H&L Variant Fly Tying Instructions by Charlie Craven

[@mikehulsey4813]

There is something about old school hairwing flies that just excites the hell out of me. Charlie is by far one of the best tiers I’ve ever seen demonstrate this on KZbin and I’m always blown away by just how much calf body hair and hackle he is able to cram in those size 16 hooks!

[@RollinRollinReelin]

Thanks Charlie great tie!

[@JohnShelton-mh9ns]

Love the old school patterns! Excellent job CC. Let us viewers know if we ever need to pool together and send you some flies to go fishing with… cause the ones you tie belong on the wall in a shadow box!!!

[@shanehertzog5812]

Charlie you are an excellent fly tyer. I started fly tieing about 30 years ago. Australia.

[@RollinRollinReelin]

Wow sir! Beautiful!!

[@paulbridgers3820]

Another amazing fly from the master, always a great day when he puts up a new video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skill with us.

[@ruebdogg1]

Charlie is my fly tying materials dealer...I'm hooked man!

[@craiggranquist1848]

Very nice tie Charlie, you make that look easy😁

[@kirkdonnelly7982]

Such a sweet pattern well done as always Uncle Charile !!!

[@tinoyb9294]

I've never tied this fly even though I've known about it for 45 years, probably because I, too, hated dealing with calf tail. Thanks for the calf body tip! Now, maybe I will take another crack at the Wullf flies.

[@jn7457]

Great tie! It’s fun to watch a master at work!

[@snakeoiler2921]

Awesome, thanks for the add of a great classic

[@jerrymohrlang7134]

Great tie, Charlie. Nobody ties better than you. I often use a Vevus black holo tinsel for the body which gives it a subtle wet look.

[@jefferyswails6899]

I'll be tying some of these up, cool little fly, awesome tutorial!

[@sonja9001]

Ten point landing for this twisted up masterpiece. God it looks like it has white frosting on it. Thanks CC. Hey what about a C&C Variant some time soon.

[@Hunter711pa]

Cool pattern Charlie I wasn’t familiar with that one thanks for the video

[@GeorgeSemel]

I love the old Hair Wing flies; yeah, they take a bit more time and fuss to tie, but that is where good material makes it easier from the start. Back in the day, gee's I am old now, I loved bouncing this one on the streams of the Adirondacks in NY State and the Upper Reaches of VT, NH, and Western Maine. Browns and Brook trout like j chewing on it. Funny thing I was not fishing for Small mouth bass yet I hooked my biggest one on this very fly in a sized 10, that I didn't tie, on my old 8' 5 wt Fenwick Glass fly Rod. Fran Betters sold me some flies. I loved that shop. It was a fun summer back in '72. Going to have to tie some.

[@dominiqueleblanc2193]

Great pattern. Can't wait for the snow to melt.

[@phillmartin6196]

What is snow ?

[@julesborges7396]

I actually saw Ike in Newport, RI when I was a kid (yes, I'm old.........). Remember reading that this was his favorite fly.

[@paulgray2750]

The trick i saw somewhere(don't recall where) was to use a hair-straightening iron on the clump of calf-tail before stacking it. Never tried it but it looked like it worked in the video.

[@alc609]

Calf hair stacking is difficult, best thing to do is clean, clean, clean then tilt your stacker on a 45 and tap, and like you said use a larger stacker

[@nmflyfisher]

I like to tie mine with grizzly hackle

[@Flyfeesh]

@CharliesFlyBox Maybe a worthless comment, maybe not; I know when Andy Carlson was production-tying Purple Hazes, he would stack his calf hair in the corner(s) of a postcard box, the type of box a tourist trap pack of 12-24 postcards used to come in, maybe still do. As you'd say, "Hope this helps!"

[@tinoyb9294]

The old method for stripping a quill was to rub it off with a pencil eraser, but you didn't seem to have much of a problem.