Saturday, September 28, 2024

Lazer Green Butt

Lazer Green Butt

Hook - Single salmon

Thread - Olive

Under body - Silver tinsel

Over body - Green lazer wrap or edge brite

Thorax - Black cactus chenille

Hackle - Black

Wing - White bucktail

Fly Tying the Angler's Art - Leroy Hyatt

Friday, September 27, 2024

Assassin

Assassin 

Hooks - MUS80500BL, MUS80501 BL, TMC7999, or DA12441, sizes 8-10

Thread - Olive

Ribbing - Oval gold tinsel

Body - Dubbed with a 50/50 blend of olive and brown lamb's wool

Hackle - Brown tied on as a collar and tied back

Wing - Small bunch of brown-olive Flashabou Accent tied over the body

Author's Note

Dale Lackey originated this pattern for late summer and fall runs.

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Cosseboom Special

Cosseboom Special 

Hooks - TMC7999 or DA12441, sizes 4-10

Thread - Red

Tip - Embossed silver tinsel wrapped well down the bend of hook

Tail - Strand of light olive floss

Ribbing - Embossed silver tinsel

Body - Light olive floss

Wing - Gray squirrel tail tied low over the body and extending to the end of tail

Hackle - Yellow hen hackle tied on as a collar and tied back

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Lady Amherst

Lady Amherst

Hooks - TMC7999 or DA12441, sizes 4-10

Thread - Black

Tip - Lower half, oval silver tinsel; the upper half, yellow floss

Tail - Golden pheasant crest feather

Butt - Black ostrich herl

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel

Body - Flat silver tinsel

Hackle - Grizzly tied on as a collar and tied back and down

Wing - Gray squirrel tail tied low over the body

Cheeks - Dyed kingfisher blue hen hackle tip tied in at each side

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Half Stone

Half Stone 

Hooks - TMC7999 or DA12441, sizes 4-10

Thread - Black

Tip - Oval silver or gold tinsel

Tail - Golden pheasant crest feather

Ribbing - Oval gold tinsel

Body - Rear third, dubbed with yellow lamb's wool; the front two-thirds, dubbed with black lamb's wool 

Hackle - Black tied on as a collar and tied back and down

Wing - Fox squirrel tail tied low over the body. Select hair from the base of the tail

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Gold Squirrel Tail

Gold Squirrel Tail 

Hooks - TMC7999 or DA12441, sizes 4-10

Thread - Black

Ribbing - Oval gold tinsel

Body - Flat gold tinsel

Hackle - Blue dun hen hackle barbs tied in at the throat

Wing - Strands of gold Flashabou Accent tied over the body, with an overwing of gray squirrel tail

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson 

Friday, September 20, 2024

Silver Doctor

Silver Doctor 

Hooks - MUS80500BL, MUS80501BL, TMC7999, or DA12441, sizes 2-8

Thread - Red

Tip - Flat silver tinsel

Tail - Golden pheasant crest feather 

Butt - Dubbed with red lamb's wool

Body - Flat silver tinsel

Hackle - Light blue tied on as a collar and tied back and down

Wing - Natural brown bucktail tied over the body, with an overwing of red, yellow, and blue bucktail mixed

Cheeks - Jungle cock eyes or substitute

Author's Note

This is a variation of a British Atlantic salmon fly pattern

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Thursday, September 19, 2024

Silver Blue

Silver Blue 

Hooks - MUS80500BL, MUS80501 BL, TMC7999, or DA1244I , sizes 4-8

Thread - Black

Tip - Flat silver tinsel

Tail - Golden pheasant crest feather

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel

Body - Flat silver tinsel

Hackle - Light blue tied on as a collar and tied back and down

Wing - Barred teal barbs tied over the body

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Silver Brown Bucktail

Silver Brown Bucktail

Hooks - MUS80500BL, MUS80501BL, TMC7999, or DA12441, sizes 2-6

Thread - Black

Body - Flat silver tinsel

Hackle - Dark brown tied on as a collar and tied back and down

Wing - Natural brown bucktail tied over the body

Author's Note

This is a variation of a bucktail streamer pattern.

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Salmo Le Sac

Salmo Le Sac 

Hooks - MUS80500BL, MUS80501BL, TMC7999, or DA12441, sizes 6-8

Thread - Black

Tail - Peacock sword feather barbs

Ribbing - Oval gold tinsel

Body - Dubbed with salmon rabbit fur

Hackle - Furnace hen hackle tied on as a collar and tied back

Wing - Fox squirrel tail tied over the body

Author's Note

Mike Kennedy of Lake Oswego, Oregon, originated this pattern.

