The Joy of Fly Tying: Partridge and Orange (or Green, or Yellow, or Purple...)

The second night of my Joy of Fly Tying classes starts with a fairly easy fly, the Partridge and Orange. Most of my students have tied exactly three flies in their life, the three they tied during the first night of the class, so I don't want to throw anything too difficult at them to start the second session. They already have done all of the techniques required to tie a Partridge and Orange with one exception: dubbing. Thankfully there isn't much dubbing on a Partridge and Orange, so the hyperventilating is usually kept to a minimum. Although trying to get new students to use the proper amount of dubbing, and not half a rabbit's worth, can cause me to hyperventilate. I should probably have them all meditate while repeating the mantra "Less is more" over and over again before we start the dubbing lesson...

Partridge and Orange

The Partridge and Orange is a very good trout fly when it's fished down and across on the swing, especially if there is a caddis hatch taking place. I think the trout see the buoyant wet fly as an emerging caddis fly. At least that's as good a theory as I can come up with. Despite not always being all that bright, I still find it difficult to dumb myself down enough to think like a fish...

The Partridge and Orange is not the only color scheme you can tie this pattern in. The Partridge and Yellow, Partridge and Green, and Partridge and Purple are also popular flies, and really you can tie it in any color you want. Just change the color of the floss you use for the body, and Voila! you have a different fly. Experiment and see what works the best on your local trout stream.

Partridge and Yellow

Watch the video to learn how to tie the Partridge and Orange.

Partridge and Orange Pattern Recipe

Hook: Any standard length nymph or wet fly hook, size 10-18
Thread: 8/0 to match the body
Body: One strand of 4-strand rayon floss
Thorax: small ball of rabbit fur
Hackle: Hungarian Partridge feather