Emergers
Soft Hackles
Fly of the Month 11.11 Soft Hackle
This “fly of the month” represents the latest in the Tim Wilhelm/Tom Adams series.
Soft Hackles? Flies similar to today’s soft hackled flies were first mentioned in Dame Juliana Berners' 1496 Treatise of Fishing with an Angle. Likely their history extends even farther back than that, but it wasn't until Sylvester Nemes' 1975 The Soft-Hackled Fly that they began to receive the attention they deserve in the United States, and became known in general as "soft-hackle" flies. I think the first time I became aware of and fished a Soft Hackle fly was when Theo Copeland told me tie two on and fish them on the Watauga in the riffle just upstream of Siam Bridge. His instructions were to cast the flies at about a 45 degree angle downstream and then let them drag across the current to where they were directly downstream. Then you could do a couple things the first of which was to slowly raise the rod tip causing the flies to look like they were hatching. This often brought a sharp tap at the other end and the pull of a fish. If you didn’t pick one up right away you could jiggle the rod to impart a little action to the fly or drop the rod a little and play out a little line before repeating the process. While Theo may have taught me the technique, my favorite experience fishing soft hackles was on the White River.
In 2001, I traveled to Mountain Home Arkansas for the first time to attend the Southern Rodmaker’s Gathering. There I met Denis Dunderdale who is now retired and guides on the White. Denis took me and another bamboo rodmaker to Redbud Shoals for an afternoon of fishing. The water was down so we were able to wade out into the current where we caught fish after fish on soft hackles. I think the human brain has the capacity to remember everything we do, but if it doesn’t fishing soft hackles that day at Redbud is one memory that will stay with me.
I have been back several times to the gathering but for various reasons I haven’t been able to fish soft hackles at Redbud. In fact the last trip was in 2008 and because of severe rainstorms in the spring; Bull Shoals dam was releasing so much water still in October that water levels on the White were 8 to 10 foot higher than normal. We drifted through the shoals dragging nymphs that year but there were no wading and no soft hackles anywhere on the river. This year, conditions were as near perfect as they could be and once again Denis took me to Redbud. The dam had been turning 2 or 3 generators that morning but the water hadn’t reached Redbud yet and it was still wadeable when we got there. We got out of the boat and I waded out into the middle of the current (dang those rocks are slippery). There I tied on two Soft Hackles and cast them downstream. Tap, tap, tap I missed the first one and to be honest the second one too, but then I got in the groove and brought several nice rainbows to hand. Unfortunately after 30 minutes of fishing I noticed that the rock next to me had disappeared below the surface of the water. The water was coming up and it was time to get back in the boat.
I may have to wait another 10 years before I can toss soft hackles at Redbud again, but it is worth the wait.
Fly of the Month 11.11 Soft Hackle
Hook: Tiemco 200 R, 2487, 3761 or equivalent, Size: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26
Thread: 8/0 Uni or equivalent to match, Size 20 orsmaller - Griffiths 14/0
Abdomen: Pearsall silk, tying thread, quills, biots, dubbing
Thorax: Dubbing
Hackle: Partridge, Starling, Jackaw, Snipe, Quail, Hen Hackle
Note: The various specs above should reflect the many manners in which to tie a good soft hackle. The directions below are for a BWO or Olive Soft Hackle.
Directions:
1) Begin two or three eyelengths back from the eye and wrap, touching thread wraps to bend at the point above the hook barb. Let the bobbin hang.
2) Select one goose biot by pulling from the stem. This will leave a tag end that is useful in holding with fingers or hackle pliers. Observe the biot and you will notice a convex and concave manner. Either one will do, I prefer the concave to be the top of the wrap. This leaves a slightly raised ridge on the leading edge of the biot as it is wrapped.
3) Tie in the biot by the tip. Three wraps at the tie in are sufficient. Wrap the thread forward trapping any remaining biot flat to the hook shank. At the thorax let the bobbin hang. If there is any remaining biot trim it. When I am wrapping the biot I start the first three or wraps with my fingers for control. It seems easier. Switch to hackle pliers for the remaining wraps, overlapping slightly up to the thorax and tie in with three or four wraps of thread. Cut away any remaining biot and let the bobbin hang.
