Lesson 6: THE MONTANA

Montana is a fly, which presents stonefly nymphs. Originally it is developed in Montana, USA, like You perhaps guessed. There Stoneflies and their nymphs are important food for trouts. In the pictures I have used dark olive chenille, even the original dressing is made with black chenille. Black, brownish and greenish colors fit nice to tie different variations of Montana.

Base the shank with thread. Take a bunch of black cockfeather herls. Fasten the bunch to form the tail. The right length is half of the shank.

Fasten the chenille from the coreththread. Tie a nice abdomen with side-by-side turns of the chenille. The backbody should be 2/3 of the shank, in the front is the room of 1/3 of the shank needed for frontbody ( thorax).

Form a loop of chenille on backbody. This loop is needed to tie the backshield.

Fasten the hackle just in front of the backbody

Dress the frontbody with yellow chenille.

Dress the hackle on its place with some sparse turns.

Fasten the loop of chenille to form the backshield.

Cut the hackle so, that the herls point only sidewards (=the legs). Varnish the head.