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Pink Rat

Pink Rat 

Hooks - MUS80500BL, MUS80501 BL, TMC7999, or DA1244I, sizes 4-6 

Thread - Red

Tip - Oval silver tinsel

Tail - Amherst pheasant crest feather

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel

Body - Dubbed with fluorescent hot pink lamb's wool

Hackle - Grizzly tied on as a collar and tied back

Wing - Gray squirrel tail tied over the body

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Prichard's Comet

Prichard's Comet 

Hooks - MUS80500BL, MUS80501 BL, TMC7999, or DA12441, sizes 2-8

Thread - Red

Tail - Fluorescent fire orange bucktail

Body - Oval silver tinsel

Hackle - Yellow and scarlet red tied on as a collar mixed and tied back

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Nation's Special

Nation's Special

Hook - Number 4 to 8

Tail - Six strands from a golden pheasant tippet feather

Body - Rear third of flat silver tinsel; front two thirds of black floss

Rib - Oval silver tinsel

Throat - Speckled guinea fowl

Wing - Mottled grey turkey, enclosing a few strands from a golden pheasant tippet feather

Sides - Jungle cock

Originator - Bill Nelson

Nation's Fancy

Nation's Fancy

Tail - 15 golden pheasant tippet fibers

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel

Body - Rear third silver floss, black floss for the balance 

Hackle - Guinea behind wing on # 6 hooks, badger ahead of the wing on # 4 hooks

Wing - Mallard flank enclosing a few golden pheasant tippet fibers

Steelhead Fly Fishing and Tying - Trey Combes

Nation's Fancy

Thread - Red or black

Body - Silver tinsel

Rib - Oval silver tinsel (front 2/3 of body only)

Hackle - Guinea

Inner wing - Golden pheasant tippet fibers

Outer wing - Mallard flank

Steelhead Fly Tying Manual - Light and Humphrey

Nation's Fancy 

Hooks - MUS80500BL, MUS80501BL, TMC7999, or DA12441, sizes 4-8

Thread - Black

Tail - Golden pheasant tippet barbs

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel

Body - Rear third, flat silver tinsel; the front two-thirds, thirds, dubbed with black lamb's wool 

Hackle - Badger tied on as a collar and tied back and down

Wings - Golden pheasant tippet barbs tied over the body, with barred teal sections tented over the top. (Gray squirrel may be substituted). 

Head - Black

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson

Nation's Fancy 

Hooks - AC80500BL, AC80501BL, TMC7999, or DA12441, sizes 4-8

Thread - Black

Tail - Golden pheasant tippet barbs

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel

Body - Rear third, flat silver tinsel; the front two-thirds, thirds, dubbed with #1 black lamb's wool 

Wings - Golden pheasant tippet barbs tied over the body, with barred teal sections tied in on the sides

Hackle - Badger tied on as a collar and tied back

Head - Black

Fish Flies Volume Two - Terry Hellekson

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Steelhead Montreal



Steelhead Montreal

Hook - Single salmon
Thread - Black
Tail - Red hackle
Ribbing - Gold tinsel
Body - Claret wool
Hackle - Claret
Wing - Gray squirrel

Monday, September 9, 2024

Pompier


Pompier

[Que] Michel Beaudin (Claude Bernard) 

Hook - Regular or low-water salmon, no. 2-8; double, no. 4-10

Thread - UNI 8/0 black

Tag/Rib - Fine oval gold tinsel

Tail - Yellow golden pheasant rump feather fibers

Body - Black chenille

Wing - Yellow polar bear*

Cheek - (Optional) Jungle cock

Collar - Bright green hackle, long and webby

Head - Red thread covered with clear lacquer

Fly Patterns of Canada - Paul C Marriner

*Substitute bucktail unless you are in a country that allows the purchase of polar bear

Saturday, September 7, 2024

Stickleback


Stickleback

Roderick Haig-Brown 

Hook - Single salmon

Thread - Black

Tail - Claret hackle fibers

Rib - Oval silver tinsel

Body - Pale green or blue silk or wool

Throat - Claret hackle

Wing - Polar bear* (or substitute), sparse, blended orange, blue, green, yellow, olive

*Polar bear in white is hard to find these days let alone dyed colors. I substituted with bucktail

Fly Patterns of Canada - Paul C Marriner

Sunday, September 1, 2024

Ches's Black Fly

Ches's Black Fly

Hooks - TMC7999 or DA12441 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Tip - Flat silver tinsel

Tail - Golden pheasant crest feather

Body - Black floss

Hackle - Cream hackle barbs tied in at the throat

Wing - Black moose hair tied thick and flared over the body

Ches Traverse of Corner Brook, Newfoundland, originated this pattern in 1970.

Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art - Terry Hellekson