Bootleg Fly: Green Butt Purple Skunk vs. Silver Hilton

Well, we set our clocks forward, the days are getting longer, March Madness is nearly upon us, and spring is in the air. All this, of course, means summer steelhead aren't far behind.

I'm still inspired by mash-up DJs and bootleg fly patterns, and longing for some summer steelhead action, so I decided to combine two of my favorite low water summer patterns. A little Green Butt Purple Skunk, a bit Silver Hilton, this fly is absolutely wicked on the greased line swing.


I've always loved the grizzly hackle tip wing on the Silver Hilton. It's such a severe, sparse fly, yet these long, dramatic wings bring a graceful, rich, and sweeping quality to it. I always use Diamond Brite dubbing for the butt on this fly because it just adds a little something else to the mix, something that pedestrian chenille can't hope to provide.

Underwater, the two stately hackle tips hold forth. They gyrate, flow, and tantalize (if you haven't seen it, get a copy of Lani Waller's original steelhead tapes and watch him fish the Silver Hilton with great success).

When I fish the Deschutes in August, I like to carry a whole box of these in addition to a full array of summer Spey and Dee patterns, as well as a whack of caddis and stonefly adults. It's a smallish Wheatley box. I keep it in my left chest pocket next to a tightly rolled Ramon Allones and beneath a small nip flask of Bullet.

I can't wait for the dog days.


The Green Bootie Purple Hilton >>


Hook >> Tiemco 7999SP, sizes 8-4
Thread >> Wapsi UTC Ultra Thread, 210 denier, red
Bootie >> Spirit River Diamond Brite Dubbing, caddis green
Ribbing >> Wapsi UTC French Oval Tinsel, medium, silver
Body >> Spirit River Angora goat dubbing, dark stone
Collar >> Spirit River Schlappen, purple
Wing >> Matched Keough grizzly hackle tips


Maybe the dog days aren't here yet, and we may not have a summer run for a few months, but in the meantime, here's a little something from DJ Axel, Hova, and GNR to carry you through... (Axl Rose's white leather get up is so rad).



Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

Fly Recipe: Ian's Whiplash Prawn

Well, Ian McNemar has been logging some hard hours at the vise lately. He's been caught up in the world of tube flies now for a while, and it looks like the obsession is paying off.

Here are two variations of his newest tube pattern, a fly he calls the Whiplash Prawn.

I think he likes Metallica...



Ian's Purple Whiplash Prawn >>

Tube >> HMH thick wall micro tubing nested with clear HMH hybrid tubing
Feelers >> Black bucktail
Flash >> Pearl crystal splash
Butt >> Pink angora goat dubbing
Body >> Claret wool dubbing
Rib >> Small oval silver tinsel
Hackle >> Purple schlappen
Wing >> Black bear hair
Thread >> Danville 6/0 gray/blue
Hook >> Daiichi 1650 tube fly hook, size 6


Ian's Orange Whiplash Prawn >>


Tube >> HMH thick-wall micro tubing nested with HMH orange hybrid tubing for the junction
Eyes >> Small pink shiny beads glued onto 33lb hard mono
Feelers >> Black bucktail
Butt >> Pink angora goat dubbing
Body >> Brown angora boat dubbing
Rib >> Small silver oval tinsel
Hackle >> Orange schlappen
Wing >> Black bear hair
Thread >> Red Danville 6/0
Hook >> Daiichi 1650 tube fly hook, size 6



Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

photos and flies courtesey of Ian McNemar, a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

The Slow Dance: A Fly for Sea Run Browns and WInter Steelhead

When flies hit the water, everyone talks about movement. "This fly moves well." "That fly has great movement on the swing." "I love how that pattern moves under the surface." As anglers and fly tyers, we've all heard (and uttered) these words, or a similar arrangement of these words at some point or another. But we haven't wasted breath; the concept of movement is important, particularly when showing flies to large, aggressive feeders.

Here's a fly designed to move well in the kind of water sea run brown trout chasers and steelheaders often face.


The Slow Dance is an impressionistic fly designed to attract, not to closely imitate. Its squid-like emu "tentacles" make it deadly on coastal steelhead water, its length and bulk through the body render it downright nasty with a greased line technique, and the dark, but contrasting color scheme has proven successful on water from Tierra del Fuego to British Columbia.


