Orange Heron

Well, this was interesting, a couple of firsts in this pattern for me.

My first attempt at using a double rib. I like the way it looks and I need to play with that technique some more.

It was also the first time to try Spey hackle. Ugh, is about all I have to say. Very different to work with. I used too large of a hook for the feather I used, the hackle should have extended passed the hook bend. I think if I had started it at the third rib instead of the fourth rib it would have looked better. That type of hackle is just plain weird and I'm going to tie with it some more to get used to it.

Here's Syd Glasso's (more or less) Orange Heron

Tag: Silver flat tinsel
Rib: Silver oval and flat tensil
Body: Bright orange floss (rear 2/3) and bright orange dubbing (front 1/3)
Hackle: Gray rooster coque (sub for Heron)
Throat: Teal (I think, the ziplock bag wasn't labeled. )
Wings: Four bright orange hackles
Hook: size 1.5

I took another shot at this pattern, but this time it was tied in Texas Tech colors.

Much easier to do the second time and the proportions are better. Although, there is one major mistake because I forgot to dubb the first third of the body. Which is a shame, because you can hide a lot of tying sins with dubbing and it would have made the 5th rib more visible.

Since it is no longer an "Orange Heron", I guess this one could be called a "Red Raider Heron" Spey fly...