The H&L Variant — famous as President Eisenhower's favorite fly — is a high-floating Western attractor built to stay visible. White calf-tail wings and tail flank a split peacock body: stripped quill on the rear half, full peacock herl at the thorax, finished with brown hackle. In fading light or broken water, the white wings are the last thing you lose sight of.
1. Thread base — Attach black thread behind the eye and build a base to the bend.
2. Tail — Tie in a small bunch of white calf tail at the bend, one hook-shank in length.
3. Rear body — Tie in a stripped peacock quill at the bend. Wind forward in touching turns to the midpoint for a segmented rear body. Tie off.
4. Wings — At the 2/3 point, tie in a bunch of white calf tail upright. Divide into two wings with figure-eight wraps.
5. Front body — Tie in 2–3 peacock herls at the midpoint. Twist and wind a full herl thorax up to the wings. Tie off.
6. Hackle — Tie in a brown hackle behind the wings. Wind 4–5 turns through and in front of the wings. Tie off and trim.
7. Head — Build a small, neat head. Whip finish and apply head cement.