Swing it through a seam, or run it through a moderate-to-fast pool or pocket. It's great in slow water and it's wicked when stripped hard through the second half of a swing and into the hang down.


The Slow Dance gets its great movement from three materials. The primary movers in the equation are the three emu feathers that form the long, wispy tail section. These feathers are tied in convex side up and over a thick wad of dubbing to keep them from fouling about the bend of the hook. The secondary mover in the fly is the wrapped collar of purple schlappen just behind the head. The tertiary mover is the darkly colored and heavily teased Angora goat dubbing through the thick body section of the fly. Flanking feathers of guinea and golden pheasant top the fly off and impart contrast and a visual order to things, but don't do much on the movement front.


Big flies designed to move are fun to create, and even more fun to fish. Grab some material and make some moves.


Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

Fly Recipe: The Emerald Shiner Tube Fly

Recently, Wylie Haggerty took an exploratory trip to New York State's Niagara River in search of some of the biggest lake-run steelhead on the East Coast. Wylie loves to swing for chrome, and some of the most effective swing patterns on the "Big River" are those that represent bait fish.

Here's a relatively simple fly he brought with him, and is sure to carry again.


The Emerald Shiner Tube Fly >>


Tube >> 2-inch copper, brass, or aluminum tube
Thread >> Wapsi UTC 210 Denier, red, green, or purple
Body >> Flat Mylar tinsel, large
Ribbing >> French tinsel, oval or Antique tinsel
Wing >> Canadian and Russian Goat hair, married, dark green, light green, and white
Throat >> Webby schlappen fibers, red
Collar >> Wrapped schlappen feather, grey or white
Eyes >> Jungle cock nail feathers, sized to match
Head >> Silver cone head, large


Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

Fly recipe and photo courtesy of Wylie Haggerty

Battling Winter with the Guinea Wing Orange Spey

This week has been cold, snowy, grey, and icy in Manhattan. Perfect weather for staying in, catching up on episodes of 30 Rock and Mad Men, planning summer steelhead trips, and tying Spey flies.

Here's a simple winter-blues-fighter of a pattern I whipped up using only the materials at the top of my Spey storage bin.

The Guinea Wing Orange Spey >>


Hook >> Tiemco 202SP, 1/0
Thread >> Wapsi UTC 210 Denier, red
Tip >> 3 turns of French oval tinsel, silver
Tag >> Danville 4-strand nylon floss, blue
Ribbing >> 5 turns of French oval tinsel, silver
Butt Dubbing >> Angora goat dubbing, 50/50 blend of orange and red
Body Dubbing >> Angora goat dubbing, dark stone
Collar 1 >> Wrapped pheasant rump feather, blueish green
Collar 2 >> Wrapped schlappen feather, orange
Collar 3 >> Wrapped guinea feather, nautral
Wing >> Guinea feather layed flat and secured to the hook shank just behind the eye


This is a solid winter steelhead pattern designed to honor the past with a flourish of gaudy materials, but tied with a modern, nearly deconstructed style.


I like to really tease out the dubbing on these flies, especially in the butt section. It gives the fly an attractive translucence in the water while allowing it to maintain its great body and shape.



Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

Holiday Flurries and Summer Steelhead Flies...

Well, it's looking more and more like Christmas will be white in Manhattan...

... and that means there's only one thing to do: tie up some summer steelhead flies in anticipation of the coming season (even if it is like 7 months off).

Here's a simple low water steelhead fly that I've used with great success on the Deschutes River in Central Oregon during the late summer months.

It's a simple, sparsely-dressed pattern that doesn't require crazy materials or long hours at the vise, making it the perfect antidote for a steelheader on a snowy afternoon.


The Snow-day Summer Steelhead Fly >>


Hook >> Tiemco TMC 202 SP, size 4 or 6
Thread >> Wapsi 210 denier UTC Ultra Thread, red
Tag >> Wapsi Flat Mylar Tinsel, silver, medium
Dubbed Body >> Spirit River Angora Goat Dubbing, black or dark grey
Dubbed "Cheek" >> Spirit River Diamond Brite Dubbing, UV pearl (a nub of dubbing wrapped just forward of the hook eye return, teased for sparkle)
Collar >> Spirit River Pheasant Rump Feather, blue-green


Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

Fly Recipe: Wylie's One Percenter Tube Fly

Every good fly has a story, and every good tube fly has a better one. You never know what will inspire, spark, and feed the naming process of a fly. Regardless of how you get there, settling on the name of a new fly is always an interesting exercise in creativity, free-association, and cool hunting.

