Stormy Morn Steelhead Dee

Stormy Morn

This is a Dee style fly designed for steelhead fishing and is a dressing re-visited from years past.  I’ve tweaked the recipe slightly, but the general color, components, and design remain the same.

I used to tie this with marabou hackle, but found that it was a little heavy for my liking.  It would sometimes mat and ruin the look of the fly when swimming through the water.  I used to set the wings higher, but I have since gone to a lower-set and sleeker design for many of my steelhead flies.  Here’s the recipe for this version:

Hook:  TMC 202SP, #1/0

Tag:  Silver oval tinsel

Tail:  Golden pheasant crest veiled with a few fibers of white guinea dyed light blue

Butt:  Black ostrich herl

Rib:  Gold oval tinsel

Rear 1/3 Body:  Flat silver tinsel

Front Body:  Blend of purple and claret fur (seal, angora, etc)

Hackle:  Purple schlappen – stripped on one side – wound from the fur.

Throat:  White guinea dyed light blue and a blue-phase peacock feather

Wings:  Strips of Amherst pheasant

Cheeks:  Jungle cock, drooping (optional)

Here is another recent fly, sans jungle cock, tied on one of the beautiful new Dave McNeese Blue Heron Spey hooks (2.25″):

tied on a Blue Heron Spey Hook - 2.25"

Here is one of the original Stormy Morns:

Stormy Morn - original version

Pair of Stormy Morns ready to go for a swim

Tips for the Beginning Salmon Fly Tyer

This is directed toward those tyers who have begun tying Atlantic Salmon Flies or are about to embark on that journey.

I had been tying flies for a few years progressing from trout fishing flies into some more complicated hairwing steelhead and salmon flies, mallard wing Spey flies, and featherwing streamers.  It was a movement toward more complex flies using most of the techniques I had already learned along the way.  When I decided it was time to make the jump to what I see as the pinnacle of fly tying – Atlantic Salmon Flies – I had the basic techniques required.  However, to begin to master these complex flies (and no one ever really masters fly tying do they?), there are some items I’ve learned that I want to share to perhaps ease the transition:

