Having tied and fished dry flies for years, Bill Shuck, aka "tie2fish" to his online friends, began tying soft hackled wet flies in 2008 after an employee at his local fly shop showed him an English red grouse skin and some spools of Pearsall's Gossamer thread.  Bill started out tying sparse North Country spider patterns, and later learned how to emulate the basic traits of the fly style called "flymph" by V.S. (Pete) Hidy.  (Bill credits Pete's son Lance Hidy with being of immeasurable assistance during this learning process.)

Bill has, with occasional success, tied replicas of all the Jim Leisenring and Pete Hidy patterns for which he has recipes.   Being an adventurous tier, he has also applied the signature flymph style trademarks to several patterns that he considers to be more or less his own.  Enjoy some of Bill's patterns below.



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Flymph Patterns of Bill Shuck
click on photos to view larger size

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​                            Brown Bear Caddis Flymph

Hook:  Daiichi 1120, #14
Thread: Pearsall's Gossamer #17 brown
Hackle:  hen saddle, light brown
Rib:  flat tinsel,  gold,  x-small
Body:  80/20 blend of brown phase black bear and hare's mask spun with #6a (light orange) gossamer using a Clark's dubbing block

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​                         Alpaca March Brown Flymph

Hook:  Mustad 94842, #12
Thread:  Pearsall's Gossamer #19, hot orange
Hackle:  partridge, brown
Tail:  partridge, brown
Rib:  braided tinsel, gold, small oval
Body:  brown alpaca wool spun on Gossamer #19 (hot orange) using a Clark's dubbing block

                                         
​                                         Conover Flymph

Hook:  Mustad 94842, #12
Thread:  Uni-Thread 6/0 black
Hackle: hen saddle, golden badger
Tail:  hen hackle barbs, cream
Body:  50/50 muskrat and red wool with a touch of cream seal spun on Gossamer #13 (crimson) using a Clark's dubbing block.

                                   
                                Deleatideum Flymph
                                                     (a New Zealand mayfly)

Hook:  Mustad 94842, #14
Thread:  Pearsall's Gossamer #14 (claret)
Hackle:  one each hen saddle, grey and badger
Tag/Rib:  flat tinsel, gold/silver, small
Tail:  bronze mallard flank barbs, 3 ea.
Body:  70/20 blend kit muskrat and hare's ear spun on Gossamer #10 (ash) using a Clark's dubbing block

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​                                        Grey Fox Flymph

Hook:  Daiichi 1550 #14
Thread:  Pearsall's Gossamer #19 (hot orange)
Hackle:  partridge, grey
Rib:  flat tinsel, gold, small
Body:  50/50 blend natural hare's cheek and Hareling dubbing hare's ear spun on Gossamer #19 (hot orange) using a Clark's dubbing block.