Classic Wet Flies, Part 1: Arthur Hoyt

At the beginning of the year, I made a fly fishing new year's resolution to learn to tie and fish classic wet flies.  To that end, I've done alot of reading and practicing, even producing a handful of wets that I was proud to claim as my own ties.  Many, many more didn't turn out so well, and went straight to the fly box.  Over the past month or two, I'd gotten away from the slip wings, and expanded my experience tying hairwing streamers.  While I like both, I definitely wanted to get back to the feather wings, so last night, I flipped through my copy of Trout by Ray Bergman, and chose this pattern, the Arthur Hoyt, as my next attempt, with a few minor variations.  First, and most obvious, is my substitution of  oval tinsel in the place of the yellow floss the recipe calls for.  Second is the use of brown hen as opposed to rooster hackle in the tail.  My next tie will feature the traditional items, i'm just more familiar with the tinsel rib, and had the brown hen right on the desk.

The head is a bit...rough...on this tie.  Several extra coats of Sally Hansen's would have helped, but this one is destined for the fly box, not the shadow box, so one quick coat, and out of the vise.

Anyway, here's the fly:

Arthur Hoyt (as described in Bergman's Trout)


Hook: Mustad 3399, Tiemco 3769 (shown) or equivalent
Thread: UTC 70, light tan (body), Sheer 14/0, black (head)
Tag: Gold Flat Tinsel
Tail: Brown Hackle (Hen shown)
Body: Green Floss
Rib: Yellow Floss (Gold Oval Tinsel shown)
Hackle: Brown Hen
Wing: Mottled Turkey