Guinea
Fly of the Month 10.24a Guinea
The guinea feather is great choice of fly tying material for wet fly patterns, especially for nymph legs, feelers, wingcases and softhackle collars. Inexpensive and readily available, guinea feathers come from domestic stock. Commercially, these feathers are sold by mail order fly shops in a variety of dyed colors as well as the natural black and white. Local craft stores also carry these feathers in a variety of colors since they are used by hobbyists as well.
Guinea feathers
The Guinea [Nymph] is a productive underwater, dropper fly pattern shared by Roger Lowe who is still tying flies, still guiding customers for Brookings’ Cashiers Village Outfitters - Fly Fishing Shops in Cashiers and living western North Carolina in the midst of our North Carolina trout waters. Roger continues to share his experience and wisdom with fly fishing anglers practical every day.
This fly pattern is featured in Roger Lowe’s Fly Pattern Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains. Roger’s caption “A Smoky Mountain fly pattern that looks like most small golden stoneflies. Very effective on small mountain streams. The guinea feather gives the fly pattern a life-like appearance.”
Similar to a Tellico, this fly pattern exploits the characteristics of the natural guinea feather.
Fly of the Month 10.24a Guinea
Guinea
Hook: Mustad 9672 or equivalent
Size: 10, 12, 14
Thread: Black
Tail: Guinea
Rib: Black floss
Wingcase: Dark brown poly yarn
Body: Light tan poly yarn
Legs: Guinea
Feelers: Guinea
Note: A Smoky Mountain fly pattern that looks like most small golden stoneflies. It is very effective on small mountain streams. The Guinea feather gives it a life-like appearance.
Reference: Roger Lowe’s Fly Pattern Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains (2005), page 32.
Reference: Southern Appalachian Flies - Fly of the Month - Volume II (2020), page 48.
Directions:
1- Debarb and mount hook in vise. Add thread with locked wraps two eye lengths from eye. Make tight touching turns to the hook bend and return to the midway point.
2- Select three or four guinea barbs and remove from the feather keeping the tips aligned. Tie in at the thread point allowing about a hook shank length of barbs. Wrap thread in tight touching turns to the hook bend. Trim the waste guinea.
3- Select a six inch length of black single floss and tie in at the bend advancing the thread to the halfway point.
4- Select a four inch length of dark brown poly yarn and tie in advancing the thread in open wraps to the bend, making sure the poly is dead center and on top of the hook shank.
5- Select a four inch length of tan poly yarn and tie in at the hook bend advancing the thread in tight wraps while maintaining the poly on top of the hook shank. Stop the poly at the end of the thorax leaving room for a head and legs.
6- Wrap the tan poly forward in tight slightly overlapping turns to past the thorax but leaving room for the legs and head. Trim waste poly.
7- Advance the dark brown poly to the thorax and tie in while keeping the poly on top of the tan poly. Secure with two wraps and let the bobbin hang. Trim waste poly.
8- Use a hackle plier to grasp the black floss and spin clockwise to tighten the floss into a very tight rope. Maintain the spin as you wrap the floss which could me stopping the advance and spinning clockwise. Advance the tight floss to make ribs, about five or six turns and secure in front of the thorax and trim waste.
9- Select three or four guinea barbs and tie in on top of the hook shank in front of the thorax with two wraps with the tips facing away and at right angle. Repeat with tips facing you. Adjust the length and position, secure and trim waste.
10- Select three or four guinea barbs and tie in on top of the hook with the natural curve up to about the length of the hook. Trim waste.
11- Form head with thread wraps and trim away the thread.
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker