Bodkin / Patterns

Ray's Fly

Baitfish · Striped Bass · Bluefish · False Albacore · Intermediate · 1 version

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Mustad 34007 or Tiemco 811S, 1-4
  • Thread Black or olive 6/0

Materials

  • Body Pearl Mylar tinsel or braid (1 length)
  • Wing (bottom to top) White bucktail, yellow bucktail, olive bucktail (3 sparse clumps)
  • Flash Pearl Flashabou or Krystal Flash (3-4 strands)
  • Topping Peacock herl (5-6 strands)

How to tie it

  1. Wrap the shank with pearl Mylar for a slim flashy body and tie off at the head.
  2. At the head, tie in a sparse clump of white bucktail extending about two shank lengths past the bend.
  3. Add a few strands of pearl flash, then a sparse clump of yellow bucktail the same length. The thin yellow band is Ray's insight, matching the golden flank stripe of a silverside in the water.
  4. Top with a sparse olive bucktail clump, then 5-6 strands of peacock herl slightly longer.
  5. Keep every clump sparse enough to read newsprint through; translucence is the whole pattern.
  6. Build a small neat head, whip finish, and cement.

Tying videos

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