Q's Hackle Stacker, courtesy The Patient Angler.

Bob Quigley developed the Hackle Stacker style of tying mayflies on California’s Fall River in 1988. The fly lands lightly on the water, maintains a mayfly silhouette and, with a white parachute-style wing, is visible to the angler. Adaptable to all mayflies, the tier can add a trailing shuck to imitate a cripple.

Tie Q’s Hackle Stacker with gray thread on a No. 12-16 dry fly hook. Use moose hair fibers for the tail. Lay a base of gray thread, then tie down a trimmed gray hackle quill and rib with fine silver wire.

To tie the hackle wing, employ a six-inch 6X length of monofilament and form a loop. Tie the loop in at the last body wrap. With the loop hanging off the fly toward the back, trim off the ends. Tie in a brown dry-fly hackle on a bare stem at the base of the loop. Wrap the hackle up the loop and back down. Move the loop back and tie the hackle down.

Dub the thorax with Superfine gray dubbing. Then pull the mono loop over, sweep the fibers back and tie off the loop. Pull the loop down and the hackle pulls tight against the dubbing ball. Now double the mono back, tie it down tight and trim the loop away. Finish with a white poly and Krystal Flash wingpost.