Irresistible
Fly of the Month
Want a dry fly that really never sinks, yet can reasonably represents an insect? When you select a dry fly, you fully expect a dry fly to float! Well, it will at first, but then eventually, the fly becomes water-logged and sinks. So then, you must blow off the water, maybe with a number of false casts, then dip the fly in “frog’s fanny” which is a drying powder or add floatant which is a temporary covering that helps the fly float. Yes, that’s the nature of most dry flies. A dry fly made from dense foam never sinks, but it’s difficult to represent insects with foam. A dry fly with a body of spun and trimmed deer hair virtually will not sink. The densely spun, hollow deer hair provides a foam-like body that may be a little bulky, yet may be shaped perfectly
Irresistible
In doing a little research, the irresistible dry fly has its beginnings before the Southern Appalachian Deer Hair Fly, one of four or five of the most popular local fly patterns in the 1950s. The original deer hair fly was tied by the Cherokee Indians in the mid-1800s and probably soon after the first settlers came trading metal needles with the Cherokee. Once metal needles that were bent to serve as fish hooks and then later metal hooks were available to the tribe, they developed a technique of wrapping a narrow sliver of deer skin with deer hair still attached on the hook shank and secured the wrapped skin with a varnish that “glued” the “fly” together. Later, the technique of spinning deer hair without the skin was developed and the Irresistible, the Deer Hair Fly and “The Speck” or “The Spec” became the next generation, better floating local dry flies made of a deer hair body. The origin of “The Spec” which is mistaken for the Irresistible has been traced to be the Lenoir or the Bryson City area sometime in the 1950s or 1960s. The origin of the Deer Hair fly which is also mistaken for the Irresistible has been traced to be the Bryson City area also sometime in the 1950s or 1960s.
The Irresistible fly pattern which was first called the Deer Hair Drake was originated by Joe Messinger, Sr. in Morgantown, West Virginia in the 1930s. His son, Joe Messinger, Jr. personally confirms this origin, actually ties the fly pattern using his dad’s special two-shade clumping technique and is passing this related knowledge and skills to his son and grandson. The original Irresistible fly pattern is different from the Southern Appalachian Deer Hair fly is one very important way. The spun deer hair is applied using a special technique that allows the tyer to place a dark deer hair on the top side of the body and a light deer hair on the bottom side of the body. This uniquely gives the true Irresistible fly a two-tone appearance much like a real aquatic insect.
Today, the Irresistible is tied by recipe and commercially by a number of companies such as Umpqua Feather Merchants with a number of variations, making the Irresistible a series: Adams Irresistible, Female Adams Irresistible, Black Irresistible, Blue Dun Irresistible, Brown Irresistible, Irresistible Waterwisp, Light Ginger Irresistible, White Irresistible, Woodchuck Irresistible and Yellow Irresistible. We present the most common recipe for the Irresistible.
The Irresistible may be considered an attractor fly pattern as the body is typically trimmed in a cone-shape manner, oversized to an aquatic insect. Otherwise, the tail, wings and hackle are comparable to a Catskill-style fly pattern and very imitative of a mayfly or other aquatic insect. The advantage in selecting an Irresistible is the high floating characteristic that allows you to fly fishing over roughwater riffles, runs and the heads of pools – over the edge of the feeding lanes for trout.
Irresistible
Fly of the Month 4.16
Irresistible Recipe
Hook: Tiemco 100 or equivalent in size 18,16,14, 12
Thread: Uni8/0 or equivalent Black
Tail: Moose hair
Body: Deer Body Hair, natural, spun, trimmed
Note: Joe Messinger, Sr. used a special clumping method to achieve a two-tone, lighter belly.
Wing: Grizzly Rooster Hackle tips
Hackle: Brown and Grizzly Rooster hackle
Directions:
1. Begin thread wraps two eye lengths from hook eye and make touching wraps to the hook bend. Let the bobbin hang.
2. Select six or eight fine moose hairs and clean away any body fuzz. Use hair stacker and align the tips. The length should be slightly less than the hook shank. Place the moose hair on top of the hook shank and using a soft wrap, bind them in place. If everything looks good, continue with firmer wraps to tie in the tail. Do not tighten so quickly that you make the moose hair flair. Once secure, trim the excess and bring the wraps back to the hook bend and let the bobbin hang.
