Bodkin / Patterns

McPhail Adult Salmon Fly

Dry Fly · Trout · Intermediate · 1 version

Reference Recipe

  • Hook long-shank dry, 2XL (Kamasan B160), 6-8
  • Thread orange 8/0

Materials

  • Closed-cell foam, 2mm Orange foam strip (1 strip)
  • Antron/synthetic dubbing Orange ice dub (small pinch)
  • Deer or elk hair Natural deer hair (1 clump (wing))
  • Krystal Flash Pearl flashabou (few strands)
  • Dry-fly hackle Brown hackle (1)

How to tie it

  1. Cut a strip of 2mm orange foam a little wider than the gap; bind it down the shank with 3-4 segmenting wraps to the bend, leaving a short tag over the bend.
  2. Dub a thin orange body forward over the thread base to the 70% mark, half the dubbing you think.
  3. Fold the foam forward over the body and bind at 70%, leaving a short foam head stub in front; this forms the flat floating back.
  4. Stack a clump of deer/elk hair one shank long, tips to the rear, and bind at 70% so it tents over the body; add a few strands of pearl Krystal Flash.
  5. Tie in a brown hackle at the wing root and palmer 4-5 open turns forward through the head, then tie off and trim a small foam head.
  6. Whip finish behind the eye and add a drop of cement.

Tying videos

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