Bodkin / Patterns

Benchill

Salmon/Steelhead · Salmon · Steelhead · Advanced · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Blind-eye or up-eye classic salmon fly hook, 1/0-4
  • Thread Black 8/0

Materials

  • Tag Gold tinsel (as needed)
  • Tail Golden pheasant topping and golden pheasant breast feather tip (1 topping + 1 tip)
  • Butt Black herl (few turns)
  • Body Orange, scarlet, claret and pale blue seal's fur (well picked out) (in four sections)
  • Rib Flat silver tinsel and twist (5-6 turns)
  • Throat Pale blue hackle (1 collar)
  • Wing Golden pheasant tippets back to back, veiled with married peacock wing, scarlet and blue swan, golden pheasant tail and bustard (1 pair + veils)
  • Cheek Speckled guinea wing and jungle cock (1 per side)
  • Topping Golden pheasant topping over all (1)
  • Head Black ostrich herl (small)

How to tie it

  1. Wrap a gold tinsel tag over the barb, then tie in a golden pheasant topping tipped with a small golden pheasant breast feather for the tail. Add a butt of black herl.
  2. Dub the body in four butting sections of well-picked-out seal's fur working forward: orange, scarlet, claret, then pale blue.
  3. Rib the whole body with flat silver tinsel followed by fine twist in evenly spaced turns.
  4. Wind a pale blue hackle at the throat as a beard and stroke it down.
  5. Set two golden pheasant tippets back to back for the wing and veil with married strands of peacock wing, scarlet and blue swan, golden pheasant tail and bustard.
  6. Add speckled guinea and jungle cock cheeks, a golden pheasant topping over the whole wing, form a small head and whip finish.

Tying videos

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