Umbrella
The umbrella is a nice looking fly inspired by stream flies for sea trout. It was formerly known as the Double Umbrella because of the to wet fly type hackle feathers, that gives the fly its unique appearance and a lot of life in the water. The feathers will collapse when wet and almost cover the silver tinsel in a pulsing motion.
The really old picture
The new picture.
How to construct it
The umbrella is a nice looking fly inspired by stream flies for sea trout. It was formerly known as the Double Umbrella because of the to wet fly type hackle feathers, that gives the fly its unique appearance and a lot of life in the water. The feathers will collapse when wet and almost cover the silver tinsel in a pulsing motion.
| Hook | 4 or 6 straight eye streamer. I prefer the Partridge John Holden |
| Thread | Tan |
| Tail | Yellow or red body feather from Golden Phesant |
| Body | Silver tinsel |
| Rib | Oval silver tinsel |
| Wing | Yellow or red body feather from Golden Phesant |
| Hackle | Two chesnut, furnace or badger wet fly hackles divided by furry dubbing (opossum or Arctic fox). Colors of feathers and fur to match golden pheasant. |
| Head | Tying thread |
- Tie in a body feather as a tail. Length is a bit more than half shank length.
- Tie in oval tinsel under hook at the bend
- Form an even base for the tinsel body by covering butt end of feather and tinsel with thread.
- Thread should cover the rear 3/4 of the hook shank.
- Tie in flat tinsel at a point 1/4 hook length behind hook eye
- Turn flat tinsel to hook bend and back in tight even turns and tie off
- Turn rib opposite tinsel and tie off (for further details see the Tie Better section)
- Tie in first hackle and turn so that it lays quite flat along the shank.
- Dub thread an form a fairly large lump to support front hackle.
- Tie in front hackle and make it stand out more than the back one.
- Form head and finish fly.
The Umbrella can be varied in color and materials, even though the body feathers from golden pheasant always make the 'stem' of the fly.
The stream version with two schematic drawings below.
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