Hornberg

Hornberg

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Tying Instructions

1. Attach the thread about an eyelength behind the eye.

2. Attach a piece of Silver Tinsel to the hook shank just behind the eye.

3. Wrap the tinsel back toward the bend of the hook, stopping just above the point of the hook. Sprial wraps should just touch each other.

4. Now, spiral wrap forward, again with the edges of the tinsel just touching each other. Wrap up to just behind the thread.

5. Apply two wraps of thread just behind the tag end of the tinsel to hold in place. Then, bring the tinsel around the shank once more and pull the tag towards the rear. Secure the tinsel with 2-3 more thread wraps. Clip off the tag end.

6. Select 4 yellow saddle hackles. The length of the hackles should be about one hook gap beyond the bend of the hook when attached just behind the eye. Clean the barbs from the quill that extend beyond the necessary length.

7. Take a pair of the prepared quills and flatten the quill where it will be tied with a smooth surface hemostat or pliers. This will help attach the quills to the shank so that the feathers stay in line with the hook shank. Attach the quills just behind the eye with 2-3 thread wraps. Leave at least two eyelengths of space between the hackle and the eye.

8. Pull the tag ends of the quill back towards the read and secure with two more wraps.

9. Attach the second pair of yellow hackles in the same manner to the other side. I’m using a rotary vise so I find it easier to turn the fly upside down for positioning. Clip off the tag ends of the hackles once secured.

10. Select two large Mallard Flank feathers. Often these are sold in pairs.

11. Position one of the Mallard feathers against the side of the shank for length adjustment. The length should extend from the behind the eye to just beyond the end of the yellow hackle. Mark this position by sweeping the barbs back from the measured point.

12. With the length established and marked by the sweeping barbs, match the two feathers together and remove those barbs that are swept back, exposing the quill. Flatten these quills with smooth surfaced hemostats to assist in placing the quills against the hook shank.

13. Now, attach the feather against the side of the shank securing the quill with 2-3 thight thread wraps.

14. Repeat this step with the other quill. Note how these feathers envelope the yellow hackles.

15. Pull the tag ends of the quills back towards the rear and secure with and additional 2-3 thread wraps. Trim off the tag ends.

16. Jungle Cock is expensive. They do sell imitations made of painted black hackle tips. The main idea is that you want a cheek material that gives the illusion of eyes. A Grizzly Hackle tip or piece of mylar is sometimes substituted. Here, I’ve selected two jungle cock eyes and have attached them to each side of the shank.

17. Select two Grizzly hackles. These should be sized for twice the hook gap in barb length.

18. Prepare the two hackles by removing the webbed barbs and exposing the bare quill. Attach the pair of hackles to the top of the hook shank just in front of the wing. The dull side of the hackles should be facing you. Lift up the hackles to crease the quill. This will help keep the hackles from twisting on the initial wrap.

19. Wrap the first hackle forward with each wrap just in front of the other. Take care not to trap any of the barbs. Secure the hackle with 2-3 thread wraps just behind the eye and trim off the tag end.

20. Do the same with the second hackle, working the hackle through the first one and securing the tag end with 2-3 wraps, clipping off the excess.

21. Create a small thread head just behind the eye and whip finish. Apply some head cement to the head. Also apply some head cement to the end of the Mallard Flank feathers. Twist the fibers into a point. This is a Western touch that was not in the original. It helps to keep the material together and gives a streamlined sillouette.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	TMC 5263 #8-14
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Danville Black 6/0
Hackle	Grizzly hackle
Body	Silver tinsel (flat)
Inner Wing	Yellow saddle hackle
Outer Wing	Barred natural mallard flank feathers
Cheeks	Jungle cock or equivalent

Frank Hornberg

Hornberg

As a streamer, Hornbergs represent baitfish. This unique fly was created by Frank Hornberg, a Game Warden from Central Wisconsin, in the 1920’s. Frank designed the pattern as a dry fly, named the Hornberg Special, to imitate caddis. At some point, Frank must have realized that the fly did well when sunk and retrieved as a streamer, which also lead it to being tied to larger hook sizes.

Multi-purpose Fly

In conjunction with the Weber Tackle Company in the 1940’s, Frank developed this fly to be “multi-purpose” in that it might be used as either a dry fly or a streamer depending upon the line used. In our Sierran waters most hornbergs, today, are used as a streamer.

Presentation

A common technique with this fly is to let the fly sit on top of the water for a few seconds, it will sink and you can retrieve with 2-3 foot strips. The depth will vary depending upon the type of line you are using. You can also do an upstream cast and let it drift down as a dry fly, once the fly reaches the end of it’s drift it can be retrieved as a streamer back upstream.

Lacquered Wing Point

Frank’s original design did not lacquer the mallard wing to a point and it was considered a dry fly. However, in current versions, we do lacquer the mallard wing into a point and these current versions are considered to be streamers.  Within the Northeast, the Mallard wings remain like the original, unlacquered. Over time many areas of the country shortened the name from Hornberg Special to just Hornberg.  The fly consists of a flat silver tinsel body enclosed by a pair of yellow hen hackles or yellow calf tail. The outer “Wing” is a pair of mallard breast feathers tied flat against the yellow underbody.

Cheeks

Jungle cock is normally applied as cheeks, although other materials will do. Try using a Guinea Hen Hackle, trimming the hackle so that only one eye shows or use a small black hen neck hackle and apply a nail finish color for the eyes. Two grizzly hen hackles are wrapped in opposite directions behind the black threaded head.

Hornbergs are popular on Crowley Lake, Silver Lake (June Lake Loop), and many of the Mammoth lakes. The pattern has been adapted to smaller hook sizes down to #14 for use on streams. It is a popular streamer pattern for Hot Creek. For color variations, try using different colors of bucktail for the inner wing and dyed Mallard Flanks for the outer wings.

Variations

Hornberg-Golden Olive

Hook	TMC 5263 #8-14
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Danville Black 6/0
Hackle	Grizzly and Brown Hackle
Body	Silver tinsel (flat)
Inner Wing	Yellow saddle hackle
Outer Wing	Gold Wood Duck dyed mallard flank feathers
Cheeks	Jungle cock or equivalent

Hornberg-Black

Hook	TMC 5263 #8-14
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Danville Black 6/0
Hackle	Black hackle
Body	Silver tinsel (flat)
Inner Wing	Yellow saddle hackle
Outer Wing	Black dyed mallard flank feathers
Cheeks	Jungle cock or equivalent

Hornberg-Green

Hook	TMC 5263 #8-14
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Danville Black 6/0
Hackle	Grizzly hackle
Body	Silver tinsel (flat)
Inner Wing	Chartreuse Dyed Bucktail
Outer Wing	Barred natural mallard flank feathers
Cheeks	Jungle cock or equivalent

Hornberg-Red

Hook	TMC 5263 #8-14
Thread	Danville Black 6/0
Head	Danville Black 6/0
Hackle	Grizzly hackle
Body	Silver tinsel (flat)
Inner Wing	Red Bucktail
Outer Wing	Barred natural mallard flank feathers
Cheeks	Jungle cock or equivalent