This is a fly developed by Graham White and is a modified Whistler Pattern and one of my favourites. It’s great fun to tie and looks great when finished. This fly is one of the best Barramundi Fly’s ever devised, and it’s such a good fly that it’ll be an option in all Freshwater and Saltwater situations you will encounter anywhere in the world.

Materials

Step 1 – Secure a bed of thread on the shank of the hook, from just behind the hook eye to a point on the shank just as the bend starts. Wind the thread forward again and stop at a point where when you let the bobbin hang it’s just in front of the point of the hook. This must be tight – a fly is only as strong as the foundation it’s tied on!

Next select some saddle hackles and secure them to the shank of the hook. These must be tied back to the bend of the hook. Next select 6 strands of Krystal Flash and tie down each side of the hackles.


Step 2 – Advance the thread forward to just in front of the point of the hook and tie in a small clump of White Bucktail. It’s important that the Bucktail is on top of the shank not completely around the shank. This is the shoulder of the fly.

Select two Grizzly Feathers and tie in above the Bucktail. Once tied in splay the feathers so to the complete the shoulder of the fly.

Step 3 – Advance the thread forward again to the ½ way point along the shank. Take a Marabou Blood Feather and strip the soft barbells off the quill and tie in one clump on each side of the fly so it completely encircles the hook.

Step 4 – Select three nice Saddle Hackles and tie in one directly on top and the other two on either side.

Step 5 – One hackle at a time, open wind or palmer the hackle forward. Each hackle will fit in the space left. After all three have been wound forward the front of the hook should be full and equal.

Step 6 - Tie in Bead Chain right behind the Hook Eye and whip finish.

Hey Presto - a great fly for a wide variety of fish.

Variations to this Fly:

It may be tied in any colour you desire – all black makes a good night time fly.
Tie it with some weight to get deep or tie it on a 60deg hook so it swims hook up through structure.
Tie it with weed guards.

Any ideas using this theme is sure to have success. So play around and come up with your own theme, it’s a lot of fun.
Gavin