Paul's December 2020 Fly of the Month

Wood Special 

Hook:  Size #8 Dai-Riki #700 Streamer hook; or use Mustad 3665A (or preferred hook).

Thread:  UTC 70 Denier Black Thread.

Rib:  Small Silver Mylar Tinsel. 

Tail:  Golden Pheasant Crest Tippets.

Body:  Florescent Orange Chenille.

Wing:  Wood Duck lemon flank feather. 

Throat/hackle:  Brown or Grizzly hen hackle barbules.

Eyes:  (Optional)  Jungle Cock.

Head:  Thread, finished with UV Resin.

This is a very traditional & famous Maine Streamer.  It was developed by Joe Sterling in the 1960’s.  Still a very popular streamer pattern in Maine, it’s a great productive fly anywhere.  It’s been a longtime staple of mine here on CT waters.  The size of this streamer is on the smaller size, limited due to the length of the Wood Duck wing.  It seems most fly fishers are into the bigger articulated streamers.  I tend to go in the other direction fishing smaller streamer sizes.

To tie this fly, secure the hook in your tying vice and start your thread an eye length space behind the eye.  Now, tie in your Silver Mylar Tinsel.  I bind it down where my thread wraps start and wrap down to the bend.  Next, tie in your Golden Pheasant Crest Tippets.  You need approximately 1 whole feather for the tail.  The tail should be slightly more than a hook gap in length.  For almost every ‘traditional’ streamer you want to develop a very even body and base.  When tying in the tail, wrap it back all the way up to your thread starting point.  At the starting location of your tying thread, tie in your Orange Chenille.  With the Chenille placed on top of the hook shank, wrap all the way back to the base of the tail.  Bring the thread forward making open spiral wraps back up to your starting point.  Next, make ‘touching’ wraps up the hook shank with your Chenille.  At the tying thread, tie it off and cut off the tag end.  Now, make even open spiral wraps with your Silver Tinsel rib.  When you reach your tying thread, anchor it down and cut off the tag end.  You are now going to prepare your Wood Duck feather for the wing.  It is ultimately going to extend from just behind the hook eye to the tip of the tail.  Strip off the fuzzy lower fibers of the feather.  Collapse the wing by rolling it between your fingers.  You want the feather to have a nice curve with the fibers sticking together.  Now, tie in and anchor the feather to the top of the hook shank.  Cut off the butt end of the feather.  With you thread create a smooth base for your hackle.  Prepare a Grizzly Hen hackle for your Throat.  Tie it in at the head and wrap it to create a Throat with approximately 3 wraps.  Tie the feather off and clip off the butt end.  Create an even head while sweeping back the feather fibers.  Tie it off and apply some UV Resin or cement of your choice. 

Below is a great instructional video from Tightlinevideo.

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of the Month I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or at pdinice@frontier.com . 

Paul's November Bonus 2020 Fly of the Month

Deep Sparkle Pupa 

Hook:  Tiemco 3769 Size #12-#18 (or similar hook of choice).

Bead (Optional):  Gold, Copper, or Black Tungsten Bead to match.

Thread:  UT Ultra thread 70 Brown, Black, or Olive.

Tail/Body Shuck:  Sparkle Yarn (Color to match Naturals – Some tiers also use Antron or Zelon).

Body:  Sparkle Yarn mixed with U/V Hare’s Ear Dubbing.

Wing:  Deer Hair (Color to match naturals).

Thorax/Collar:  Fur Dubbing (color to match). 

This fly is a variation of the Emergent Sparkle Pupa designed by Gary LaFontaine.  In my opinion he was one of the most innovative fly tiers of our time.  The Sparkle Yarn on this fly creates a ‘sheath’ that traps air bubbles just like the natural.  Originally this fly did not have a bead.  Instead of a deer hair wing, it had deer hair legs and was meant to be fished in the surface film.   This fly is used to fish deeper. Also, a lot of the hits you get will occur as the fly swings upward at the end of your drift.  You also want to let it ‘dangle’ at the end of your cast.  At times this will also induce the trout to strike it.  

Begin by placing bead on your hook.  Place your hook in the vice.  Make several wrap of thread behind your bead.  Cut off the tag end.  Now take a hank of Sparkle Yarn a couple inches long.  Match the thickness of it to the size of the fly your tying.  Tie it in by one end behind the bead.  With your fingernail press down on it so that it surrounds the hook shank.  Wrap your thread rearward binding down the Sparkle Yarn.  When you reach the end of the hook shank divide the yarn into two equal parts and form a ‘V’ at the rear of the hook.  Next, dub your underbody.  Your body should be slender enough to just cover your thread wraps.  Don’t overdub.  End it leaving a little space behind the bead.  Now, bring both sides of your Sparkle Yarn (‘V’) forward on each side of the hook.  Take two wraps of your thread to bind it behind the bead.  With your dubbing needle pull the yarn slightly away from the body.  Your going to create a little ‘bubble’ around the hook shank.  Work it with your fingers to ensure that it surrounds the body/shank. 

Once formed you can take some additional thread wraps to bind down the yarn behind the bead.  Clip off the excess/tag end of the yarn.  To create a trailing tail, clip a few fibers of the body shuck behind the bead.  Sweep the fibers back with your fingers.  The tail should consist of approximately 5-6 fibers.  Next, you are going to tie in a sparse  deer hair wing behind the bead.  It should be no longer than the hook shank.  Clip off the butt ends and secure it with a few wraps.  Finally, dub your Thorax/Collar behind the bead.  Whip finish and clip off the tag end.  

Intheriffle has a great instructional video on how to tie this fly Below: 

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of the Month I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or at pdinice@frontier.com .