Redchaser.com - Saltwater Flies

Dorsy's Kwan Fly

w . w . w . r e d c h a s e r . c o m

An Innovative Multi Species Fly.

Dorsy's Kwan Fly

Pat Dorsy's Kwan Fly was invented for the backwaters and flats of South Florida, but is quickly proving itself in many other waters. Pat Dorsy had not been fly fishing or fly tying long when he developed this pattern - initially for bonefish. It quickly proved it's worth on virtually every species of fish in South Florida. Although not widely known or used by Louisiana marsh anglers Danny Williams began using it fairly regularly when we fished together, and I was impressed with the results. Pat Dorsy's Kwan is a very effective redfish fly in various conditions. Because of the basic shape of it's body, it makes a good crab imitation for when the fish are tailing, or crawling. Unlike a crab fly however, this fly is also productive when stripped as a streamer for blindcasting, or fishing to cruising reds. I like the fly to ride hook up, so I bend the eye of the hook toward the point in 60 degree jig fashion, and tie the body materials across the inside or bottom of the hook shank.

Materials:

Hook - Mustad 34007 size 4 or 2, with eye

bent aproximately 60 degrees toward

point

Eyes - Bead chain or extra small dumbells

or hourglass eyes.

Tail - Craft fur or fish hair, in tan,

chartruese, or light olive colored

with sharpie marker to form red, green

and purple stripes

Body - Hook rug yarn in brown and tan,

alternately.

Egg sac - Orange yarn

Thread - Brown flat waxed nylon

Instructions:

1. Sharpen Hook

2. Place eye of hook in vice and bend toward

point aproximately 60 degrees.

3. Make thread wraps to cover hook shank

from eye to bend, advance thread to

just behind eye.

4. Tie in bead chain or hourglass eyes on

top of hook shank right behind bend you

created in shank.

5. Tie in tail of craft fur or fish hair about

twice as long as hook.

6. Create Egg Sac by tying one end of

orange yarn where tail is tied in, then

bring it around the outside of the

hook, between the hook bend and the

tail, and tying in the other end of the

orange yarn

7. Beginning at tail end, tie in hook rug yarn

on bottom or inside of, and perpendicular

to hook shank alternating tan and brown.

Try to begin and end with the lighter color

so there is more of it than the darker

color.

8. Once yarn is tied in all the way to the

eyes, whip finish and cut thread.

9. Use a bodkin to fray out all segments of

hook rug yarn, then grasping the

tips of the yarn and pulling it taught in a

perpendicular direction to the hook,

use scissors to cut a rounded shape on

each side, forming the body. You

can apply a thin coat of Soft-Tex over

the yarn body for added durabillity.

10. Use Sharpie markers to make colored

stripes on tail.