Tying the Jersey Herd Fry Pattern with Davie McPhail

Materials Used;
Hook, Size 6 Streamer Lure
Thread, Uni-8/0 Fire Orange and finish with Dark Brown
Back, Peacock Herl
Rib, Copper Wire
Body, Large Copper Tinsel or Flash
Hackle Hot Orange Cock or Hen
Head Peacock Herl

[@hni7458]

Great memories, thank you kindly. The only Jersey Herd I've ever seen is the one I tied in the mid-70s and that's now lying in a box pityfully staring at me. I thought: -How did I tie that one; slippery silky floss, innit? Had to check. And behold, of course Davie has the answer - Perfection as always. This streamer was said to be popular for rainbows in the P&T lakes of Sweden.

[@jeanadams2292]

Jersey milk has a minimum milk fat content of 4% compared to 3.5% for ordinary milk. Times when you could see the cream line on the milk bottle. Nice pattern that takes me back to when I started fly fishing 1976 Pitsford Reservoir

[@oldsmugglerflyfishing]

Classic fly! Very nice tied.

[@christhomas856]

Named in honour of the colour of the metallic milk bottle cap which was the original copper/ gold body !material

[@neilkloppenborg8399]

I’ll admit I was getting nervous as you were doing your last pass of the floss under layer, as I’ve gotten that close only to come up short and have to do it all over! I shouldn’t doubt the Davie.

[@davidquinn7144]

O my god . When I was young this pattern was a must for brownies. Start of season was a must great old pattern I am sure todays fishers could get a surprise with this old fly . Probably tie a few again thanks for minding me of this one .

[@davidbenjamin5356]

My late father loved this fly which meant I had to tie a lot of them. I found it dificult to tie well as a 10 year old in contrast to Ivens' other legendary flys like B and P spider and green and brown nymphs etc which were easy tyes. He caught plenty of rainbows and browns on the Jersey Herd. My best catch on it was a 2.5lb perch that slammed it at Llandegfedd reservoir, the only take I had that evening.

[@davidwaterston5515]

You Sir are a Complete Maestro.

[@metubewot]

A great wee fly Davie. Great tying as always.

[@jameswilson6717]

Wow now this looks like a fish catcher over the winter the trout feed hard on stickle backs where I’m at.All the very best 👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿👍🏻🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@grahamhunt6467]

I've used this for searun cutthroat for years in Puget Sound. Great baitfish pattern. Love the use of the waste end to strengthen the peacock at the head. Thank you as always Davie.

[@allanhughes945]

Excellent davie 👌

[@simonartley1645]

Ah the Tom Ivens classic....it worked at Cameron and Loch Leven instead of a Dunkeld or Hardys Gold in the mid1970,s ....er but the older anglers didnt aproove !!

[@davidbenjamin5356]

This fly takes me back to the mid 1970s. My late father loved this fly and Iven's Black and Peacock spider which was never off our leaders. Circa 1990 I caught a beautiful 2.5lb perch at Llandegfedd on a Jersey Herd.

[@alexbreckenridge2432]

Wow, this one’s a golden oldie Davie. I first saw this one 30 odd years ago in a Tom Ivens article, this and his B&P spider. Timeless!

[@bobbell5265]

A firm favourite of mine in the 80's.....been sitting in my fly box for years....giving it a swim tomorrow 👌

[@moonstarer55]

Thank you so much for showing us this fly. Mine looks nothing like that and looks like it has caught loads of fish. It hasn't even been used. Your pattern is excellent and it looks doable for me anyway. Cheers Davie.

[@dennismackey7347]

The likes of Bob Church used to fish with it in the 70s if my memory serves me right.

[@michaelshaw8370]

This brings back some good memories from the eighties. I used them both fry bashing and as a single fly at dawn for summer mackerel and garfish. On the lakes and rivers often used them down to standard size hooks tens or twelves. If proving difficult had them on a fourteen. Over weedbeds possibly took for a shrimp or corixa.

[@mikeshaw714]

What a blast from the past this fly is, brilliant!

[@user-em1fb6xb2u]

Благодарю, Дэви! Отличная мушка на окуня!👍🤝🇰🇿

[@burtonbrocious171]

Great tying of a classic pattern davie tks for sharing it

[@FlyTyer1948]

That looks like a really effective pattern. Thanks for sharing.

[@jimmacdonald444]

As usual Davie quality fly with excellent step by step instructions. I canni help but laugh at the transcript. Whenever you said Jersey Herd the transcript has the Jails ahead. 😅🤣😂

[@jamiehubbard8823]

That’s a great wee fry pattern Davy I am gonna get some of they bomber hooks thanks for sharing

[@hirkojs]

I really like the looks of this fly ! I’m definitely gonna tie some of these for my box. Mega Thx Davie !

