Martyn White | Thursday, 4 June 2026
This week I thought I'd look at flatwings. Obviously this is more of a prototypical pattern than a specific dressing. But that's a good thing because it means you can mess around with them to suit your specific situatio
Originally from the eastern US and popularised in modern times by people like Kenney Abrames - both of his books are excellent and you should grab them if you get a chance - and Ray Bondorew. Flatwings are great striper flies, but they work for so many other species in fresh and saltwater they really are worth having with you if you're targeting predatory game fish.
Here are a couple of patterns:
Eel punt
Hook: Saltwater hook of your choice
Thread: Flat waxed nylon or clear monofilament
Tail: Black, white or blue bucktail
Wing pad: a small amount of hackle fluff dubbed and placed on top if the hook.
Wing: 1 Neck hackle curving upward and 2-3 saddle hackles curving downward on top of the neck hackle, black or olive are good
Body: palmered saddle or schlappen
Standard olive over white flat wing
Hook: Saltwater hook of your choice
Thread: Flat waxed nylon or clear monofilament
Tail: White bucktail
Wing pad: small amount of hackle fluff dubbed and placed on top of the hook shank.
Wing: White neck hackle curving up topped with a white then olive saddle hackle curving down.
Flash: Pearl flashabou
Body: Bills body braid
Collar: Olive over white bucktail
Topping: Peacock herl
Eyes: Jungle cock
Obviously you can change colours and substitute materials to suit yourself or to match prey species, just don't skip the neck hackle as this keeps the flat wing really mobile and active in the water. Don't feel you need to buy expensive flatwing specific hackle although some of them are lovely, loads of saddles will provide a good flatwing feather and even strung Chinese is actually fine.You just sort through and take the slinkiest hackles from the pack-flatwings have been around a lot longer than flatwing saddles!