Klinkhammer             

Hook:   Daiichi 1150 # 12 - 18

Thread: Brown 8/0 Uni Thread

Wingpost: Smoke Grey or White Hi-Vis

Body: Grey  Squirrel or substitute

Tail (shuck): small piece of crystal flash

Hackle: Brown or Ginger 

1/ First off wrap a base of thread. Then get a small amount of Hi-Vis fibres to make the wing. Use an amount half as thick as shown here but twice as long. Tie in horizontally halfway along the clump of Hi Vis leaving you with half on the left and half on the right side of the hook when viewed from above. Then grip the Hi Vis and hold it vertically in place while several horizontal wraps are used as a base to tie the hackle on. Trim the wing.
2/ Next wind a thread base to the rear of the fly. Once again we use the hook barb as a guide winding the thread to a point just above this. Now get 2 pieces of flashabou or Krystal Flash or similar and tie in as a tail/shuck. This must be from a highly reflective material to create the illusion of a trailing shuck. Trim the excess and go to Step 3.
3/ Next up pinch a small amount of dubbing from the packet. Form a slightly tapered rope starting thin and gradually getting thicker. It may take several goes to get the right amount but once you are familiar with the particular hook size you are tying the fly in you should be able to grab the correct amount pretty much first time, every time
4/ Start winding this rope of dubbing you have constructed forward towards the upright wing you made in Step 2. Generally you will be winding forward each successive turn just to the front of the previous one. However use your judgement and if you have to wind more or less depending on how the tapered body is coming along. Once this is completed wind the thread forward just in front of the wing.
5/ Find a good feather from your cape. I would recommend using one from a cape and not a saddle as the tapering of these feathers makes for much nicer parachute style flies. Tie it in at the back of the wing with the shiny side facing slightly towards you and upwards. This will greatly help when winding it in later. Trim the excess Feather stub and bring the thread forward to the hook eye.
6/ Once again grab a pinch of dubbing, this time a much smaller one as we are only making a much smaller section than in Step 4. Now this looks different to the way many are used to tying in their parachute patterns and tying off at the front of the fly. I tie mine in horizontally around the base of the wing post and I have yet to find a neater looking or stronger way of doing it.
7/ Now wind this dubbed rope back towards the wing. This body should also be tapered as in Step 5 with the thinnest part first getting thicker to match the body size around the wing post. When it looks right, as in the accompanying photo, move onto Step 8.
8/ Now wind in the hackle. Being careful not to break the hackle wind it around the wing post in a counter clockwise direction. Use between three and five turns with each successive turn beneath the previous one. When complete take the thread and make three horizontal turns catching the hackle feather and locking it in place. The first over the feather, second under and the third over it again.. Add a couple of half hitches to finish.

The Pattern

The Klinkhammer as many of you will know evolved from the vice of Dutch flytier Hans Van Klinken. His remarkably simple emerging caddis pattern has been adapted world wide to represent all sorts of emerging aquatic insects in various colours and sizes. This fly is highly visible and works in all our rivers and in bigger, chocolate coloured versions, really is deadly in Tasmanian lakes. 

When to use:

when fish are breaking the surface with their backs early in the hatch, not taking from the top but rather the emerging insects struggling in the film. There may be a few duns about and yet the fish will not take them. This is because they are locked onto the emerging mayfly.  Try this pattern and see how you go. Also tie a few in a chocolate brown. Takes will often be very subtle.

Have fun

Antony