American Express Pattern

[edwin]

Does anyone know the recipe for this pattern? I heard that it is a good searching pattern for these here parts. I think that someone was going to tie it for the flyswap, but had to drop out. Thanks in advance. --Edwin

[Jimmy Harris]

Check out the TroutNC website. This is Wayne Clodfleter's pattern, so there may be a recipe on his site somewhere.

JH

[Steve D]

Edwin,

I copied this information from an old post in the FF@ archives. Hopefully it'll come out in a readable form. If not I'll try to copy it into an e-mail and send it directly to you. Here goes:

Here's an American Express pattern from my files as given to me by Wayne
Clodfelter.Cheers,...RobAmerican Express
Hook: Tiemco 9230 or 900BL, size 14 or 12Thread: Uni-thread, 6/0, Tan
Wing: Polypropylene yarn, Tan, posted for parachute hackle
Tail: Brown hackle fibers, tied splitBody: Spectrablend dubbing, medium Tan
Hackle: Brown rooster neck, oversized, tied parachuteTYING INSTRUCTIONS:
Place hook in vice.
Start thread about 10% behind eye and wrap tightly to approximately 40%
position (this lays a thread base for tying in the wing).
Cut poly yarn approximately to length, and divide strand with dubbing
needle in half or thirds (depending on thickness of strand) to achieve
proportional density.
Extend poly yarn over eye of hook and tie it at 30% position. Post wing by
wrapping thread horizontally around base of wing up to a distance of
approximately .1inch.
Wrap thread back to bend of hook and wrap a very small ball of dubbing
around hook to aid in splitting tail fibers.
Select 8 to 10 hackle fibers for tail and hold in position, so that tail
extends beyond bend of hook approximately the length of the hook shank.
Take two or three wraps around tail fibers in front of ball of yarn. Apply
pressure with finger on top of wraps and divide tail fibers in half with
other hand. Position near-side half of tail fibers and take two or three
tight turns of thread to secure tail in position. Repeat for far-side half
of tail.
Twist dubbing onto thread and wrap forward to eye of hook and back to front
of wing, forming a slightly full (rather than thin) tapered body.
Select a rooster neck hackle with hackle fibers roughly the same length as
the hook shank. Tie in, shiny side up, and wrap parachute style around base
of wing. Be sure to make succeeding wraps under previous wraps. Tie offhackle.
Wrap thread forward to eye of hook, forming thread head, whip finish, and
clip thread.
With scissors, clip wing to height approximately equal to, or slightly less
than body length. I make two cuts, the one in front angling upwards at
about 20 degrees, and another overlapping cut angling downward toward the
rear at the same angle. This gives the wing a slightly angular, or rounded,
silhouette.
Note: After hackle is tied in, and just before wrapping hackle, I usually
apply some head cement to the posted base of the hackle. This may be
considered poor technique, but I find that it helps to keep the parachute
hackle from climbing up the wing after catching numerous trout. Another
method is to apply a spot of cement to the posted wing just where it
protrudes from the hackle after the fly is completed.OTHER COLOR COMBINATIONS
HACKLE/TAIL BODY WINGBROWN MED. TAN YELLOW
BROWN MED. TAN SPARKLE WING- WHITE OR LEMON
BROWN ORANGE TANGINGER PALE YELLOW CREAM
GINGER MED. TAN TANCREAM PALE YELLOW CREAM
CREAM FLUOR. GREEN CREAM
Note: Change thread color to match body color

[Steve D]

Well, it ain't pretty but I think you get the picture.

Steve

[edwin]

Thanks for all your help. Can't wait to tie and use this fly. I would also like to point out that this site has once again proven to be one of the friendliest ones out there. Hopefully, I'll one day be able to get out of Alabama and come meet some of you fellas at a NGTO meeting. Thanks again. --Edwin

[Steve D]

Its a heck of a good fly - enjoy it. Best thing about it is thats more of a style than a pattern having a specific color combination. Vary the colors to make it look pretty much any way you need it to. The AmEx is Wayne C.s go-to fly most of the time and for a good reason!! (Heck, Wayne is a heck of a fisherman anyway!).