How to Tie the Dahlberg Diver: The Ultimate Surface-to-Subsurface Fly

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Step 1 

Start your thread just behind the hook eye and wrap a smooth thread base back to the start of the bend.

Step 2 

Select two identical Hairline grizzly hackle feathers and marry them so the tips line up. Tie them in sideways on top of the hook shank as the tail, keeping them centered to reduce fouling, then trim the excess stems.
Tip: Leave the stems attached while you position and secure the feathers, then trim.

Step 3

Select two strands of Crystal Flash and fold them around your thread so the tips are even. Tie them in on top of the hook shank over the tail and trim them slightly shorter than the grizzly hackle.

Step 4

Select one Hairline Extra Select Marabou feather and trim off the thin, brittle tip. Tie in the marabou by the trimmed tip on top of the hook shank.

Step 5

Wrap the marabou forward 3–4 turns around the hook shank to form a collar, stroking or brushing the fibers back with each wrap to keep them from getting trapped.

Step 6

After wrapping the marabou, build a small thread dam in front of the fibers to push them back. Use a bodkin or brush to free any trapped fibers.
Tip: Check how much bare hook shank remains—you will need room for the stacked deer hair head.

Step 7

Cut a clump of Hairline deer belly hair about the thickness of a pencil. Measure the hair so the tips extend to about half the length of the marabou collar. Tie the clump in with 2–3 loose wraps, then make 4–5 tight wraps to spin the deer hair so it flares and rotates 360 degrees around the hook shank.

Step 8

Build a thread dam in front of the first deer hair clump to push the hair back. Using the same amount of deer belly hair, repeat the spin and flare technique so the hair again spreads 360 degrees around the shank. Repeat this step one more time with the same amount of hair and the same thread‑dam technique, working forward toward the hook eye.

Step 9

After the final deer hair tie‑in, build a slightly larger thread dam just behind the hook eye to force all the deer hair back. Finish with 2–3 whip finishes and add a drop of your preferred glue or resin to the thread wraps.

Step 10

Using the hook eye as a guide, rest your scissors against it and carefully trim the deer hair while rotating the fly so the head is even and uniform all the way around.

Step 11

Use scissors or a sharp razor blade to cut a flat spot on the bottom of the head. This improves hook‑up ratios and helps the fly track straight in the water.

Step 12

Your Dahlberg Diver is finished. This versatile fly can be fished in shallow water for smallmouth or thrown into saltwater blitzes for stripers.