Project Description

Black Pennell

Materials

Size 8-14 Light/Heavy Std shank hook, Black thread, Black Floss, Oval Silver Golden Pheasant Tippet, Black Hen/soft Cock Hackle

Tying Sequence

  1. Attach thread to shank 2mm behind the hook eye then wind in close touching turns down the shank to a position just in front of the bend.
  2. Tie in the oval silver and continue to wind the thread approx 1/3 round the bend tying in the silver as you go then return the thread to the top of the bend.
  3. Wind a tag of oval silver up to the thread and tie off but do not trim.
  4. Select a bunch of tippet fibres so that the barring is approx equal to length of shank and tie this in on top of the shank so that the 2nd set of barring sit over the tag. Tie the ends down and wind the thread up the shank to 3mm back from the eye, trim away any fibres.
  5. Tie in a 125mm (5’’) length of black floss and wind this down and up the shank to create a slight tapered body but remember to keep it slim.
  6. With the remaining oval silver wind a ribbing in open even spirals and tie off approx 2mm from the eye.
  7. Select a suitable hackle approx 1 ½ -2x the gape of the hook and prepare hackle to tie in by the tip of the feather.
  8. Trim tips of hackle leaving approx 3mm to tie in, with the concave side of the feather facing down and secure with 3 tight turns of thread.
  9. Carefully lift hackle by the stalk with a pair of hackle pliers and gently stroke back all of the fibres to lay either side of the stalk.
  10. Wind the hackle in tight turns towards the eye stroking the fibres as you go.
  11. Tie off and trim the excess hackle stalk and wind a neat head slightly over the base of the hackle to lay the fibres at an angle of approximately 45 degrees.
  12. Tie off and trim the excess before whip finishing and varnishing the head.