4) Wax the thread. From your dubbing source pull several (not many) long strands of dubbing. If you pull gently, stretching the fibers as you pull the dubbing will go on very finely to the thread. Spin very tightly, about eight times the hook gape for the first wrap. Wrap the thorax with the dubbing. I usually make a sort of figure eight with the dub making a small and tight ball of dub. If necessary repeat the process. Let the bobbin hang.
5) Select the hackle. I prefer Hungarian Partridge dyed olive for this fly. Use the feathers closest to the head for this pattern. Prepare the feather by stripping the downy feathers exposing the shaft. Using tweezers grab the very center of the point of the feather and draw back the other fibers away from the tip. You will size the length of the barbs at this point. In other words look at the length of the barbs and decide where on the feather the right length appears in sufficient quantity to make two wraps. Tying in with the very tip brushed in the opposite direction of the fibers to be wound will leave a space which gives a clear area for the tie in.
6) Tie in the hackle at the front of the thorax by the tip, with the curve of the feather fibers toward the hook bend. Make two or three firm wraps to bind the hackle (it is easy to pull the hackle off the hook as you start winding it on – if you do, no worry, just repeat the tie in with the same hackle even after trimming the tip). Trim the tip and make two or three wraps toward the eye, let the bobbin hang. The hackle should be at the thorax dub. One last note – before tying in some tiers will trim away some of the feather barbs on the opposite side of the tie in. This will help in preventing the hackle from bunching as it is wrapped. You can do this in advance or in place. Trim only enough for one wrap.
7) Using hackle pliers wrap the hackle for no more than two turns, keeping the turns close to one another and advancing toward the eye. When wrapping make sure to not twist the hackle as you wrap. You can also brush back the fibers as you wrap to prevent unwanted entrapment of fibers. Secure with two or three wraps and trim the waste hackle.
8) Form a thread head, whip finish and add head cement.
There are many, many Soft Hackle fly patterns including Olive Soft Hackle, Brown Soft Hackle and Partridge, Orange and Peacock Soft Hackle and Green Soft Hackle.
- Tom Adams, Tim Wilhelm
This “fly of the month” represents the latest in the Tim Wilhelm/Tom Adams series.
Soft Hackles? Flies similar to today’s soft hackled flies were first mentioned in Dame Juliana Berners' 1496 Treatise of Fishing with an Angle. Likely their history extends even farther back than that, but it wasn't until Sylvester Nemes' 1975 The Soft-Hackled Fly that they began to receive the attention they deserve in the United States, and became known in general as "soft-hackle" flies. I think the first time I became aware of and fished a Soft Hackle fly was when Theo Copeland told me tie two on and fish them on the Watauga in the riffle just upstream of Siam Bridge. His instructions were to cast the flies at about a 45 degree angle downstream and then let them drag across the current to where they were directly downstream. Then you could do a couple things the first of which was to slowly raise the rod tip causing the flies to look like they were hatching. This often brought a sharp tap at the other end and the pull of a fish. If you didn’t pick one up right away you could jiggle the rod to impart a little action to the fly or drop the rod a little and play out a little line before repeating the process. While Theo may have taught me the technique, my favorite experience fishing soft hackles was on the White River.
In 2001, I traveled to Mountain Home Arkansas for the first time to attend the Southern Rodmaker’s Gathering. There I met Denis Dunderdale who is now retired and guides on the White. Denis took me and another bamboo rodmaker to Redbud Shoals for an afternoon of fishing. The water was down so we were able to wade out into the current where we caught fish after fish on soft hackles. I think the human brain has the capacity to remember everything we do, but if it doesn’t fishing soft hackles that day at Redbud is one memory that will stay with me.
