Yes, the rumors are true. You can sleep easy tonight knowing that I’m officially off the market. No more anxious first dates, awkward first kisses or online dating. No more breath mints, blind dates or peeing with the door closed. Late night booty calls have been replaced with early morning bridal showers. Romantic weekend getaways have morphed into mind-numbing discussions about place settings, designer gowns (don’t you dare call them dresses), and autumn color schemes. Our last argument hinged on what song should play during the cake cutting—we finally agreed to “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard. Classy, right?
My winter has been occupied with womanly lore, writing checks and wedding magazines. Yes, wedding magazines. And it was then, while flipping through the hallowed pages of Grace Ormonde, that everything clicked: the materials, the techniques, the style. It all hit me in an “ah-ha” moment inspired by the simple image of a wedding veil draped over the face of a beautiful bride-to-be.
In November, my fiancé will walk down the aisle, her familiar face hidden by a veil. That’s eight more months of planning, preparation and what seems like permanent PMS. Until that day, I’ll cope by beating the banks with my own version of a “Wedding Veil.”
T.H. 2012
MATERIALS LIST
- Hook – Owner SSW 3/0
- Eyes – Clear Cure Eyes 8mm Weightless Dumbbells
- Head – Thread and Clear Cure Goo Hydro
- Body – Senyo’s Laser Dub
- Under Body – EP Sparkle Brush
- Tail – Magnum Rabbit Strip
1. Select your hook. To keep the proportions correct, we are looking for a solid hook with a short, workable shank. This is an Owner SSW in a 3/0. The up eye makes finishing the head of this fly a bit easier.
2. Start your thread. Attach the Clear Cure Goo Dumbbells one eye-length behind the eye of the hook. Use figure-eight wraps and superglue to hold them in place.
3. Tie in your tail. The options for tailing materials on this fly are endless. For this demonstration, I have used a simple strip of Magnum Rabbit Zonker. Bind down the tail and create a smooth, tapered underbody.
4. Create you underbody. EP Sparkle Brush makes the perfect transition between the head and the tail of the fly. Reveal the wire and tie it in.
5. Palmer your underbody. Wind the material on the hook shank touching turns. Make sure to brush the fibers back to avoid binding them down.
6. Create your head. Remove a clump of Senyo’s Laser Dub from the packet. Hand-stack the material to create a hank with two tapered ends. Using one loose wrap, tie the material in at its halfway point. Make one more wrap, this time tighter, to lock the material in place.
7. Creating a veil. Now that the top half is done, invert your vise. Repeat the same technique using your belly color. At this point, you should have two hanks going forward of the eye and two hanks facing rearward. Use your fingers to pull everything back and make a few tight wraps directly on the hook shank in front of the Laser Dub. Repeat this process again until you reach your eyes.
8. Finish your head. Bring your thread directly in front of the eyes and repeat the technique for the final time.
9. Pull everything back and create a neat thread head. Whip finish and remove your thread. Then, using a stiff bristled brush, comb out any loose fibers. Do NOT skip this step; it is vital in creating the taper and combining the colors of the fly.
10. Seal the wraps. Using the finest tip, cover the thread head with Clear Cure Goo Hydro. You may also add Clear Cure Goo Thick between the eyes to create a more defined and permanent head.
11. Cure the Goo. Cure the material using the UV light.
12. Finished. “The Wedding Veil”
