Wally What?!

As some of you know, and along with Mark Roberts, Alun Rees, and Chris Price, I assist in running the Gwent Angling Society’s winter fly tying classes. Although each class focuses around a number of patterns, the classes (more importantly) are put together in a way so that they emphasise the importance of ‘substance over style’. Like any skill (whether this be fly dressing or fly casting), good form and substance is the cornerstone of steady progression.

One of the last winter classes focussed on dry fly winging techniques, most of which I’ve not used myself in quite a while so, last night I took a quick five minute break from my current line of fly orders to play around with one particular technique which I like to use a lot small emergers, duns, and micro patterns such as Caenis.

The Wallywing winging technique is one of the more beautiful methods for forming a lightweight wing, and we have Canadian fly tier, Wally Lutz, to thank for this rather wonderful winging technique.

Micro Midge Emerger

• Hook: Varivas 2200BL-B, #24
• Thread: Uni Trico, 17/0
• Wings: Yellow mallard
• Abdomen: Thread, coloured with pantone pen to match
• Shuck: CDC fibres, khaki
• Thorax: Superfine dubbing, golden olive