Paul's May 2024 Fly of the Month

Coyote Copper Head Streamer

Hook:  Mustad 9672 or 4X streamer hook of choice Size #4 - #10.

Thread:  Brown 6/0.

Tail:  Soft Hair from a coyote’s mask with some guard hairs left in.

Bead:  Copper or Gold Tungsten Bead sized for hook size. 

Tail:  Soft hair from a coyote’s mask with some guard hair left in.

Body:  Dyed Pearl Diamond Braid in Bonefish Tan.

Belly:  White hair from the coyote mask.

Wing:  Same as the tail extending to about half the length of the tail.

Topping:  A few pieces of Copper Flas-a-bou extending will past the tail.

Head/collar:  Rusty Brown Ice Dub.

This has been 1 of my best producing flies this early spring season (2024).  It comes from Dan LaPointe of Dan’s Fly Shop and Guide Service, New Hampshire.  It’s an easy tie and originally designed for large rivers in New Hampshire & Maine.  It’s produced extremely well for me on some of the smaller rivers in CT.  I don’t see why it wouldn’t work on the larger ones.  It’s different than most streamers out there.  It also gets down deep fast.  I’m always trying to avoid posting a pattern with exotic material.  A Coyote mask isn’t carried by many fly shops.  You can find it online with a little searching.  It’s very reasonably priced.  You can also use natural rabbit fur as a substitute, using dark natural hairs for the tail and wing, and white rabbit for the belly. 

To tie this fly, crimp the barb of your hook, place your bead on it, then place the hook in your vice.  Start your thread behind the bead and make a half dozen securing wraps.  Cut off the butt end.  Wrap your thread down the hook shank and leave it at the hook point.  Cut a bunch of the darker haired tips from your Coyote mask for your tail.  Separate out the ‘under hair’ and tie it in for your tail.  It should be a little longer than a hook gap in length off the bend o your hook.  I usually wrap the butt end of the tail on top of the hook shank, all the way to the bead to create a nice even body.  Now bring your hook back down to the tail ‘tie in’ point.  Tie in and secure a 3”-4” length of Dyed Pearl Diamond Braid in Bone Fish Tan. Bring your thread forward and stop it a ‘bead length’ behind your mounted bead.  Apply some head cement to the top of the hook shank and with touching wraps palmer your Braid forward, tying it off at your thread.  Cut off any excess.  Invert your fly with the hook point up.  You are now going to tie in your belly.  You are going to use the lighter white hairs on your Coyote mask.  Tie it in so that it extends half way down your tail.  After taking some securing wraps cut off the butt ends.  Invert your hook again (hook point down).

You are going to mirror your belly by tying in a wing of darker tipped Coyote hairs (same as your tail).  With your wing and belly complete, take 2 strands of Copper Flash-a-bou, double it over your hanging thread, bring it up on top of the hook shank, and secure it on top of your wing.  Trim some of the strands so that they extend beyond the length of the fly.  Next, prepare a dubbing noddle for your Collar with Rusty Brown Ice Dub.  Dub the collar of your fly and complete it with a whip finish. 

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

 

Paul's April 2024 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Holy Grail Caddis Emerger

Hook:  Curved Emerger or Nymph Hook Size #12 - #16.

Thread:  Red Thread.

Bead:  3/32” 2.4 mm Gold Bead.

Rib:  Opal or Pearlescent tinsel or Flash-a-bou. 

Body:  Hare’s Mask Dubbing.

Wingcase:  Pheasant Tail Fibers.

Body:  Gold tinsel Chenille, Large.

Hackle:  Partridge.

This is a great emerger pattern for deeper water.  To tie this fly begin by mashing down the hook barb, place the bead on the hok, and it in your vice.  Start your thread at the hook point. Once secured, cut off the butt end.  Next, secure your Pearl Tinsel/Flash-a-bou onto the hook shank.  You are now going to bring your Tinsel over the mounted Gold Bead, under the hook shank, and back to your tie in point.  That should lock the bead in place.  When you do this make sure you located the bead an ‘eye length’ from the hook eye.  This is critical.  With the bead locked in place, wrap your thread down the hook shank, over the Tinsel.  Your wraps should extend well down the hook shank.  

Next, create a slim dubbing noodle with your Hare’s Mask Dubbing.  With touching wraps, create a tapered body up the hook shank.  The body should end before the bead, leaving enough space to tie in your Wingcase.  Next, with open spiral wraps, rib your body with Tinsel.  Tie it off and cut off the butt end. Now prepare your Wingcase by stripping off 8-10 fibers of Pheasant Tail.  After aligning the tips, trim them off.  Tie them in behind the bead with the fibers extending back towards the rear.  Now dub another noodle with Hare’s Dubbing to cover the body space behind the bead.  Bring your thread over the bead and make some securing wraps.  Next, bring your Pheasant Tail Fibers over the Bead and secure them to create your Wingcase.  After the fibers are anchored, clip off the butt ends.  Now, select a Partridge feather to serve as your hackle.  Strip off all the lower webby fibers.  Pinch the tip of the feather and stroke back all the other fibers on the feather.  Trim off the tip of the feather leaving part of the stem exposed.  Tie the feather in by the exposed stem.  With hackle pliers, take 2 wraps around the hook shank, stroking the feather fibers back as you do so.  Tie the feather off, trim off the excess stem.  Create a small head on the fly, whip finish, and apply head cement. 

Tightlinevideo 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 pdinice@frontier.com .