I have been back several times to the gathering but for various reasons I haven’t been able to fish soft hackles at Redbud. In fact the last trip was in 2008 and because of severe rainstorms in the spring; Bull Shoals dam was releasing so much water still in October that water levels on the White were 8 to 10 foot higher than normal. We drifted through the shoals dragging nymphs that year but there were no wading and no soft hackles anywhere on the river. This year, conditions were as near perfect as they could be and once again Denis took me to Redbud. The dam had been turning 2 or 3 generators that morning but the water hadn’t reached Redbud yet and it was still wadeable when we got there. We got out of the boat and I waded out into the middle of the current (dang those rocks are slippery). There I tied on two Soft Hackles and cast them downstream. Tap, tap, tap I missed the first one and to be honest the second one too, but then I got in the groove and brought several nice rainbows to hand. Unfortunately after 30 minutes of fishing I noticed that the rock next to me had disappeared below the surface of the water. The water was coming up and it was time to get back in the boat.
I may have to wait another 10 years before I can toss soft hackles at Redbud again, but it is worth the wait.
Fly of the Month 11.11 Soft Hackle
Hook: Tiemco 200 R, 2487, 3761 or equivalent, Size: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26
Thread: 8/0 Uni or equivalent to match, Size 20 orsmaller - Griffiths 14/0
Abdomen: Pearsall silk, tying thread, quills, biots, dubbing
Thorax: Dubbing
Hackle: Partridge, Starling, Jackaw, Snipe, Quail, Hen Hackle
Note: The various specs above should reflect the many manners in which to tie a good soft hackle. The directions below are for a BWO or Olive Soft Hackle.
Directions:
1) Begin two or three eyelengths back from the eye and wrap, touching thread wraps to bend at the point above the hook barb. Let the bobbin hang.
2) Select one goose biot by pulling from the stem. This will leave a tag end that is useful in holding with fingers or hackle pliers. Observe the biot and you will notice a convex and concave manner. Either one will do, I prefer the concave to be the top of the wrap. This leaves a slightly raised ridge on the leading edge of the biot as it is wrapped.
3) Tie in the biot by the tip. Three wraps at the tie in are sufficient. Wrap the thread forward trapping any remaining biot flat to the hook shank. At the thorax let the bobbin hang. If there is any remaining biot trim it. When I am wrapping the biot I start the first three or wraps with my fingers for control. It seems easier. Switch to hackle pliers for the remaining wraps, overlapping slightly up to the thorax and tie in with three or four wraps of thread. Cut away any remaining biot and let the bobbin hang.
4) Wax the thread. From your dubbing source pull several (not many) long strands of dubbing. If you pull gently, stretching the fibers as you pull the dubbing will go on very finely to the thread. Spin very tightly, about eight times the hook gape for the first wrap. Wrap the thorax with the dubbing. I usually make a sort of figure eight with the dub making a small and tight ball of dub. If necessary repeat the process. Let the bobbin hang.
5) Select the hackle. I prefer Hungarian Partridge dyed olive for this fly. Use the feathers closest to the head for this pattern. Prepare the feather by stripping the downy feathers exposing the shaft. Using tweezers grab the very center of the point of the feather and draw back the other fibers away from the tip. You will size the length of the barbs at this point. In other words look at the length of the barbs and decide where on the feather the right length appears in sufficient quantity to make two wraps. Tying in with the very tip brushed in the opposite direction of the fibers to be wound will leave a space which gives a clear area for the tie in.
6) Tie in the hackle at the front of the thorax by the tip, with the curve of the feather fibers toward the hook bend. Make two or three firm wraps to bind the hackle (it is easy to pull the hackle off the hook as you start winding it on – if you do, no worry, just repeat the tie in with the same hackle even after trimming the tip). Trim the tip and make two or three wraps toward the eye, let the bobbin hang. The hackle should be at the thorax dub. One last note – before tying in some tiers will trim away some of the feather barbs on the opposite side of the tie in. This will help in preventing the hackle from bunching as it is wrapped. You can do this in advance or in place. Trim only enough for one wrap.
7) Using hackle pliers wrap the hackle for no more than two turns, keeping the turns close to one another and advancing toward the eye. When wrapping make sure to not twist the hackle as you wrap. You can also brush back the fibers as you wrap to prevent unwanted entrapment of fibers. Secure with two or three wraps and trim the waste hackle.