1. “Errors” tend to compound themselves.  If something is not quite right, it’s difficult to keep in place, is split or falling apart, or just doesn’t look right, it will definitely not get any better as you add more to the fly!  Patience and discipline are required to go ahead and remove the offending material – even if it is a few steps back – and start again.  Don’t compound the error.
2. Along the lines of item #1, the tail sets the tone for your fly.  It might be worthwhile to lay out the tail and topping (pre-selecting) with your hook to get a visual of what the framework of your fly is going to be.  It is better to have the tail too short than too long in my opinion.  Tail and topping (golden pheasant crests, usually) do not have to meet; it is often enough to have the suggestion that they would meet.  That said, most classic salmon flies employ a tail and topping and it is good form to have them meet at the rear of your wing.  In short, get the tail right before you move on or you may have to compensate later to the detriment of your final result.
3. You already have a lot of materials that are used in dressing salmon flies.  You need not go out and spend a lot of money to buy the most rare and unusual materials when starting your salmon tying career.  In fact, I would recommend practicing with cheaper materials as you work on techniques.  Goat instead of seal’s fur.  Rayon floss instead of expensive silk.  Mylar tinsel instead of varnished metal.  Mounting simple wings constructed of turkey (I know you have some for nymph wingcases) and perhaps goose feather fibers will serve you as well for practice as building wings out of bustard or other expensive feathers.  There are also plenty of excellent substitutes available for things like kingfisher, toucan, and Indian crow that are inexpensive.
4. Tie on regular steelhead/salmon hooks which are cheaper and more readily available than blind-eye hooks that require the addition of a gut loop.  Stick to sizes no larger than 2/0, and you should have no problem finding materials that will work on flies of this size.  Even on more expensive materials, there is often a significant price break for the smaller feathers (i.e., shorter barb length). Once you feel more comfortable in your tying, you’ll know when it’s time to seek the rarer materials and the bigger hooks.
5. Practice.  Especially setting wings.  Make sure they are like a knife-edge along the top of the hook shank and that they don’t veer to one side.  Work at compressing the materials into as fine a point as possible; the colors should spring from that point.  Beware of splitting!  Practice.  Work on making smooth underbodies, even when it is going to be covered with dubbing.  This pays off when it is time to wrap a smooth tinsel or silk body.  You want to develop good techniques and work at them all the time.  And did I mention, practice?
6. Pay attention to proportions.  While there are not hard and fast rules governing every item on every fly, there are generally accepted parameters for proportions.  As you explore the writings of past and contemporary tyers, pay attention to what is said about proportions.  Things like tag length and alignment, wing length, number of rib turns (trust me, remember the number 5…it will keep you from being drummed right out of the club), body hackle and throat length, etc.  Pay attention to the proportions as you progress through your fly.  Don’t be afraid to mark the underbodies with a pen and to measure materials as you go.  Be patient and selective in what you apply.
7. Along these lines, I think some of the best advice I received early in my salmon tying days is to use a light colored thread (white or yellow) for dressing the majority of the fly.  It is much easier to work against a light underbody than a black one (and easier to mark with a pen).  Black thread can darken materials.  You can color light thread with markers when dubbing multi-colored fur bodies (this is another trick for you).  I have a number of Sharpies for just this purpose!  Switch to black thread once you’re ready to set your wing and then finish the fly.
8. Learn to control your thread.  Be able to place it precisely from front to back and anywhere in between.  Be able to flatten it by counter-spinning your bobbin; keep in mind that some thread flattens better than others.  Some threads are round and will never flatten out properly, so you might need to check into this a bit.  For me, I tie almost all of my salmon flies with Danville 6/0 thread.  I want a flat thread to seat things like cheeks and to build smooth underbodies and tie small heads.  I might want a more round thread to grip a material and pull it into place.  The more you progress, the more that thread control becomes essential to getting the best results out of your efforts.
9. Use an “economy of wraps” to hold materials in place. Practice wrapping 5 turns to hold materials, then backing off 2 or 3 of them before progressing to the next step. An example is holding a tinsel rib with 5 turns before wrapping the hackle forward.  Once the hackle is at the tie-off point, back off 2 or 3 of the turns holding the tinsel and then secure the hackle.  Also, use a half-hitch at strategic points to hold your thread which avoids unnecessary wraps building up.
10. Using the “right” materials makes things go much more smoothly.  By “right” I don’t mean in terms of authenticity (although that can be an item for debate as well), but rather the correct type or section of a given material.  The entire bronze mallard feather is not suitable for making Spey wings or roofs, for instance.  There is a sweet spot of 1″-1 1/2 ” where the material is perfect for these applications with soft base fibers and edges that stay married.  Same goes for tools – the right tools help get the job done with minimum of fuss.  With practice, you will become adept at selecting the proper material or tool for performing the task at hand.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of things to guide the budding salmon fly tyer, but it is a start.  Every time we dress a fly it is possible to run across a helpful hint or tip to remember that helped solve a problem, made a task easier, or made the final result look better.  I will address some more specific tips in a future post.

Classic Streamer Class Notes

These are notes compiled when taking a streamer tying class from the late Harry Gross in February 2003.  I have added these to the Tying Notes page and can be found by following the link below.   

-Classic Streamer Class Notes « Northwest Fly Tyer.

Perhaps there will be some items here for the streamer tyer that will prove helpful.

Copper McFinn

Copper McFinn - dressed by Monte Smith

Copper McFinn Recipe

Hook:  Mike Martinek 8XL, #1

Rib:  Red wire

Body:  Flat copper tinsel

Belly:  Red fox squirrel tail

Underwing:  Peacock herls covered with long golden pheasant crest

Wing:  Two yellow hackles flanked with two slightly shorter red hackles

Shoulder:  Silver pheasant

Cheek:  Jungle cock

Throat:  Dyed red golden pheasant crest

Topping:  Dyed red golden pheasant crest

Inspired by the famous Mickey Finn streamer.

