass it between the tuft and beneath the hook, fixing it that way.
4) Fix the two ‘Wonder’ wings, keeping them bent as shown in the picture. The space beneath these barbs will trap air
and prevent the fly from sinking. Now flip back the pheasant barbs.
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5) Flip the pheasant barbs back creating a nice bend and fix them at the curve of the hook.
6) Make the closing knot and move your thread beneath the fly to bring it to the head. Now, flip the excess pheasant wings forward and fix them, trimming the excess material. Flip the Cdc tuft upwards and wrap your thread to keep it in place.
7) Trim the excess material. Make the head, the closing knot, and finish with a drop of glue. The dressing seems complicated to make but actually it is just difficult to describe. Making it is much quicker than it would seem.
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Palmer A
wide range of dressings of Palmers exists. Generally, palmers are made using n.12, or more often n. 10 or n. 8 hooks. The hackle wrapped as a palmer gives good buoyancy, which increases greatly if Cdc is added. In this model by Gerhard Laible Cdc is inserted into the body using the eyelet system, wrapped together with the peacock herl. The system that involves
using only Cdc as a hackle is good on medium and small hooks. From n. 16 to 10 and n. 12 is ideal. All (fake) caterpillars of every dimension are very effective. Those on n. 8 hooks at the beginning of the season or with high, slightly covered waters, those on n. 10 or 12 hooks at the end of the Spring or of Autumn.
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1) Fix a TMC 100 hook n. 12 and wrap a UNI 8/0 thread up to the bend of the hook. Fix two peacock quill herls at the curve of the hook.
2) Make an eyelet with your thread.
3) Make a cut in your stick of foam and insert a Cdc feather.
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4) Clamp the fibers with your pliers.
5) Remove the feather from the foam.
6) Trim the fibers near the calamus.
7) Insert the Cdc fibers into the eyelet.
8) Place your peacock quill next to the eyelet.
9) Twist the eyelet..
10) Start wrapping everything around the hook. Make sure you don’t catch the fibers with each new turn.
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