8) Form a thread head, whip finish and add head cement.
There are many, many Soft Hackle fly patterns including Olive Soft Hackle, Brown Soft Hackle and Partridge, Orange and Peacock Soft Hackle and Green Soft Hackle.
- Tom Adams, Tim Wilhelm
Wet Fly
Fly of the Month
We continue with Part Two of Blue Wing Olive (BWO). Our general research indicates that the nymph stage of the BWO is very important during the winter months. BWOs uniquely hatch on any given day that is cloudy, overcast, drizzly or even during intermittent rain, especially early in the morning and later in the afternoon. In addition to trout feeding heavily on nymphs, Part Two will address two other BWO situations occurring underwater, emergers just below the surface and submerging female egg-laying adults making sure their eggs are attached to the bottom structures.
Blue Wing Olive – Part Two – NymphsRecall “Pheasant Tail Nymphs or a Gold-Ribbed Hares Ear work as imitations of the BWO. (You should) dead-drift the fly in the water just downstream from a riffle. Which brings us back to positively rheotactic which, rather than an exclamation, is a term used by entomologists to describe how riffle species generally orient head first into the current.” says Tim Wilhelm in his article in October 2011. Since BWO nymphs are bottom crawlers, a bead head, olive version of the pheasant tail or hares ear may be more effective for general use or a Bead Head Baetis Nymph (which is olive) is a much closer imitation for getting down to specifically determining if the trout are truly bottom feeding on BWO nymphs. If the trout appear to be “bulging” which is feeding just under the surface without actually rising, a BWO emerger may be the very fly pattern required. If this does not work, try the fly patterns covered in Part One (refer to Fly of the Month 3.15).Recall “…the egg-laying female crawls below the surface to lay eggs and are often knocked loose. When nothing else appears to be working (you should) try a soft hackle (or wet fly which) works well here. Put a small shot on the leader and cast upstream, giving the fly time to reach the bottom. Then jig the rod to give the fly some action.” says Tim Wilhelm in his article in October 2011. The key here is to leverage the current in the riffle. Position yourself to one side and upstream of the riffle and fly fish downstream with a soft hackle or wet fly. The trout sense no leader as they can only see what appears to be a female BWO maneuvering in the current to get to a rock to lay eggs. Fool’em with the natural action of the riffle current in their face!
We provide three (4) recipes for below surface fly presentations of the Blue Wing Olive.
Flies of the Month 3.15
BWO Nymph (refer to Fly of the Month 10.11)
Bead Head Baetis Nymph
BWO CDC Emerger (refer to Fly of the Month 10.11)
BWO Para Emerger
Center-Beaded Partridge and Olive Soft Hackle (with egg sac)
Olive Dun Wet Fly (Bergman, Ray. Trout, Plate No. 6, recipe on page 485)
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker
BWO Wet Fly
HOOK : Wet Fly Tiemco 3769 or equivalent, size 8,10,12,14
Thread : 8/0 Uni or equivalent in olive
Tail : Medium dun spade hackle
Body : BWO dubbing
Wing : Duck Quill, matching pair
Hackle : Medium dun hen
Directions :
- Debarb the hook and mount in the vise. Tie in an eyelength back from the eye and advance thread in tight, touching turns to the hook bend. Let the bobbin hang.
- Select a dozen or so spade hackle feathers and align the tips. Pull away from the feather shaft while holding the tip to maintain alignment. Tie in with a soft wrap on top of the hook shank to be slightly more than the shank length. Once the length is good, complete the wraps in touching turns, which gain in firmness as you advance covering the hackle. Keep the hackle on top of the shank and return the thread to above the hook barb. Let the bobbin hang.
- Dub the thread to form a two inch noodle of BWO dubbing and begin wrapping forward to the eye in touching, even slightly overlapping turns, to the thorax (about a third of the shank length from the eye. It may take one or two more additions of dub to build a body, which has a taper toward the eye. Let the bobbin hang.