3. Choose a small bundle of deer hair on the hide. Something smaller than a pencil. Trim from the hide and clean the underfur as completely as possible. The better it is clean, the better it will spin. It is not necessary to stack the hair. Place the hair on top of the hook shank, at the hook bend and hold at a slight angle. Using the bobbin make two soft wraps over the center of the deer hair. Holding the hair in place with your left hand, take the bobbin and pull straight up to tighten the soft wraps. When you begin to apply this pressure the hair will spin around the hook shank and begin to flair explosively. That is good. Advance the thread to immediately in front of the deer hair and push the hair into itself, using a thumbnail. Bind in with tight wraps immediately in front of the hair. Repeat the process, three or four more times, advancing the hair to the thorax. Tie off thread with hitch knots and cut away temporarily.
4. Using scissors, begin trimming the abundant hair fibers to the appropriate abdomen profile being careful not to cut the tail. Once you have a reasonable shape and size add the thread back in front of the deer hair. You can return for final shape and size after finishing the thorax and head. Being the creative barber is the best part anyway.
5. Select two matching grizzly feathers and cut the tip section away from each. The length will be the height of the wing plus a short length of stripped stem to tie in with. With the concave part of the tips out and the tips aligned, tie in at about half the distance left from the eye to the abdomen. Tie in by binding the bare stem on top of the hook shank and wrapping thread in front of the wings. Pulling back the thread on top of the hook shank in a horizontal manner will cause the wings to stand upright. Divide the wings with a couple of x turns and let the bobbin hang in front of the wings.
6. Select a grizzly and a brown rooster hackle with barbs to suit the hook size chosen. They should be about one and one half the hook gape. Also make sure the two hackle feathers have similar stem thickness. Strip both with sufficient bare stem to make one and one half wraps before the barbs. Tie both in together with the shiny side up and the bottom aligned. The tie in point is just behind the wings. Begin wrapping one hackle at a time and make the first wraps open to allow the second hackle space. Three or so behind the wings and two or three in front. After binding in the hackles, trim the waste and whip finish the head.
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker
Want a dry fly that really never sinks, yet can reasonably represents an insect? When you select a dry fly, you fully expect a dry fly to float! Well, it will at first, but then eventually, the fly becomes water-logged and sinks. So then, you must blow off the water, maybe with a number of false casts, then dip the fly in “frog’s fanny” which is a drying powder or add floatant which is a temporary covering that helps the fly float. Yes, that’s the nature of most dry flies. A dry fly made from dense foam never sinks, but it’s difficult to represent insects with foam. A dry fly with a body of spun and trimmed deer hair virtually will not sink. The densely spun, hollow deer hair provides a foam-like body that may be a little bulky, yet may be shaped perfectly
Irresistible
In doing a little research, the irresistible dry fly has its beginnings before the Southern Appalachian Deer Hair Fly, one of four or five of the most popular local fly patterns in the 1950s. The original deer hair fly was tied by the Cherokee Indians in the mid-1800s and probably soon after the first settlers came trading metal needles with the Cherokee. Once metal needles that were bent to serve as fish hooks and then later metal hooks were available to the tribe, they developed a technique of wrapping a narrow sliver of deer skin with deer hair still attached on the hook shank and secured the wrapped skin with a varnish that “glued” the “fly” together. Later, the technique of spinning deer hair without the skin was developed and the Irresistible, the Deer Hair Fly and “The Speck” or “The Spec” became the next generation, better floating local dry flies made of a deer hair body. The origin of “The Spec” which is mistaken for the Irresistible has been traced to be the Lenoir or the Bryson City area sometime in the 1950s or 1960s. The origin of the Deer Hair fly which is also mistaken for the Irresistible has been traced to be the Bryson City area also sometime in the 1950s or 1960s.
The Irresistible fly pattern which was first called the Deer Hair Drake was originated by Joe Messinger, Sr. in Morgantown, West Virginia in the 1930s. His son, Joe Messinger, Jr. personally confirms this origin, actually ties the fly pattern using his dad’s special two-shade clumping technique and is passing this related knowledge and skills to his son and grandson. The original Irresistible fly pattern is different from the Southern Appalachian Deer Hair fly is one very important way. The spun deer hair is applied using a special technique that allows the tyer to place a dark deer hair on the top side of the body and a light deer hair on the bottom side of the body. This uniquely gives the true Irresistible fly a two-tone appearance much like a real aquatic insect.
