Showing posts with label Steelhead fly fishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Steelhead fly fishing. Show all posts

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Tying the string leech for winter fly fishing

In our costal river systems, large presentations work great as most bigger river fish feast on the smaller fish and lamprey. Big flies are fun to fish, evoking an aggressive response in Char, trout and Steelhead/Salmon. The Sting leech is an easy to tie fly with a nice sillouette in the water. The rabbit looks realistic in the current and a trailer hook has good hookups. You can tie them in virtually any color, from pink to olive or whatever. You will need: Black Rabbit, black 3/0 thread, 30lb braided or backing line, Purple Schlappen, cone head of preferred color ( Orange or Chartreuse look good) and a Size 4 or 2 octopus with a large cheap upturned eye hook to cut.

First slide the cone on the hook you will cut, make sure the eye of the hook has enough room to double the braid or Dacron through.

Loop the smaller hook through the Backing and tie in on the big hook. Hang the hook back about 1.5"

Guide the Backing through the cone, through the eye, and then back all the way through again under the fly and tie down.

Wrap on some lead, tie down and Krazy glue. Tie in a section of rabbit a little bit longer then the trailer hook. Wrap the other end of the strip forwards with minimal overlap, when you hit the cone, wrap once extra and start tie off with the thread.

Cut the excess off an push the extra wrap you made under the cone while twisting it a bit tighter. Tie down the rabbit some more and add some flash.

Take the Schlappen feather and peel back the fuzz off the bottom of the feather. Tie from the tip were the stem is a bit stronger

Wrap the feather forward and tie off at the end. Trip the stem and whip finish.

Put the trailer hook in the vice. Tie on a base of thread, then take the sting length of rabbit and tie in. Pull back the furs in order to tie directly on the leather strip.

Cut off the bigger hook and file down the edges so the backing doesn't get cut. Krazy glue all thread you see.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Blue Intruder Steelhead Fly



The Intruder has become more of a style of Steelhead fly than a specific pattern.The original was tied by legendary Washington Steelhead guide Ed Ward. This variation of an Intruder is tied on a wadington shank with a small octopus style hook rigged in a loop of slickshooter. This set up enables one to change the hook so as to be always be fishing with a sharp hook. This flashy blue intruder is a great pattern for covering the water quickly as it's large profile and bright colouring are extremely visible. Black,purple,blue and white combine for a bug that looks great in the water. The fly in the photo was probably on my line for close to a week,just changed the hook out when a fresh sharp one was needed

SHANK - Partridge waddington 1.5"

LOOP - 35# slickshooter

THREAD - black

HOOK - octopus #2

TAIL - white arctic fox with a wrap of cobalt blue rhea and kingfisher blue ostrich herl finished with a turn of purple and black schlappen

BODY - pearl/purple Lagurtons flat braid

HACKLE - cobalt blue rhea wrapped over spun white polar bear

COLLAR - purple schlappen hackle wrapped with black schlappen

WING - kingfisher blue ocstrich herl with an underwing of pearl flashabou

HEAD - finish off with a nice set of machined eyes of your preference

Thursday, January 8, 2009

Pink Intruder Tube Fly



Tied for the Squamish river, this fly is a slight variation of Ed Ward's popular Intruder pattern. The Intruder has become more of a style of Steelhead fly than a specific pattern. This variation of an Intruder is tied on an aluminum tube. The advantages of fishing this fly on a tube include the use of a smaller short shank hook which is not only safer for fish but also seems to slightly increase one's landing ratio. The tube set up enables one to change the hook and thus the fly can always be fished with a sharp hook. This is a great pattern for covering the water quickly as it's large profile and flashy colouring are extremely visible. Expect crushing takes, this is a Steelhead magnet. You will notice that this fly seems to fish best after it has had some use. The ostrich, rhea and arctic fox thin out with a little bit of use.

TUBE - HMH 1.5" aluminum

HOOK - Partridge nordic single size #4

TAIL - shrimp pink arctic fox

BODY - pearl Lagurtons flat braid

HACKLE - hot pink rhea wrapped over spun white polar bear

COLLAR - shrimp pink saddle hackle wrapped with hot pink shlappen

WING - white ocstrich herl with an underwing of pearl flashabou

HEAD - finish off with a nice set of machined eyes of your preference

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Steelhead Fly Fishing




Here is a video that my good bud Yos Gladstone made of our crew fishing Steelhead in October and November 2007.This was Yos's first attempt at movie making and he shot the entire vid on his point and shoot camera.

Yos has been a guide at Whistler Flyfishing almost since the beginning and has his own destination travel booking company called Chromer Sportfishing. You can check out his blog at

www.chromersportfishing.com

enjoy!