Week Eight -- CowDung

This week's fly is one that when I first saw it I thought maybe it was joke. It is not. It is an old fly that is meant to immitate the flies that live on, in, and around the substance for which they are named. The general idea was that if there were cattle close by the fishing area, these would be present and available for food. I think they serve admirably as a standard fly immitation. I also really enjoy the winged wets that others tie and some day hope to be as good as they are. This is my first 'public' attempt. It is not beautiful, but I am hoping it will bring in some fish once the ice is gone.

Let me know what you think.

(Click Images for a larger version.)

The first step is to gather the materials required for the CowDung fly, which are pictured above and as follows:

• Hook: Wet Fly Hook.


• Thread: Brown or to Match Body


• Body: Olive Floss


• Beard: Dark or Mottled Hackle Fibers


• Wing: Matched Pair of Duck Flight Feather Slips

After gathering your materials you will need to mount the hook to be used in the vise and get the tying thread started on the hook.

First, tie in the floss on the shank above the barb of the hook. Then wrap the thread toward the head making a tapered underbody with the thread. I do this because it is easier to make it smooth using thread than using extra layers of floss. (Yes, this one is not real smooth. I was having troube seeing it with the camera between me and it.)

Next wrap the floss forward making a nicely tapered body. If the underbody is smooth and you don't let the floss get away from you, this should be a nice smooth body.

Tie off and trim the floss.

Next, using some dark or mottled hackle fibers, tie in a beard to represent the fly's legs.

Select two duck flight feathers from opposite wings so they are mirror images of each other, roughly.

Trim a small slip of fibers from each one that is about as wide as the gape of the hook.

Tie these in on either side of the fly above the body. Here is another place that I need more practice. While mine are functional, they do not look as nice as some other wet flys I have seen.

Form a nice head, knot it, and apply cement.

Top View

Bottom View

Completed Fly.

Happy fishing!

Lime Trude