‘Tis the Season – Yuletide Spey

A fun fly in the colors of the season.  Originally tied for a lighthearted contest, but not submitted.  Perhaps for the best since it wasn’t as lighthearted as I thought!

Yuletide Spey

The recipe:

Hook:  Daiichi 2052, # 1.5 (nickel finish)

Rib:  Medium oval silver tinsel

Hackle:  White schlappen, stripped on one side

Body:  1/5 red floss, balance red seal or goat dubbing

Throat:  Red schlappen, sparse (1 – 1 1/2 turns)

Wing:  Four medium green hackle tips

Sides:  Jungle cock

Head:  Red

The Essential Kelson – A Fly Tyer’s Compendium

The Essential Kelson – A Fly Tyer’s Compendium – Terry Griffiths – book review – Global FlyFisher.

A new book I must add to my collection!

 

The Pitcroy Fancy

The Pitcroy Fancy is found in Kelson’s The Salmon Fly: How to Dress It and How to Use It (1895).  He attributes the pattern to Mr. Turnbull, who also originated the Duchess and the Wilson among others. Here is the dressing, as listed by Kelson:

Tag – Silver twist
Tail – A topping and strands of tippet
Butt – Scarlet wool
Body – Silver tinsel
Ribs – Silver tinsel (oval)
Hackle – Grey Heron, from centre
Throat – Gallina
Wings – Tippet (large strips), light mottled Turkey, Pintail, Mallard, and a topping
Sides – Jungle
Head – Scarlet wool

A modern Spey standard

The Pitcroy Fancy

The Pitcroy Fancy is also found in Hardy’s Salmon Fishing (1907), and the dressing is identical to Kelson’s.  One reason I’m drawn to this fly is because it is a bit more complex than the early Spey flies with their long heron hackles and simple wings of mallard.  Subtle brilliance of those classics aside, the so-called “modern” Spey flies often include the ubiquitous heron hackle (or substitute), but also wings built from several different feather sections.  This blending of styles began in Scotland with the invasion of the more gaudy Irish flies in the early 19th century .  Derivative flies such as the Glen Grant and the Rough Grouse are well-known examples.  Count the Pitcroy Fancy among them.

I tied this for a special project on a size 2/0 Harrison Bartleet hook.  The hackle is blue-eared pheasant.  The pintail is a whole shoulder feather, rather than  just a snipped section.  The wool is shredded Berlin wool, which is then dubbed sparsely on the thread and wrapped.

Cool Stuff

Cool Stuff.

Wow!  Old catalog pages, notes, patterns…salmon fly enthusiasts will love this site.

It takes a few moments  to load, but I found it well worth the wait.  An awful lot of historical stuff here.

Streamers 365 | for the streamer fly aficionado

Streamers 365 | for the streamer fly aficionado.

A lot of great information here…plus only 6 months until the first of 365 streamers will be featured!

More Streamer Fun

Here are two more streamers tied on the Mustad-Chestertown No. 3298 hooks – modified as before – size 8:

Black Ghost

Black Ghost (a classic northeast U.S. pattern)

Hook:  Mustad No 3298, size 8.  Gut eye

Tail:  Yellow hackle fibers

Body:  Black silk, ribbed with flat silver tinsel

Throat:  Yellow hackle fibers

Wing:  Four white hackles

Cheeks:  Jungle cock

Angry Blue

Angry Blue (adaptation of my steelhead fly)

Hook:  Mustad No 3298, size 8.  Gut eye

Tail:  Black hackle fibers

Body:  Blue tinsel, ribbed with small oval copper rib

Throat:  Red schlappen

Wings:  Two royal blue hackles covered with two black hackles, shorter.

Crown:  Black schlappen

Here are the  three streamers in this style that have been posted here on nwflytyer.com:

These sleek streamers are begging to be fished.  I believe I shall accommodate in the very near future!