[@Michael-hg6ky]

Great looking fly Davie, thank you!

[@jwgitface]

I began reservoir fishing in 1972 aged 17 and caught my first fish on a Jersey Herd. I was very disappointed that it was a brown trout and not a rainbow because I had never seen a rainbow in the flesh. I think I remember the copper body was made from a copper coloured foil from a milk bottle top , milk from a Jersey cow hence the name.

[@ross1458]

Reall y neat tie. Looks very bait fishy. That's a lot of floss though. I may have some old color i dont use.

[@TheCanary24]

Nice as always

[@markfritch3168]

Probably a dumb question but what is the purpose of the glo bright underbody if you end up covering it all up? Really like the tie and fly, all the best Davie.

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Mark, The main reason for using the orange under body is that it helps blend in with the the copper tinsel and the orange hackle and that's why I changed to the brown thread as well at the head when I tyed on the peacock herl..So it's not a dumb question at all.. All the very best Davie

[@ceesbouma2776]

Good question i had de same like Mark

[@donjensen6805]

I can only wish that I might be able to tie half as good as you Davie.

[@alanproctor9316]

I always wondered what the heads were made of, i'm going to try to make a yogi bear dog nobbler and the head looks to be the same as that

[@ibelieve1468]

I still use and tie this fly the exact same tying as you, mainly on #8 or 10 long shank and still catches very well. I think the original gold body was made from Jersey milk bottle top?

[@johndingwall1210]

Think it was actually copper with a yellow hackle

[@double531]

Was deadly on North Third Reservoir years ago.

[@jeanadams2292]

It was original tied using the metal top of Jersey glass milk bottle, hence the name

[@hni7458]

Great info Jean; its name has stuck, see above, and now I understand!

[@user-ss7dg8qx3b]

👍

[@tattvamasi_1]

👍👍👏👏

[@JamieoftheNorth]

Great looking fly! I'm curious though, is there a reason to use orange thread at first, when all that shows is the brown thread? Why not just brown thread throughout?

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Jamie, You could get away with just using the brown thread as you said though by using the orange thread it makes it easier to blend in with the copper tinsel and orange hackle just as when I changed to the brown head for the peacock herl..I'm glad you liked the fly.. All the very best Davie..

[@JamieoftheNorth]

@@DavieMcPhail Ah, that makes sense. Thanks! Very much appreciate your channel.

[@user-cc1hi1ju1q]

👍💪💪

[@comesahorseman]

That little streamer *looks* like a fry, worth trying out. It's off topic, but when you're tying Catskill style dry flies, have you ever used tying silk in place of thread? Is it worth trying for more color depth? Thanks!

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Comes a Horseman, I have and I still do with many of the old patterns which are as good today as they were when they were first tyed, I especially use it when I tye soft hackles like the snipe and purple, partridge and orange and many others..The old pearsalls silks do have a lot more depth in colour than the flatter thread that we use now..If you don't have the pearsall siliks then I would recommend the Yli silk threads which I have attached for you to see..quiltdirect.co.uk/collections/yli-silk-collections All the very best Davie

[@comesahorseman]

@@DavieMcPhail thank you very much! 👍

[@AudunnT]

Wont the peacock get torn up quickly on this pattern ? I would imagine it would rip after the first fish.

[@DavieMcPhail]

Hi Auðunn T, Because I twisted the herl around the thread which I waxed this will make it even stronger.. It will last as I have used this method for many years though as I said in the video if you want you could wind it over a little superglue or varnish just incase it slips.. All the very best Davie..

[@AudunnT]

@@DavieMcPhail I was thinking about the peacock coming over the body. I do the same method with winding my peacock around the thread when tying the Peacock fly by Kolbeinn Grímsson. Thats the way Kolbeinn taught my father to do it and the way my dad taught me. But the herl coming over the back I would imagine would rip up rather easily. Thank you for all your videos you have taught me a lot of great techniques and patterns. I am very grateful for the time and effort you are willing to spend to spread your vast knowledge in fly tying.

[@simonpowell2559]

I can't get my head around keeping your sharp pieces of the hook out side of the vice. I am waiting for a disaster..cut the silk game over. Put the hook inside the Jaws that is what they are there for.

[@callumclark3358]

I would say definitely not. I like to see the point and barb if possible, it's easier to gauge where to tie body and tail etc. Been doing this for nearly 50 years and don't find it a problem, occasionally thread can be damaged, but it's hardly a disaster.

[@FlyTyer1948]

When learning to tie, I used to regularly nick the thread or my finger. My solution was to stick part of a small foam cylinder over the hook point. I now take more care near the point, but it does work well if you need it. Best of luck.