- Select a dun hen feather, which is size appropriate, and strip away the webby barbs by pulling away with your fingers. Tie the hackle in by the exposed tip, with the “shiny” side toward you, and trim away any waste. Tie in close to the dub. Let the bobbin hang.
- Wrap the hackle in touching turns, gently stroking back the barbs as you wrap, to avoid bunching, for two or three turns. Tie off and trim away the waste and let the bobbin hang. There should be sufficient room for the wings and a nice head without crowding the eye.
- Select a matching pair of duck quills and cut or tear, a quarter inch, matching section from each quill. Align the tips of the duck so that they turn away from each other and the diagonal slope of the tips is a downward slope. Keeping them aligned with a pinch of your left hand, position on top of the hook shank, directly above the thread (tie in point). Make a soft wrap of thread and then pull up and straight to trap the quills on top of the hook. The quills are still held with by your left hand to maintain position on the hook. Make another two or three turns to bind in the quills. They should remain parallel throughout the process. This is by far the most challenging aspect, and it may take several attempts. This is such a useful and beautiful technique, do not lose heart and keep trying until successful. Trim away waste and form a substantial thread head. Whip finish and apply two coats of head cement.
Fly of the Month 5.14
We are blessed in North Carolina with a creative fly tyer who happens to own and operate a very successful fly shop in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina. Kevin Howell is the son of the legendary Don Howell who is well known for creating highly productive Southern Appalachian fly patterns.
This is a fly that has been proven on many streams on many occasions with many clients where Kevin’s future reputation as a guide has been on the line. We consider the fly a modern Southern Appalachian fly pattern as professionals like Kevin continue to carry on the traditions of his father and uncle Doug Howell-both legends of a past generation.
We are blessed in North Carolina with a creative fly tyer who happens to own and operate a very successful fly shop in Pisgah Forest, North Carolina. Kevin Howell is the son of the legendary Don Howell who is well known for creating highly productive Southern Appalachian fly patterns.
This is a fly that has been proven on many streams on many occasions with many clients where Kevin’s future reputation as a guide has been on the line. We consider the fly a modern Southern Appalachian fly pattern as professionals like Kevin continue to carry on the traditions of his father and uncle Doug Howell-both legends of a past generation.
Howell’s Memory Maker
“Soft hackled flies have been in existence for over two hundred years. As a guide it has always been a go to fly for me!” says Kevin. “Over the years you start to experiment with different colors and variations. For the last 9 years I have been tying and fishing the Memory Maker. I originally designed the fly with a copper colored brass bead, but over the years I have found that a copper colored tungsten bead is far more productive. The fly is designed to imitate emerging caddis larvae. For years this was a fly that I kept in reserve for those hard days you encounter as a fishing guide and needed something to get a client hooked up on a fish. The Memory Maker can be fished both on the dead drift and on the swing. Over the years this fly has made countless memories for my clients as well as helps me win a few fly fishing tournaments.”
Wet flies were once a primary means of fly fishing for trout. Soft hackled flies are wet flies that typically imitate or suggest emerging caddis, possibly the pupa stage of the metamorphosis. When the soft hackled fly is put to motion by the currents or by the angler, the hackles pulsate and trout are attracted to the lifelike movements.
The copper color gives the appears of an air bubble possibly and the tungsten bead itself gives more focused weight to quickly sink the fly down in front of feeding trout in the water column or near bottom. This fly pattern may be fished much like a nymph, as a dropper to dry fly or even as a trailer to another wet fly or streamer fly pattern.
Memory Maker
HOOK : Tiemco 2457 or equivalent Size : 12,14,16,18
Thread : 8/0 Uni or equivalent black
Body : Peacock Herl
Ribbing : Opal tinsel
Bead : Copper tungsten to size
Hackle : Brown Hungarian Partridge
Directions :
1. Bead goes on hook in regular fashion, but do not bind against the eye when making wraps to the hook bend (see step 5/6). Mount hook in vise
2. Begin touching thread wraps to the hook bend and back to the two thirds mark. Tie in opal tinsel and wrap smoothly to the hook bend. Set the opal tinsel out of the way and advance the thread to the two thirds mark. Let the bobbin hang.
