Anna K. Soft Hackle

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History of the Pattern

Ron McQuay, the originator of the Anna "K", is a fly tier, guide, and a fixture in the fly fishing world on the White River and Norfork River near Mountain Home, Arkansas. Ron is one of those guy's that knows fly fishing; when Ron speaks, people listen. Ron developed the Anna "K" to use as an emerger pattern to imitate the caddis hatch in the area. However, the fly can be used as a bluegill or panfish fly. The Anna "K" is named after his granddaughter, but it's anything but a child's fly.

Materials

  • Hook: emerger or dry fly hook; (e.g., TMC 102Y, Lightning Strike DF1 ) or equivalent; sizes 14-16

  • Thread: Black (example: Uni 8/0, UTC 70D, Veevus 14/0)

  • Body: Kreinik Metallic thread, or Wapsi mini Sparkle Braid

  • Soft Hackle: Hungarian Partridge or Brahma Hen Saddle

  • Wing: Pearl Midge Flash

  • Collar: Black Superfine dubbing

Tying Instructions

  1. Start thread and lay a base the length of the shank

  2. At about 1/3 of the shank length behind the eye, tie on a piece of the Kreinik body material and secure it with thread wraps to a point on the shank above the barb

  3. Bring the thread to the front of the hook. Wrap the Kreinik body material forward to a point about 1/3 of the shank length behind the eye and tie off. Clip the excess body material.

  4. Using the black superfine dubbing, create a small ball of dubbing in front of the body material. This ball of dubbing will help flare the hackle.

  5. Tie on a few strands of Pearl Midge Flash directly in front of the dubbing ball for wings. Clip the strands the length of the shank.

  6. Prepare and tie on the soft hackle. Make one or two wraps of soft hackle and tie off. Make a couple of wraps of thread over the hackle back towards the ball of dubbing to further flair the soft hackle.

  7. Form a nice head, whip finish and cement.