The Jersey Herd was created by Tom Ivens for reservoir fishing in the early 1970s . It derived it’s name because the early pattern’s body was made from the gold colour foil on the milk bottles known as gold tops. At that time the Jersey cows were the ones milked to give the best full cream milk, hence the name Jersey Herd.

It is still a useful pattern to have in your box. Materials have changed over the years and the body is now usually made of copper lurex ribbed with copper wire, or goldfingering. I have used a material called new body czech which I prefer. This fly like so many others from that era still catches a lot of fish and is well worth giving a try.
 

The Dressing

• Hook - L/S 6, 8 or 10
• Thread - Black
• Tail Back & Head - Peacock Herl
• Body - Either Copper Lurex ribbed with copper wire, Goldfingering or New Body Czech.

Dave C and The Team

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg1L38TH5Wc

The Dressing

• Hook -- Kamasan 175 or similar , sizes 8 / 10.
• Tail -- White marabou with a few strands of pearlescent micro flash.
• Body -- Rainbow flashabou or similar.
• Rib -- Fine gold oval.
• Hackle -- Long yellow cock palmered.
• Head -- Gold bead to suit hook size.

Dave C. and the Team

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzFN7APj62s

I would suggest a long shank 8 hook for both the nymph and the adult fly. The pattern I have tied is from a book by an American author , Edson Leonard , dated in the 1950s. A large pheasant tail nymph with a leaded underbody would be adequate for the nymphal stage.

The Dressing

• Hook -- Long Shank 8 ( light wire )
• Tail -- Bronze Mallard ( a generous bunch ) optional
• Rib -- Fine  Mono
• Body -- A mix of brown and grey Seals Fur. Dub 3/4 of the hook length. After tying in build up a base for the wing. The wing has to lie flat along the top of the body. If the wing ‘ cocks up ‘ carefully unwind and apply more even turns to the base and try again.
• Hackle - 2 Cree Cock Hackles ( brown as an alternative ). Wind the 2nd hackle through the 1st. Make a nice neat head and tie off ( as an option you can trim the underbody hackle fibres ).
• Wing -- Brown Turkey quill , doubled and tied flat .
• Antennae -- ( optional ) bronze mallard fibres.

This is an easy pattern to tie and it just might be useful to have a couple tied in case you are there on the right day.

Happy Fishing

Dave Cammiss and the Team

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Za7kJZVrfVY

Hen capes are smaller and softer with denser fibres , and are usually used for wet flies , nymphs and lures. The hackle fibres are more mobile in the water. They can be wrapped around the hook in the conventional way or bearded , sometimes referred to as a false hackle.

Cock capes are larger and the hackles much stiffer and shiny.  Occasionally you will come across a cock cape which is softer and duller , usually a lower grade cape , these are known as henny capes.  These are very useful for lures or palmered patterns which need to be longer and give some kick to the lure.  Cock capes are used mainly for dry flies , the stiffer fibres make the fly float better and are wound round the hook more times.  Matching fibres can be used for the tail of the fly.

The standard capes are usually available in a wide range of natural and dyed colours.  They are graded , number one being the best , and most expensive. These are not necessary until you become proficient , ( and have a big fat wallet ).  Lower grades catch just as many fish.  Most of these capes are now imported from India and China.

There are ranges of capes which are  from poultry specially bred in the United Kingdom, just for their feathers.  The range of Metz capes is probably the best known.  These have nice long hackles and are great to work with but are expensive.  They are used mainly for dry flies. You should get more than one fly per hackle.

Hackles for north country spider patterns are usually from wild birds , many of which are now more difficult to obtain. Partridge hackles , brown and grey , are probably the best known and dye well. Others to look out for are woodcock , snipe , moorhen , cock and hen pheasants. If you know any shooting people ask for their help as many of them fish as well. If they do a lot of wildfowling , ( shooting ducks and geese ) they could help to get you CDC , teal flank and bronze mallard flank ………. all very useful. This range in itself would be an interesting lesson to put together.

Once you start collecting fly tying materials no walk along the river , or lakeside will ever be the same again. You will find yourself gathering feathers and anything else which ‘ just might be useful’ . On a recent trip my colleague could not believe I was collecting sheep’s wool off the barbed wire. Now that it has been washed in detergent in boiling water it will be dyed.

• Scissors – You will need a pair of fine pointed very sharp scissors. Embroidery scissors are good. A good pair should last you for years as long as you don’t go cutting wire with them.

• Bobbin Holder – The early models had no ceramic inserts in the tube and eventually started fraying the threads. It is worth the extra cost to buy ceramic models.

• Hackle Pliers – Basic models are not expensive and will do the job adequately. I still have my original one that my mentor made for me from thick wire, and it still works.

• Dubbing Needle – I still use hat pins. They are handy for cleaning out varnish from the hook eye and applying varnish to the head of the finished fly. You can buy the proper tool cheaply.

• Threader – An indispensable tool for feeding your thread onto the bobbin holder.

