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Twist of Lemon

Stream flies for sea trout and steelhead


An oldie pattern from GFF

By Martin Joergensen

This fly uses a special technique where a strand of floss and a strand of tinsel is twisted together before the combo is wound on the hook shank. The rope - if twisted regularly enough - will form a nice segmented body with built in ribbing. The name of the fly is divised from this technique and the fact that it's made mainly from yellow materials. A similar fly without the twisted body is Orange Twist.

Hook 6-2 Bartleet salmon fly hook Twisted body
The finished twisted body
 

Thread Yellow/white and Black
Tag Narrow flat silver tinsel
Body Oval silver tinsel and yellow floss twisted
Thorax Red flash dubbing
Hackle Yellow hen hackle
Head Black

  1. Cover the hook shank with a smooth layer of light thread. Let the thread hang down to reach the hook point
  2. Tie in a strip of narrow silver tinsel and wind it to reach a point above the point of the barb and back
  3. Tie down and cut surplus
  4. Take a strand of yellow floss and a similar strand of oval silver tinsel
  5. Tie in both at the tag
  6. Wind the thread forwards, form a smooth foundation of thread for the body
  7. Twist the floss and tinsel counterclockwise using a hackle plier.
  8. The twist should form a tight and even rope
  9. Wind the rope fowards in close and even turns to a point 1/4 shank length behind the hook eye
  10. Tie down and cut surplus
  11. Dub some red flash dubbing on the thread and form a short, dense thorax
  12. Tie in a yellow hackle, tip first and hackle stem upwards
  13. Wind the hackle clockwise in wet fly style, folding it over and stroking barbs to the rear of the hook
  14. 2-3 turns will suffice depending on the hackle
  15. Tie down and cut surplus
  16. Whip finish the light thread and tie in the black
  17. Form a nice, small head from black tying thread
  18. Whip finish and varnish


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