Here's the story of a fly called the "One Percenter." It's tied by avid New Jersey-based Delaware trout bum turned steelhead freak, Wylie Haggerty.

Here's Wylie's "page 13 version" of the story behind the name:

"I remember reading Hunter S. Thompson's book Hells Angels a while back and have been interested in the gang from a sociological standpoint ever since. I had been tying flies at the lady's house while watching Gang Land on the tube and the Hells Angels piece came on. The term "1%ers" or "one percenters" has been used to describe the Hells Angles gang because only 1% of the motorcycle community ever meets their criteria. I thought this fly was unique because I had yet to see a fly use a rhea feather as the wing at the time and I thought the black and blue looked similar to the garb of motorcycle gang member. I also thought the fly would explode with movement while in the water, and coincidentally, the Hells Angles were responsible for the second largest car bomb in US history back in the day."

On a side note: In case you're wondering what the current leader of California's Hells Angels would do if he were president...



Here's a quick and dirty recipe for the One Percenter Tube Fly>>

Tube >> HMH large, medium, or small fly tying tube depending, of course, on the desired size of the finished fly
Dubbing >> Polar bear dubbing or Angora goat dubbing
Tinsel >> Silver French or Oval tinsel sized to match the tube, use a diamond braid or traditional wrapping style
Rear Wings >> Wrapped rhea feather or ostrich plume
Top Wing >> Stripped and secured rhea feather tip or ostrich plume tip
Collar >> Palmered marabou feather, oversized
Eye >> Flanking jungle cock nail feathers secured near the hook eye


Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

photo and fly courtesy of Wylie Haggerty

Translucent Tubes: Some Steelhead Candy from Ian McNemar

How did Ian McNemar spend his Turkey Day? Well, check these out.


Over the holiday, Ian whipped up about 4 or 5 purple and orange steelhead flies on tubes influenced by the traditional General Practitioner pattern over the weekend. Ian's weekend work was inspired by Jeff Mishler's recent article on translucence and steelhead fly philosophy in Fly Rod and Reel magazine.
Here are the recipes:

Ian's Purple Practitioner >>


Tube >> HMH large tube
Feelers >> purple EP Fibers, a little EP Sparkle for flash and 2 strands
purple peacock herl from Hareline Dubbin.
Butt >> Pink UV Ice Dub from Hareline for flash
Body >> (just like with the GP, the body is two sections) Purple angora
from Wapsi; translucent pearl medium tinsel from UTC; purple teal
flank - on the back section, I V-cut the teal flank to give the back
end more substance.
Hackle >> Large purple schlappen from Hareline. A few wraps around the
butt of the fly and palmered through the body.
Thread >> 6/0 Danville, red


Ian's Orange Practitioner >>


Tube >> HMH small tube
Feelers >> orange EP, a little EP sparkle, two strands of purple peacock herl
Butt >> Pink UV Ice Dub for flash
Body >> (the body is one section) a few wraps of orange angora on the
back; a layer of silver medium tinsel covered by red died peacock
herl, orange schlappen palmered through, tied down with small oval
tinsel. It shimmers a bit and gives a flashy peek inside on occasion.
Hackle >> Orange schlappen. A few wraps on the butt and palmered through
the body.
Wing >> Burnt orange teal flank topped with a smaller piece of gray teal
flank. I did this for some contrast.


Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

photos and flies courtesy of Ian McNemar, a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

Fly Pattern: Wylie Haggerty's Grab Bag Atlantic Salmon Fly

"Man it's gnarly. But, Wylie, why do you call it the Grab Bag?" That's precisely what I asked after a good friend and fishing buddy, Wylie Haggerty, gave me a look at a new fly he'd been working on from his fly tying desk in northern New Jersey.


His response: "I call that pattern the grab bag because I take a few techniques used in some of my favorite flies, and mix them up."

This fly uses the diamond wrap threading technique (more on this in another post), special dubbing (polar bear) picked out for the hackle, teal collar, the classic jungle cock eyes used in Atlantic salmon flies, and the late-October Salmon River hot color combo of black and orange.

Wylie's Grab Bag is a fantastic illustration of how modern fly tyers are similar to jazz musicians when they develop new fly patterns. Borrowing a bit from something here, mixing elements, and using the language of the past to push the craft forward -- that's it.


