Diawl Bach
Materials:
- Thread: Black 8/0 uni or similar
- Hook: Kamazan 175 or any completion heavyweight hook
- Tail: Red game cock hackle feather fibres
- Body: Peacock herl
- Rib: Holographic tinsel
- Beard: Red game cock hackle fibres
Instructions:
- Tie the thread in and run it down the hook in touching turns.
- Take a cock hackle and cut a “V” into the stem near to the point. Tie the feather in at the bend and pull the feather through the thread turns to form a neat tail.
- Tie in the the holographic tinsel and then a single strand of peacock herl. Wrap the herl around the tying thread a few times to give it some strength and then wind it up the hook shank in open turns, leaving space at the end for a head.
- Wind the holographic tinsel through the herl, in a counter direction, to form a rib and then tie off.
- Make a beard in the same way as the tail.
- Make a head with the tying thread and whip finish, followed by a dab of varnish.
Background information:
Diawl Bach means little devil in Welsh. This generic pattern fishes well on all reservoirs and a skinny version is invariably used as one of a team of three flies, either with or instead of the black buzzer.