Another early season hatch in our area is the Epeorus pleuralis commonly called the Quill Gordon. This fly was named after Theodore Gordon, who is often called the father of dry fly fishing in America. The quill gordons may start to appear a little earlier then the hendricksons; but depending on weather conditions both species may be on the water at the same time. You might have to switch patterns to see which one the trout are taking that day. The body of the quill gordon is tied using a stripped peacock eye quill which has the fuzzy herl removed. The easiest way to remove the herl is by using a pencil eraser to rub off the fibers. Before tying soak the quill in water to prevent it from breaking. As with the Red Quill when you’re done tying this pattern the body should be coated with head cement to bring out the segmentation and prevent breakage.

Hook : Dry fly, #12 and #14
Thread : Black
Wing : Wood duck tied upright and split
Body : Stripped peacock eye quill
Tail : Medium dun hackle fibers
Hackle : Medium dun hackle fibers

John Lazar

Fly tied by John Lazar