3. Select four or five peacock herls and tie in where the bobbin is hanging. Tie the herl in by the bottom or fat part of the stem. Wrap the herl with thread to the hook bend keeping the bundle of herl on top of the hook. Take the thread back to the two thirds mark and let the bobbin hang.
4. Gather the bundle of herl and twist as you wrap it forward to the two thirds mark. Wrap it back again to the hook bend and once more to the two thirds mark. The herl will be getting thinner and more fragile, but at the same time the color and iridescence will become more pronounced. This thinner part of the herl should be the top layer of wraps, from the bend to the two thirds mark. Tie the herl in still leaving room to bring the bead back to the two thirds mark.
5. Wrap the opal tinsel forward in open wraps to the two thirds mark and secure with thread wraps. Note : The bead is not at the head or eye. Whip finish and cut the thread.
6. Position the bead against the herl at the two thirds mark and tie in front making even wraps to the eye. Bring the thread back to the bead and let the bobbin hang.
7. Select a brownish partridge feather and using tweezers, hold the center stem at the tip and pull back the longer desirable feathers with your fingers. Tie the partridge in by the small triangular section with the natural curve of the feather cupping over the bead head. Neaten the tie in and cut any excess. Using hackle pliers, wrap one to two turns, gently stroking the feather barbs toward the bend as you wrap. Secure with two to three thread wraps, avoid trapping any barbs. Whip finish and cut the thread.
8. Trim away the excess partridge and apply head cement if desired.
Fly of the Month 04.12 Light Cahill Wet
This “fly of the month” represents the latest in the Tim Wilhelm/Tom Adams series.
Except for the occasional soft hackle, I don’t fish wet flies. I prefer fishing dry flies and will resort to dragging something across the bottom when the fish aren’t looking up. So when Tom suggested the Light Cahill wet for this month’s fly, I thought this might be a good opportunity. I like fishing on the surface with dry flies as much as I can and if I have to I’ll go deep with nymphs (and those other things like eggs and San Juan worms). I don’t fish that water in between and I should.
It is critical fishing either a dry fly or a nymph that there is no drag but not so for a wet fly. With a wet you fish downstream by casting across and as the fly reaches the end of its drift the line straightens and the fly “hatches”. There is no worry about drag, and the fly has a little action to it. Cast your wet across the stream and slightly down stream. Mend the line upstream as needed so the fly will be traveling parallel with the bank. Hopefully everything will work out and your fly will go by the nose of the fish just as the line starts to straighten out. Hold on!
- Tim
Fly of the Month 04.12 Light Cahill Wet
Hook: Tiemco 100 or equivalent, Size : 12, 14, 16, 18
Thread: Uni 8/0 or equivalent in Light Cahill
Tail: Lemon Wood Duck Flank Feathers or substitute
Abdomen/Thorax: Light Cahill dubbing
Legs: Cream soft hackle
Wing: Lemon Wood Duck Flank Feathers or substitute
The photo shown is tied on a Mustad “antique” 94840 Viking hook. These were purchased through an online auction. The current profile is somewhat more elongated and just as effective.
Directions:
1) Secure hook in vise and wrap thread in tight wraps starting two eye lengths from the eye and stopping just before the hook bend. Select ten or so wood duck feathers and make sure the tips are even and tie in on top of the hook shank. Wrap forward two thirds of the shank keeping the feathers on top. Trim excess feathers and return the bobbin using tights wraps to the tail tie in point. Let the bobbin hang.
Note: I keep the waste from any use of Lemon Wood duck. There are normally several dozen fibers left after use on the first tie; these are perfectly fine for using as a tailing or wing case. This is appropriate for several different flies. I only throw away the fuzzy scraps !
2) Using Light Cahill dubbing form a tapered dub rope and wind forward in butting wraps to form a carrot shaped body. Wrap to within about four eye lengths from the hook eye. Let the bobbin hang.
