Leisenring Iron Blue Wingless

This is #8 of Leisenring’s Favorite Flies

Here is the recipe from his book.

I used a size 14 hook. Hackle dark honey dun. My tail was lighter so maybe not dark enough? “Short” looking at his tie seems shank length.

8. Iron Blue Wingless:
Hook: 14, 15
Silk: crimson or claret
Hackle: honey dun hen hackle with red points or a very dark honey dun
Tail: two short dark honey dun cock fibers
Rib: fine gold wire optional
Body: dark mole spun on crimson silk very thin at tail to expose silk.

The pattern is in essence as Skues lists it minus the wing. Leisenring and Skues were fans of each other. At this time in the US wet fly anglers fished a winged wet. It was also the early stages of nymphs and the nymph patterns of Bergman and Hewitt were just beginning. Leisenring was a wet fly angler but interested in the wingless tradition of authors like Stewart, Cutcliffe and Pritt. These authors also influenced Skues and the devolvement of his nymph patterns.