Wylie's Grab Bag >>

Hook >> Partridge salmon iron, size 6/0 - 2/0
Thread >> Floss wrapped with diamond technique, burnt orange color
Dubbing >> Polar bear dubbing, black color, heavily teased
Collar 1 >> Teal flank feather, blood red color
Collar 2 >> Schlappen feather, black color
Eye >> Jungle cock nail feathers, matched to hook size


Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

photos and fly courtesy of Wylie Haggerty

A New Collection of Flies from Siskiyou Aviary!

Take a look at some of the new fly tying eye candy from the leaders in exotic fly tying feathers and razor's edge modern fly design. Innovation needs inspiration, and what better way to find a little bit than taking a moment to wander through the fields of creativity?

An "Angel Fish" by Robert Quigley employs a large feather wing, some subtle flash, and a long beard of natural white rhea fibers.


When fly tyers reach a certain experience level, they all want to tie a large, complex squid pattern. Thus, big squid patterns are a dime a dozen, but Robert Quigley has found a way to overcome the tendency to be boring by using long, durable rhea fibers and particularly beautiful schlappen hackle feathers in these two Scotty Squid patterns.


Kate Davidson of Siskiyou Aviary spends lots of time creating the thoughtful color palates for her lines of premium fly tying feathers. Take a look at the greens, blues, and purple of this Quigley Scotty Squid.


Paul Miller is famous for his line of "Fly on the Wall" steelhead flies, a celebrity effect that has driven sales in a line of hard-fishing flies for steelhead, South American brown trout, and tarpon anchored by his trademarked Super Spey feathers. A pattern he's perfected is the Steelhead Prawn. Here's a pair that look good enough to eat.


I've already mentioned Kate Davidson's sensitivity to color, and here's a perfect example in the form of a fly she whipped up for the aggressive Pacific Nortwest steelhead that run through her backyard! A dose of organized chaos, the layers of rhea feathers and flash create the big, beautiful bulk that makes aggressive steelhead snap.



Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

photos courtesy of Kate Davidson, Robert Quigley, Paul Miller, and siskiyouaviary.com

Fly Pattern: Shunji's Redwing Blackbird (or Ronin) Steelhead Fly

Tied by Shunji of San Francisco, CA, this Redwing Blackbird or "Ronin Fly" is an excellent example of a sparsely dressed modern steelhead fly. This lightweight, but attractive offering works well when swung through gnarly current seams and bubble lines.
Run it around the edges of exposed boulders and other types of structure. Its excellent contrast, slim profile, stiff wing and tail, and gentle flash will move steelhead from their lies even in cold fall and spring water.


Shunji's Redwing Blackbird (Ronin Fly) >>
Hook >> Tiemco TMC 7999, size 4
Thread >> Wapsi UTC 210 Denier Ultra Thread, black
Ribbing & Tag >> Wapsi Silver oval tinsel, size medium
Tail >> Schlappen Fibers from Spirit River, red
Body >> #2 Chenille from Spirit River, black
Wing (optional) >>Long bucktail fibers from Spirit River, red

Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

photos by Ian McNemar, a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

Fly Pattern: MJ's Swingin' Freight Train

For years now, Randall Kaufmann's Freight Train has been swung through the green waters of the Deschutes River in Central Oregon with great success.

Anglers know the fly by its distinctive purple and orange floss and sparse dressing. Summer steelhead know it as an irrisistible, if dangerous, staple of their watery environment, especially through the months of July and August.


Even though Kaufmann's original pattern is very modern in its angular lines, sparse dressing, and choice of few materials, Matt "MJ" Jones offers a pattern with softer lines and a more traditional feel to construct a fly that looks a bit more gaudy than Maupin is used to seeing on the end of a leader.


MJ's Swingin' Freight Train >>
Hook >> Tiemco TMC 7999, size 4
Thread >> Wapsi UTC 140 Denier Ultra Thread, orange, pink, green, and black
Ribbing >> Wapsi Silver oval tinsel, size medium
Tail >> Purple Chinese saddle hackle from Spirit River
Body >> Black Ultra Chenille from Spirit River
Collar >> Purple Chinese saddle hackle from Spirit River
Wing (optional) >> White calf hair from Spirit River


Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

flies tied by Matt "MJ" Jones, a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

photos by Josh L. Frazier

Fly Swap IV: George Revel's Steelie Lip Ring

This wicked fly was produced in the most recent Beyond the Bug fly tying jam in San Francisco, CA by George Revel, one of the best young distance fly casters in the United States and an avid steelhead fly angler.
George calls this fly the "Steelie Lip Ring" and it's, in a word, HOT. With a punk rock tail of paired biots, a trim and beautifully ribbed thread body, spiky hackle collars over flashy gold dubbing, and topped with a dark bead head, this stonefly-esque creation is downright nasty.

