We are ecstatic to feature a handful of patterns from Gordon van der Spuy’s latest book. The Feather Mechanic II: Beyond the Pattern is a coffee table book, a keepsake and a manual all wrapped into one. And Gordon is an artist to the core whether using a pen, canvas or vise. As Conrad Botes writes in his testimony on the back cover, “Gordon’s drawings were created to serve a purpose, namely to explain the mechanics and nuances involved in the act of tying a fly. It is the kind of drawing you keep looking at, even after it has done its job of explaining to you how to tie a fly.” We highly recommend you visit flylifecanada.ca to snap up a copy today!
In the meantime, check out these featured patterns from The Feather Mechanic…
The Western Coachman
Hook: Mustad 7957 BX, #6-14, Daiichi 1550 or 1560 (wet)
Thread: Black Nymo 310 (original), black Fly master 610 (modern)
Tail: Golden Pheasant tippet barbs
Rib: Gold wire counter-wrapped
Body: Peacock herl
Hackle: C-grade India cock’s hackle, Coachman brown (original), Whiting Farms hen cape, Coachman brown or furnace (modern)
Wing: White hair from the flank of a whitetail deer
The Leadhead Bug
Hook: Daiichi 1560 #6, Daiichi 2110 #10 or Daiichi 1710 #6 and #8
Thread: Semperfli Classic waxed thread brown/tan 810
Head: 4 mm Off bead from Bidoz
Tag: Fluorescent green Flexi-Body
Tail/legs: Speckled feather from a Coq de Leon hen saddle
Underbody: Wool
Body: Squirrel/hare mixture dubbed and well picked out
Easy Peasy Ant
Hook: Gamakatsu C12 #16
Thread: Red Griffiths Sheer 1410
Body: Black larva lace dry fly foam
Post: Polypropylene
Hackle: Any decent genetic cock hackle
Thorax: Peacock dubbing
Halo: Black CDC barbs in a split thread wound under the hackle
The HDA Fav
Hook: Dohiku 301 #14 – #18. Hanak H230 is good for big fish
Bead: size and colour dependent on application
Tail Coq de Leon barbs
Rib: Copper wire
Body: Squirrel dubbing or hares ear dubbing
Hackle: CDC and partridge barbs separately applied, split thread, twisted up and wrapped
Hackle Wing Dun
Hook: Daiichi 1190 #12
Thread: Waxed olive Danville Flymaster 610, 70 denier
Tail: Three blue dun spade hackle barbs
Body: Olive-dyed muskrat dubbing
Rib: 810 Uni-thread, light Cahill colour
Hackle: Olive grizzly
Dubbing ball: Olive-brown Andra dubbibg
Wing: Natural dun neck hackle
Head cement: Flexible penetrating cement
The No-Hackle Dun
Hook: TMC 100 #14-#18
Dubbing ball: Superfine dry fly dubbing
Tails: Coq de Leon barbs
Wing: Mallard primary or secondary feather wing slips
Body and Thorax: Superfine dry fly dubbing
The Coq de Leon Matuka
Hook: Daiichi 2051 #1.5
Thread: Uni 810 white and black
Tag: Silver medium Oval Tinsel
Body: Partridge SLF dubbing, natural, yellow and fiery orange
Rib: Medium Gold wire
Wing: 4 Coq de Leon Saddle hackles (Colgaderas)
Collar: Two Coq de Leon Kidney feathers (Riñon). Dyed Hot oroange
Head: Black thread
Gordon van der Spuy Bio: Gordon van der Spuy is an actor, writer, podcast host, fly fisherman and fly tyer from South Africa. His first book “The Feather Mechanic- a Fly-tying philosophy” sold out to critical acclaim and his second book ” The Feather Mechanic 2- beyond the pattern ” was released in August 2023 and is set to be an instant classic. Gordon runs South Africa’s largest fly-fishing expo and has been teaching tying for years. His approach to tying embodies the idea that form needs to follow function. ‘Figure out what you need the fly to do and then tie it to do that”, he always says. He dabbles in Victorian Classic salmon flies from time to time. Fly tying is both his addiction and therapy.
