Tying the swap fly, #14 aka The Golden Furnace

 This is what i call swap fly #14 or the golden furnace soft hackle.   I tied it using collins hen saddle hackle  furnace. The neck is furnace and saddle is a great molting to it. The hen sets from collins is great deal.
  The  little ball of dubbin in the thorax is uv high test.

The materials. The collins saddle is from a furnace hen. It has great color depth to it. I really dig it. The thread is pearsalls amber gossamer silk thread. The dubbin is u.v. high test.  Use your favorite wet fly hook. I like daiichi 1550s.  Lets twist one up.

Start the thread and wrap to half way on the shank. Touching turns the whole way.

Wax about 3"-4" of thread. 

Wrap the thread back to just past the barb, touching turns, then spiral wrap it back up to where the thread started

Dub the thorax. Just a small ball. This is for helping the hen hackle to stay of the body.  Its optional.

Select a saddle feather and strip one side like so. If you wrap clockwise strip the left side like shown.

Tie in the feather by the tip, stripped side away from you.

Wrap the hackle. Sweep the fibers back as you turn. Take 1 and 1/12 turns.  Tie it off, going towards the eye, then sweep everything back and wrap the thread back to hackle collar. 

Keep the thread tight, and snap off the butt end of the hackle. 

Half hitch the silk thread and clip it off.

Start the black thread at the eye and wrap back to the hackle collar.

Whip finish.

Give the head a nice coating of your favorite varnish. I like to make all my wetfly heads nice and shiny.