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How To Tie Primrose and Pearl
Primrose & Pearl
Recipe: Hook: 2457 TMC size 14-18 Thread: UTC Danvill 6/0 off white color Body: Flashabou / pearl Rib: UTC Wire BR (copper or gold) Head: Tungsten Bead 3/32 for 14, 5/64 for 16 and 18
Step 1.
Slide the bead on. Depending on the hook size will determine the size bead you will use. The two sizes I tie more than any other sizes are 14 and 16 with 5/64 and 3/32 beads. I really don’t waste my time with size 14 unless I am fishing high water. Usually if they're three or more units running.
Step 2.
Start the thread just behind the bead and do enough turns to secure it into place. Cut the tag end off.
Step 3.
Cut a piece of wire and tie it in behind the bead. Make about four turns securing the wire.
Step 4.
You should still be up at the front just behind the bead. Now cut two strands of flashabou. You want them fairly long. Tie the two strands in. Take the two strands of flashabou and your wire holding them all together as you wind to the bend. Make each wrap side by side. Advance your thread back up to the bead still keeping the thread side by side. It’s important that you keep a smooth thread base so when you wrap the flashabou up you can’t see any imperfections from underneath (bumps etc).
Step 5.
Now wrap your two strands of flashabou up to the bead. When you start wrapping the two strands up. You will notice as you’re winding them side by side one of the pieces will overlap the other one. That’s what you want it to do. You don’t want to see any thread wraps from underneath. This will also help the flash stand out more. If you only tied with one strand you wont get as much color (flash) showing. You can see through to the thread if you do it that way. Make a couple of thread wraps and cut the excess off.
Step 6.
Wrap the wire up. You don’t want your first wrap to be too tight or you will cause your wire to shift to the side of the hook shank. Then after the first turn you can add more tension as you make your segmentations up. I do about five keeping the segments evenly spaced. Tie down the wire and move it real fast back and forth. It will break from it getting hot. If you cut it with scissors more than likely you will have a little tag showing (and will dull your scissors over time).
Step 7
Whip finish the fly and your done.
Note: You can also tie this as a soft hackle. It works like a charm.
I wanted to show you the other colors that I tie it in. I have luck on all these patterns and I usually only tie these with a gold or copper bead. One has a purple look which I like to fish in the sunshine. The UV it gives off will bring fish over from far away to. And to me that’s the key to fishing, getting the fishes attention. There’s also some dubbing on the market called ice dub that Hareline makes. They make a color called gray, but it looks more like purple. Tie up some dubbed body scuds if you haven‘t already. You don’t need to get fancy with shell backs etc. Fish this fly in sunny conditions and you’ll hook up with some trout. I like to think all these types of flies are attractor patterns. Good luck!!!