Today, the Irresistible is tied by recipe and commercially by a number of companies such as Umpqua Feather Merchants with a number of variations, making the Irresistible a series: Adams Irresistible, Female Adams Irresistible, Black Irresistible, Blue Dun Irresistible, Brown Irresistible, Irresistible Waterwisp, Light Ginger Irresistible, White Irresistible, Woodchuck Irresistible and Yellow Irresistible. We present the most common recipe for the Irresistible.
The Irresistible may be considered an attractor fly pattern as the body is typically trimmed in a cone-shape manner, oversized to an aquatic insect. Otherwise, the tail, wings and hackle are comparable to a Catskill-style fly pattern and very imitative of a mayfly or other aquatic insect. The advantage in selecting an Irresistible is the high floating characteristic that allows you to fly fishing over roughwater riffles, runs and the heads of pools – over the edge of the feeding lanes for trout.
Irresistible
Fly of the Month 4.16
Irresistible Recipe
Hook: Tiemco 100 or equivalent in size 18,16,14, 12
Thread: Uni8/0 or equivalent Black
Tail: Moose hair
Body: Deer Body Hair, natural, spun, trimmed
Note: Joe Messinger, Sr. used a special clumping method to achieve a two-tone, lighter belly.
Wing: Grizzly Rooster Hackle tips
Hackle: Brown and Grizzly Rooster hackle
Directions:
1. Begin thread wraps two eye lengths from hook eye and make touching wraps to the hook bend. Let the bobbin hang.
2. Select six or eight fine moose hairs and clean away any body fuzz. Use hair stacker and align the tips. The length should be slightly less than the hook shank. Place the moose hair on top of the hook shank and using a soft wrap, bind them in place. If everything looks good, continue with firmer wraps to tie in the tail. Do not tighten so quickly that you make the moose hair flair. Once secure, trim the excess and bring the wraps back to the hook bend and let the bobbin hang.
3. Choose a small bundle of deer hair on the hide. Something smaller than a pencil. Trim from the hide and clean the underfur as completely as possible. The better it is clean, the better it will spin. It is not necessary to stack the hair. Place the hair on top of the hook shank, at the hook bend and hold at a slight angle. Using the bobbin make two soft wraps over the center of the deer hair. Holding the hair in place with your left hand, take the bobbin and pull straight up to tighten the soft wraps. When you begin to apply this pressure the hair will spin around the hook shank and begin to flair explosively. That is good. Advance the thread to immediately in front of the deer hair and push the hair into itself, using a thumbnail. Bind in with tight wraps immediately in front of the hair. Repeat the process, three or four more times, advancing the hair to the thorax. Tie off thread with hitch knots and cut away temporarily.
4. Using scissors, begin trimming the abundant hair fibers to the appropriate abdomen profile being careful not to cut the tail. Once you have a reasonable shape and size add the thread back in front of the deer hair. You can return for final shape and size after finishing the thorax and head. Being the creative barber is the best part anyway.
5. Select two matching grizzly feathers and cut the tip section away from each. The length will be the height of the wing plus a short length of stripped stem to tie in with. With the concave part of the tips out and the tips aligned, tie in at about half the distance left from the eye to the abdomen. Tie in by binding the bare stem on top of the hook shank and wrapping thread in front of the wings. Pulling back the thread on top of the hook shank in a horizontal manner will cause the wings to stand upright. Divide the wings with a couple of x turns and let the bobbin hang in front of the wings.
6. Select a grizzly and a brown rooster hackle with barbs to suit the hook size chosen. They should be about one and one half the hook gape. Also make sure the two hackle feathers have similar stem thickness. Strip both with sufficient bare stem to make one and one half wraps before the barbs. Tie both in together with the shiny side up and the bottom aligned. The tie in point is just behind the wings. Begin wrapping one hackle at a time and make the first wraps open to allow the second hackle space. Three or so behind the wings and two or three in front. After binding in the hackles, trim the waste and whip finish the head.
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker