Quill Gordon
The Quill Gordon is the first significant dry fly hatch of the Eastern season, emerging in April when water temperatures first climb past 50°F. Theodore Gordon's classic pattern imitates the slate-gray dun perfectly. Fish it with upstream presentations on cold, fast streams — its stripped peacock quill body segmentation gives it extraordinary realism.
- Type
- dry fly (Mayfly)
- Hook sizes
- #12–14
- Target species
- trout
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Best seasons
- spring
Materials
- hook: Dry fly hook #12–14
- thread: Gray 8/0
- tail: Dun hackle fibers
- body: Stripped peacock eye quill (natural quill)
- wing: Woodduck flank fibers, upright and divided
- hackle: Blue dun rooster hackle
Tying steps
- Mount a size 12–14 dry fly hook; start gray thread and wrap to bend.
- Tie in 6–8 blue dun hackle fibers as a split tail, one hook-gap long.
- Select a peacock eye feather; strip the fibers from one side with an eraser, soak briefly, then tie in at bend.
- Wind the quill body in tight, even touching spirals to the 2/3 mark; the dark and light edges create natural segmentation.
- Tie in two woodduck flank feather segments back-to-back as upright divided wings; figure-eight to separate.
- Tie in a blue dun rooster hackle sized to the hook.
- Wind hackle 4–5 turns, tie off, and trim excess.
- Build a small Catskill-style tapered head, whip finish, and lacquer.