• Whip Finish Tool – If you can use one of these then use it. If you cannot , tie off with the traditional double half hitch ( like me ).

• Varnish – You only need clear to start with. Apply with dubbing needle. Very good advice is to remember to put the lid straight back on the bottle when finished.

• Beeswax – Indispensable for dubbing.

• Pliers – A pair of small fine nosed pliers for de-barbing hooks

• Dubbing Brush – Used for raising dubbed hair. Make one easily yourself using an old lollipop stick and glueing velcro to both sides at one end.

They still are popular with many of the traditional flies and are increasingly used on modern lures to impart movement on a fast retrieve, ie. Woolley buggers, Damsel nymphs  and Yellow dancers.

There are two ways of tying in and securing the hackles on palmered flies. Both are equally effective and it comes down to personal choice.

• Method 1 -- The Ribbing material is tied in at the tail end. The hackle is tied in by the but end at the head of the fly and wound down to the tail in open turns. The ribbing material is then wound from the tail to the head in open anticlockwise turns, securing the hackle, and tied off at the head. I personally feel that this is the more secure way.

• Method 2 -- The hackle is tied in by the tip at the tail of the fly. The hackle is then wound in open turns to the head and tied off.  The only benefit of this method is it saves weight on a dry fly.  

Dave C. and the Team

www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM8jK9lQE24

The deer hair patterns are more complicated to tie and create a mess when you trim them up and I feel are less effective.

The Dressing

• Hook                Lt. wt. L/S 8,10,12,14. (kamasan 830.)
• Thread              Brown.
• Hackle              Blue Dun/ Red Game. Trim off the all the hackle fibres projecting downwards.
• Body                Cream dubbing ( possum under fur) tied meaty.
• Thorax            Cream Antron(optional).
• Wing                 Cream antron ( I use Partons dapping floss.) 
• Flotant             Mucilin or similar

Dave C. and the Team

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQpEjMTo1SE

I learnt my fly tying over sixty years ago when the whip finish or double half hitch was rarely used. In the early days when eyed hooks became popular many of the commercial flies were finished off with a single half hitch with well waxed thread…..no varnish! This practice was resurrected when it was decided to train young women in Africa and Asia to tie the flies. At that time I was tying for several local tackle shops and was told that I had to abandon my practice of finishing every fly with two double half hitches and varnishing the heads. This was by one of the men who had gone abroad to set up these factories and instruct the local tyers. Not only did I have to tie an inferior fly my price was halved, but not the cost of the materials or hooks. Needless to say I gave up tying for the retail market. But I digress.

The double half hitch is relatively easy if you follow the instruction clip. If you have trouble pulling the thread through the first loop, with your finger, try using a bodkin or the end of a short knitting needle, even a pencil. Always tighten the thread slowly and direct it to where you want it to lie .Cut the thread do not break it off.

Remember practice makes perfect. Just keep tying the knot on a bare hook until it is second nature to you. 

Happy Fishing

Dave Cammiss and the Team

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qziAKQ3ZIgI

At that time I was tying flies for three of the local tackle shops and I was inundated with orders for the original baby doll and the several variants it had ‘spawned’.  Fortunately Jean, my lovely wife, took it upon herself to deal with all the ‘baby doll orders’ and left me free to carry on tying proper flies.

It was only after a good day at Eyebrook reservoir that I appreciated how good a fly it was. Despite its success over the years it has fallen out of favour and given way to more exotic creations when more man made materials became available to fly tyers.

I would suggest that before you tie this fly you make sure your hands are clean. The baby wool is fluoescent and loses its appeal if it is grubby. I would also suggest that you scrap the fly after a days fishing, after all it is cheap as chips to make.

If you want to give your ‘doll’ a ghostly look gently stroke the wool body with an emery board to raise the fibres, but make sure that the head is well varnished and dry first.

Materials

• Hook -- Long shank or Streamer hook ’8′ and ’10′.
• Thread -- Black or Red.
• Body/Tail -- White ‘Baby Wool’.
• Rib -- Silver wire (strong).

  
Good Luck and Happy Fishing.
Dave Cammiss and the Team

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHQytZ6RDKk

The body is best tied with seals fur in claret, red, orange, olive or ginger. Do not be afraid to try different colours. The rib is pearl tinsel tied in fine or medium widths.

Once the fly has been finished and the varnish on the head is dry gently stroke the seals fur with Velcro stick or pick out fibres with a dubbing needle.

The fly can be fished on a floating line, individually or in a team of three when the trout are feeding on flies emerging from the surface. I have found that a static fly is often better during the day but a slow retrieve gets more reaction as the night closes in.

• Hook  -  Light weight. long shank sizes 10, 12, and 14.
• Tying Thread  -  Brown or claret.
• Body  -  Seals fur. Red, claret, olive, and ginger.
• Rib  -  Pearl/ Holographic tinsel, medium or fine.
• Tail / Wing  -  White Antron, CDC., Foam or Dapping Floss.

Happy Fishing
Dave Cammiss and the Team 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqmDzGBIz1c