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How To Tie Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Recipe: Hook: Tiemco 3769, size 14-20 Thread: UTC 70, red Body: Ostrich herl Shellback: Mirage sheets
Step 1.
Tie in the thread just past the eye of the hook. Cut the tag end off.
Step 2.
Next you will tie in the mirage sheeting for the back. It has to be this mirage sheet or you won’t get the brightness this particular material has. And the pattern calls for the specific material. Tie it in at the front and only make enough wraps to secure it.
Step 3.
Next take one strip of ostrich herl and tie it at the front as well.
Step 4.
Now grab the two together with one hand and wind back to the bend. Keep the wraps side by side as you wind back. Advance the thread back up to the eye (where you started the thread) leave enough room to make a thread head as well. If you get in the habit of doing this you will not have anymore crowding the eye with material or excess bulk of the thread wraps.
Step 5.
Wrap the ostrich herl all the way up and keep the wraps side by side. The key is not to show any thread from the underbody as you wrap over it with the herl.
Step 6.
Tie it off and how I do this is when tying it down with a few turns of thread securing to not unravel then fold it back and tie in front of it as well before you cut it. This will keep the herl strands from crowding the eye or facing forward after you tie the fly off.
Step 7.
Fold the mirage sheeting over and tie it off. Cut the excess off. No need to cut the herl before folding this over. By folding it over it will shift the hair to each side.
Step 8.
Fold the mirage sheeting over and tie it off. Cut the excess off. No need to cut the herl before folding this over. By folding it over it will shift the hair to each side.
Step 9.
Make a nice thread head and whip finish the fly off. Glue the head with gloss coat.
