Tail: Mallard, two fibres
Body: Light brown mohair, mixed with hare’s ear
Hackle: Partridge neck, or grey cock
Wing: Hen pheasant’s wing, or grey drake

The Grey Housewife from The Art of Angling by William Blacker. The one above is tied in hand on a vintage blind-eye hook, while the three below all are tied for fishing on Ahrex FW580 #10.

Of all the standard flies from Blacker this my favorites in terms of composition, color and all-round use. If I were to choose just one pattern to bring with me from this set it would be this one.

Tip: Gold
Tail: Two fibres of yellow mallard
Body: Yellow silk
Front-hackle: Yellow hackle at the shoulder
Wing: Thrush’s wing, or yellow

The Little Caste Fly from The Art of Angling by William Blacker. The one above is tied in hand on a vintage blind-eye hook, while the three below all are tied for fishing on Ahrex FW580 #10.

For this pattern I chose some bright yellow swan for the wing. There is one “off” with a dark tail, but that was just a tying-zone mishap: the natural dark mallard was next to my yellow mallard!

Tip: Gold
Body: Black mohair or silk
Hackle: Two black hackles

The Black Palmer from The Art of Angling by William Blacker. The one above is tied in hand on a vintage blind-eye hook, while the three below all are tied for fishing on Ahrex FW580 #10.

Another of the palmered patterns from Blacker that can be fished both dried and sub-surface. Simple, but giving a good amount of movmenent and profile in the water

Body: Yellow silk
Rib: Tinsel
Hackle: Two red hackles

Golden Palmer from The Art of Angling by William Blacker. The one above is tied in hand on a vintage blind-eye hook, while the three below all are tied for fishing on Ahrex FW580 #10.