This is one of my most effective steelhead patterns. With the upcoming winter steelhead season I thought I would take the time to share this fly with you. Enjoy!
Recipe:
- Spey Blood Quill Marabou, dyed black
- Spey Blood Quill Marabou, dyed brilliant blue
- Rhea Spey Plume, dark blue
- Guinea Fowl Feathers, silver doctor blue
- Fluorescent Chenille, fluorescent fire orange
- 6/0 Uni-thread, black or iron grey
- Soft Wire, medium silver
- Tiemco 7999, no. 2
- Flashabou, dark blue
- Angel Hair, black pearl
Step 1:
Place the hook in the vise and attach the tying thread approximately in line with the hook point.
Step 2:
Select about 8 strands of dark blue Rhea that are just less than two times the overall length of the hook shank. Tie the Rhea in at the hook point and clip the excess. The Rhea should extend back approximately the length of the hook shank.
Step 3:
At the same point above the hook point attach 3-4 strands of dark blue Flashabou with the end extending as far back as the Rhea tails fibres. Leave the long ends of the Flashabou strands hanging.
Step 4:
Attach the medium silver Soft Wire above the hook point and tie it down along the hook shank with thread wraps to a point approximately 1/3 of the way down the shank from the hook eye. Clip the excess wire from behind. Make sure the wire lies flat along the top of the hook shank.
Step 5:
Holding all the pieces of dark blue Flashabou as one, wrap the Flashabou up the hook shank ensuring complete coverage of the hook shank and the silver wire up to the point 1/3 of the way down the shank from the hook eye. Tie in the Flashabou strands and trim the excess.
Step 6:
Counter-wrap the medium silver Soft Wire with even spacing up the hook shank over the dark blue Flashabou to secure the Flashabou. Tie of the medium silver wire at the same point approximately 1/3 of the way back from the hook eye.
Step 7:
At this point 1/3 back from the hook eye, tie in the fluorescent fire orange chenille. Make two or three wraps of chenille to build up an “egg sized” bulb. Tie of the chenille and clip the excess.
Step 8:
Strip the fibres off from one side of a selected brilliant blue Spey Blood Quill Marabou feather. Tie in the tips just in front of the chenille bulb and take two or three wraps. Make sure to stroke the fibres back with each wrap so no fibres are tied down. Tie off the blue marabou feather and clip the excess.
Step 9:
Some tiers may wish to include some black pearl Angel Hair in between the two marabou feathers at this point. Extra flash is up to the individual but a good rule of thumb is that extra flash can be more easily removed on the river bank than added!
Step 10:
Just in front of the blue marabou feather, repeat step 8 but using the black dyed Spey Blood Quill Marabou feather. Advanced tiers may prefer to experiment with tying both colors of feathers and wrapping them simultaneously for a more blended effect.
Step 11:
Select a silver doctor blue Guinea Fowl feather and strip the fibres from one side. Tie in the tips just in front of the black marabou from step 10 and wrap 2-3 turns with the Guinea Fowl feather. Tie off and clip the excess.
Step 12:
Build up a neat head with the tying thread, whip finish and apply head cement…
…and you are ready to hit the river. If you have any fly tying questions please do not hesitate to give myself of the rest of the boys a shout at the store (604-872-2204).
I hope to see you on the water,
Matt
