Bodkin / Patterns

Silver Rat

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

Classic Recipe

  • Hook Salmon single/double, 4-10
  • Thread Red 8/0

Materials

  • Tag Oval gold (small)
  • Tail Peacock sword (3-4)
  • Body Flat silver tinsel (smooth)
  • Wing Gray fox guard hair (sparse)
  • Hackle Grizzly hackle (collar)

How to tie it

  1. Mount the salmon hook and start red thread. Wind to the bend.
  2. Tie in a few turns of small oval gold tinsel for the tag above the barb and clip.
  3. Bind in 3-4 peacock sword fibers as a tail over the tag, one hook gap long.
  4. Tie in flat silver tinsel and wind a smooth even body forward to one eye-length behind the eye. Tie off. The red thread showing through is deliberate.
  5. Cut, clean and stack a sparse bunch of gray fox guard hair. Bind it as a low wing reaching to the end of the tail, tips back.
  6. Wind a grizzly hackle as a collar, 2-3 turns, then sweep it back and down.
  7. Build a small head, whip finish and cement.

Tying videos

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