Carey Special

[John Pierce]

FLY: Carey Special

Notes by Dave Robinson

POPULAR: Wet Fly for BC Stillwater.

MATERIALS

• HOOK: #6 to #12 - 3x long
• THREAD: 6/0 or 8/0 Black
• TAIL: Pheasant Rump Fibres
• RIB: Copper Wire - fine
• BODY: Tan Dubbing or fine Chenille
• HACKLE: Pheasant Rump

TYING

• Tie on thread.
• Tie in tail, cut off excess.
• Wire down back side of body, leave excess out back.
• Tie in dubbing or chenille at back, wrap forward for body, tie off.
• Wrap wire forward but reverse to body to lock down, tie off.
• Tie hackle on, cut tip off.
• Wrap Peacock Hurl behind hackle (to act as expander for hackle, and tie off.
• Wet hackle and stroke backwards, then wrap around, tie off.
• Wrap thread before eye to form head and to hold hackle back, tie off.
• Apply head cement.

COMMENTS

• This fly can be tied in many variations. The body can be peacock herl or wool or chenille in a variety of colours, mostly brown, tan, green or olive but sometimes red or orange. I've even tied some using twisted black bear hair.
• The key technique to master is the use of a folded hackle. Pheasant rump is one of the easier ones to do it with.
• The pattern is fished like a nymph or basic wet fly. It can imitate a march brown or small leech.
• It was developed about 1925 by a Dr. Lloyd A. Day of Quesnel, British Columbia. Its original name was The Monkey Faced Louise. However, a Colonel Thomas Carey popularized the pattern and the fly was eventually renamed in his honour.