Bodkin / Patterns

Silver Spectre

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 Fine oval silver tinsel (as needed)
  • Tail Red macaw hackle strips enveloped in two strips of summer duck (1)
  • Body Flat silver tinsel (full shank)
  • Rib Oval Silver Tinsel (5-6 turns)
  • Hackles Three: jay and black herl at butt, red macaw butted with black herl at centre, black-dyed at throat (3)
  • Wing Copper-coloured peacock herl (1 bunch)
  • Cheek Blue chatterer (1 per side)
  • Horns Black cockatoo tail (1 per side)
  • Head Black herl (few turns)

How to tie it

  1. Wrap a tag of fine oval silver tinsel over the barb, then tie in red macaw hackle strips wrapped in two strips of summer duck for the tail.
  2. Cover the shank with flat silver tinsel and counter-rib with oval silver tinsel in evenly spaced turns.
  3. Set three hackles at intervals as the fly is built: jay with black herl at the butt, red macaw butted with black herl at the centre, and a black-dyed hackle at the throat.
  4. Lay copper-coloured peacock herl over the top as the wing.
  5. Add blue chatterer cheeks, a pair of black cockatoo horns, form a small black herl head and whip finish.

Tying videos

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