Makflies Organza Cormorant

Makflies Organza Cormorant

Fedeles Variant

The Organza Cormorant, originally created by Mak of Makflies, is great pattern for still water. It can be made in many different colours. Here Paul Fedeles ties his variant. Full instructional video can be found below.

Materials

  • Hook – Size 10
  • Thread – Black
  • Body – Organza ribbon – pink, gold, and yellow.
  • Wings – Black Marabou or a green Hamill’s killer feather.

Preparing the Organza Ribbon Hackle

Three colours are enough to make four flies in each colour.

  1. Take out the staple.
  2. Cut each ribbon in half – around 6mm each.
  3. Cut 2mm off one side of the ribbon. Do all the ribbons.
  4. Get a white sheet of paper, fold it in half and place it on the table. Put one of the ribbons on the paper.
  5. The cut side facing right if you are a righty and opposite for the southpaws.
  6. Hold the ribbon tight on the paper with two fingers.
  7. Using your bobbin pick a long string from edge in the middle and slide it off.
  8. Slide it away on the paper.
  9. Repeat until all the long threads are removed.

Paul’s Notes

He/she who gets greedy and takes many threads will not be happy.

The first might take five minutes but then a lot less after you get the hang of it.

  • Could be called therapeutic.
  • Teaches patience.
  • Prevents dementia.
  • Improves hand eye coordination.
  • A handy good excuse to take a drink after each piece of ribbon.

    Remember – drink in moderation!
Preparing the organza ribbon hackle

Tying Instructions – Phase 1

  1. Cover the hook with thread leaving a space for the head.
  2. Trim the front of the ribbon (see right).
  3. Tie on the organza on top of the hook – don’t go past point of the hook.
  4. Wrap the organza in touching wraps ending just behind the eye.
  5. Pull the fibres back for each wrap.
  6. Tie it off and half hitch. Cut off the thread.
  7. Complete this step on all the flies.
Trimming the front of the ribbon
Tying on the trimmed end of the ribbon.
Phase 1 of tying the organza cormorant complete.

Tying Instructions – Phase 2

  1. Re-attach the thread and tie in the small feather (or the Marabou) on the side of the hook.
    Thread torque should roll the feather on top of the hook.
  2. Pull the feather forward until it is just past the end of the hook.
  3. Tie it off and make a small head.
  4. Place a drop of head cement on the head (this is why they call it head cement).
  5. Use your hair-dryer (every fly tyer has one) to train the feather to fold back over the body of the fly.
YouTube player
Julian Tapping

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