A native of Redding, CA, Revel grew up with the some of the world's very best trout and steelhead fly fishing opportunities right on his doorstep. His experience has given him a keen sense of proportion and how to get the most out of the materials he adds to a fly. George doesn't just tie flies that look good on the vise, he understands how they'll behave underwater, where they do all their best work. Imagine how those webby brown hackle fibers will hug the dubbing beneath them...

The Trinity River is Revel's Nor Cal home water and it's famous for its winter steelhead runs. Season after season, the right angle poly yarn indicator rig a la Dean Schubert and Dave Hickson proves to be one of the most effective fishing methods on the river. During the colder months, the half-pounders in the Trinity will key in on slow moving nymphs and crippled emergers, and no one knows this feeding behavior better than Revel (pictured below with a brilliant Trinity River fish).


Stoneflies are abundant in the Trinity's rich ecosystem, and Revel's Steelie Lip Ring carries elements of these distinctive packets of buggy protein. From the fly' slightly green abdomen to its two prominent black tails, beefy gold mid section, and dark head, Revel has illustrated how experience and field observation can (and should) inform the flies we design.


Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

photos provided by Ian McNemar, a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

Fly Recipe: Calimari con Super Spey

Beyond the Bug has come a long way since we started blogging in March. Thanks to the loyal followers of the site for clicking in and taking a look! Heretofore, we haven't really posted any fly recipes for the fly designs we explore on these pages, but that's about to change.

We've had about a zillion requests for a fly recipe for the squid fly featured in our very first post. You'll find the recipe and material list below. Detailed tying instructions can be obtained via email at beyondthebug@gmail.com


Calimari con Super Spey, a squid fly for steelhead and stripers >>

Hook >> Tiemco TMC 7999 #1/0

Thread >> Wapsi UTC GSP 200 deneir, white (colored with Prismacolor art marker)

Tentacles 1 >> 2 or 3 red emu feathers (best quality is from Siskiyou Aviary in Ashland, Oregon)

Tentacles 2 >> 2 or 3 saltwater saddle feathers (white, dotted with Prismacolor art marker)

Tentacle highlights 1 >> Spirit River Pearlescent Fly Flash, pink

Tentacle highlights 2 >> about 10 strands of Spirit River Crystal Splash, purple and pearl

Head 1 >> EP Fibers by Enrico Puglisi, lavender and navy blue stacked 360-degrees around the shank
Eyes >> 2 matched Spirit River Jungle Cock Nail Feathers

Dubbing >> Spirit River Diamond Brite Dubbing, UV pearl

Head 2 >> Paul Miller Super Spey rhea feathers, gentian purple


Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

photo provided by Ian McNemar, a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

The Fly Swap

Fly anglers are always on the lookout for the next hot fly.

In this quest for tomorrow's fish-catching Holy Grail, it's easy to look excitedly down the tunnel of one's own creative ability. But as in any form of functional art, designing with blinders on can be the most dangerous way to meet the future.

The "Fly Swap," as it's called by hardcore fly designers and tyers has been around for ages and has existed in many formats, some wholly impromptu and wildly creative, others highly organized and narrowly focused. Essentially, swapping flies is a bit like a jam session among like-minded, free flowing jazz musicians riffing back and forth, going bravely (together) into the next frontier of their craft.

Recently, the fierce fly designers at Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters and Beyond the Bug held a fly swap in San Francisco. The theme was steelhead. The beer was cold. The flies were fantastic.

This week, Beyond the Bug will take a look at what came out of this tying session and some of the design principles and techniques put to use in tying striking flies like:

Keith Westra's Herniator


And


Shunji's Redwing Blackbird

This kind of creative volleying is necessary to the progression of modern fly tying and design. With this in mind, grab a few craft-brews, a great single-malt, or a bottle of pinot, call some friends, and tie your asses off.


Evan LeBon is a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com

photos provided by Ian McNemar, a regular contributor to beyondthebug.com