How to Tie the Green Drake Half Hog — Step-by-Step Fly Tying Tutorial

Fly Tying

Nov 21

Today we’re tying up a real looker — the Green Drake Half Hog. This pattern is one of those flies that turns heads both in the vise and on the water. It’s got that big-bug attitude of a Drake but tied with a subtle, natural profile that makes trout lose their composure during a hatch.

Think of it as the perfect cross between finesse and confidence — a sturdy, buoyant emerger that sits just right in the film. Whether you’re chasing late-spring hatches on a limestone stream or swinging through a Scottish loch, this one’s going to earn a spot in your fly box in sizes 10 and 12.

✂️ Step-by-Step Fly Tying Guide

1. Hook & Thread Setup

Secure a Kamasan B100 or B110 curved grub hook, size 10 or 12, in your vise.
Start your Uni Thread (Yellow Olive Dun) slightly above the hook point and wrap back to the bend.
Trim the tag end and keep thread tension steady.

2. Build the Body

Take a bleached and olive-dyed peacock eye quill.
Tie it in at the rear of the hook and wrap forward in touching turns to form a smooth, segmented body.
Secure with tight thread wraps and add a half hitch for security.

3. Apply UV Protection

Coat the body lightly with Bug Bond Light UV resin — just enough to add durability.
Cure with a UV torch until set, revealing that bright, clean olive sheen.

4. Add the First Wing

Stack and measure a small bunch of olive-dyed deer hair, tips extending slightly past the hook bend.
Tie in with a firm pinch wrap and trim the butts.
Secure with several tight thread wraps.

5. Add the Legs

Tie in two pre-knotted pheasant tail fibers dyed golden olive on each side.
Legs should extend just beyond the wing tips. Trim excess.

6. Create the Thorax

Dub a thin noodle of SLF Light Olive dubbing mixed with a touch of red and orange highlights.
Wrap forward to form a slightly tapered thorax.
Stroke fibers back as you go to create natural movement.

7. Add the Second Wing

Stack another bunch of olive deer hair, same length as the first wing.
Tie in with tight pinch wraps — keeping thread tension firm to prevent spinning.

8. Front Wing and Head

Use a final bunch of natural deer hair for the front wing.
Align tips with previous bunches and secure with pinch wraps.
Trim butts and tidy the head area.

9. Finish the Fly

Add a small pinch of dubbing in front of the wings for a neat head.
Whip finish, apply a small drop of varnish, and brush out the dubbing with Velcro for a buggy, lifelike look.

🧵 Green Drake Half Hog – Fly Recipe

Hook: Kamasan B100 or B110 curved grub hook, size 10–12
Thread: Uni Thread 8/0, Yellow Olive Dun
Body: Bleached and olive-dyed peacock eye quill
Coating: Bug Bond Light UV resin (cured with UV torch)
First Wing: Olive-dyed deer hair
Legs: Pre-knotted pheasant tail fibers dyed golden olive
Thorax Dubbing: SLF Light Olive dubbing blended with a small amount of red and orange
Second Wing: Olive-dyed deer hair (same length as first wing)
Front Wing: Natural deer hair
Head Finish: Small amount of dubbing at the head; whip finish and varnish
Optional Tools: Wax for thread grip, Velcro brush for teasing dubbing

Would you like me to add a materials shopping list version too (with suggested brands or substitutes)? That’s handy for website readers or shop links.

Fly Tying