Material Highlight: An Ode to Mallard Flank
The size 16 Wally Wing Hatch-Matcher, a fly popularized by the the great Barry Ord Clark, uses only two ingredients. Mallard flank is used to form the tail, body and wings of the fly, while CDC is only required for a bit of buoyancy. Simple, elegant, and deadly.
The plain and simple truth is that I believe mallard flank to be the single most versatile material out there, and I always keep it on hand. Because it comes from waterfowl, it’s naturally water-resistant and elastic in order to survive the rigorous semi-aquatic lifestyle of the common mallard. These are the exact conditions that a fly needs to hold up to when fishing a trout stream. It’s pliable too, and can be formed into any number of shapes with a bit of practice. It also takes on dye remarkably well - my go-to colors are, in order, natural, tan, olive, and black or dark grey. Perhaps most importantly for the shrewd fly fisherman, mallard flank is one of the cheapest materials out there and can be acquired for pennies on the dime at your local fly shop. If you’re a duck hunter yourself or have duck hunting friends, you can even end up with a near limitless supply of feathers (thanks Grady!).
Early-season, mallard flank is an essential ingredient for forming the gills and tail of any number of aquatic nymph species. The tiny fibers that line the stem of a flank feather closely imitate those similar fibers that make up the gills of mayfly and stonefly nymphs. Mallard flank has a lovely barred pattern on the majority of the feathers, and this pattern persists through the dying process, which gives the tail section of a fly a nice buggy texture. I recommend using a darker dyed feather for a more natural presentation for these types of flies. In a pinch, mallard flank can also be spun around a hook shank like partridge for soft hackle-style flies.
In my opinion, duck flank truly shines when tying emergers and dry flies. It’s a fairly buoyant material on its own and very water resistant, which allows it to keep its shape when fished on the surface. As in the above picture, it can be used to form extended body or tail sections by separating the lower fibers from the upper ones with a pinch, then wrapping the pinched section to the hook shank. The remaining tail fibers are usually snipped off, but a small grouping can be left on the body to imitate the long tail sections of an emergent or imago mayfly. Additional mallard flank can then be wrapped around the shank to form a tapered body with lots of texture. Finally, the wally wing can be created by splitting the stem of another mallard feather after tying it in. This can take a bit of practice, but the reward is well-worth it because of how natural the imitation looks. Flipping the wally wing upside-down can produce a beautiful wing case for an adult caddis imitation, too. Leave two longer fibers of flank out past the hook eye, and you’ve got yourself a pair of caddis antenna!
Size 16 caddisfly, again only using CDC for buoyancy. Floats great, and is deadly in the early summer in MA.
Next time you’re at your local fly shop, try foregoing more traditional (read: expensive) fly materials, and instead experiment with a bit of mallard flank and some grit.
