Bodkin / Patterns

Mystery

Salmon/Steelhead · Salmon · Steelhead · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

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

Materials

  • Tag Silver twist and gold silk (as needed)
  • Tail Golden pheasant topping (1)
  • Butt Black herl (few turns)
  • Body Gold silk (full shank)
  • Rib Oval silver tinsel (5-6 turns)
  • Hackle Natural blue-dun from the second turn, palmered (1)
  • Throat Claret hackle (1 collar)
  • Wing Two strips of swan dyed yellow and a topping (2 strips + 1 topping)
  • Horns Red macaw (1 per side)
  • Cheek Chatterer (1 per side)

How to tie it

  1. Wrap a tag of silver twist and gold silk over the barb, then tie in a golden pheasant topping for the tail. Form a black herl butt.
  2. Cover the shank with gold silk and rib it with oval silver tinsel in evenly spaced turns.
  3. Palmer a natural blue-dun hackle from the second turn, then wind a claret hackle at the throat as a beard.
  4. Set two strips of yellow-dyed swan for the wing with a topping over the top.
  5. Add chatterer cheeks, red macaw horns, form a small head and whip finish.

Tying videos

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