3) Select a cream color soft hackle feather, and tie in close to where the dubbing stops, by the tip. Before tying the feather, grab the tip end of the feather with tweezers and gently stroke the barbs back. This will cause the barbs to separate and stand out at 90 degrees from the feather shaft. You will also be able to determine if the length of the barbs are correct. When tied in, they should not be longer than the hook shank. After securing the feather tip with several wraps of thread let the bobbin hang and trim the excess tip. Using hackle pliers, grab the fuzzy end of the hackle feather and after checking to make sure the “shiny” side is toward the hook and make two, full wraps tight to each other, stroking back the barbs as you wind. Take the thread through the barbs and tie down with two wraps. Trim the excess feather close to the tie in and secure with three more wraps. Let the bobbin hang.
4) Select a Lemon Wood Duck Flank feather andstroke back the uneven barbs. The end of the feather should be somewhat square. It is not as necessary to be extremely precise like when you are tying a divided wing on a dry fly, but the more uniform the barbs are in length the happier you will be. Tie in the feather on top of the hook, secure with several wraps, trim the excess and form and nice head. Do not crowd the hook eye. Apply head cement to from a handsome head and you are done.
- Tom Adams, Tim Wilhelm
This “fly of the month” represents the latest in the Tim Wilhelm/Tom Adams series.
Except for the occasional soft hackle, I don’t fish wet flies. I prefer fishing dry flies and will resort to dragging something across the bottom when the fish aren’t looking up. So when Tom suggested the Light Cahill wet for this month’s fly, I thought this might be a good opportunity. I like fishing on the surface with dry flies as much as I can and if I have to I’ll go deep with nymphs (and those other things like eggs and San Juan worms). I don’t fish that water in between and I should.
It is critical fishing either a dry fly or a nymph that there is no drag but not so for a wet fly. With a wet you fish downstream by casting across and as the fly reaches the end of its drift the line straightens and the fly “hatches”. There is no worry about drag, and the fly has a little action to it. Cast your wet across the stream and slightly down stream. Mend the line upstream as needed so the fly will be traveling parallel with the bank. Hopefully everything will work out and your fly will go by the nose of the fish just as the line starts to straighten out. Hold on!
- Tim
Fly of the Month 04.12 Light Cahill Wet
Hook: Tiemco 100 or equivalent, Size : 12, 14, 16, 18
Thread: Uni 8/0 or equivalent in Light Cahill
Tail: Lemon Wood Duck Flank Feathers or substitute
Abdomen/Thorax: Light Cahill dubbing
Legs: Cream soft hackle
Wing: Lemon Wood Duck Flank Feathers or substitute
The photo shown is tied on a Mustad “antique” 94840 Viking hook. These were purchased through an online auction. The current profile is somewhat more elongated and just as effective.
Directions:
1) Secure hook in vise and wrap thread in tight wraps starting two eye lengths from the eye and stopping just before the hook bend. Select ten or so wood duck feathers and make sure the tips are even and tie in on top of the hook shank. Wrap forward two thirds of the shank keeping the feathers on top. Trim excess feathers and return the bobbin using tights wraps to the tail tie in point. Let the bobbin hang.
Note: I keep the waste from any use of Lemon Wood duck. There are normally several dozen fibers left after use on the first tie; these are perfectly fine for using as a tailing or wing case. This is appropriate for several different flies. I only throw away the fuzzy scraps !
2) Using Light Cahill dubbing form a tapered dub rope and wind forward in butting wraps to form a carrot shaped body. Wrap to within about four eye lengths from the hook eye. Let the bobbin hang.
3) Select a cream color soft hackle feather, and tie in close to where the dubbing stops, by the tip. Before tying the feather, grab the tip end of the feather with tweezers and gently stroke the barbs back. This will cause the barbs to separate and stand out at 90 degrees from the feather shaft. You will also be able to determine if the length of the barbs are correct. When tied in, they should not be longer than the hook shank. After securing the feather tip with several wraps of thread let the bobbin hang and trim the excess tip. Using hackle pliers, grab the fuzzy end of the hackle feather and after checking to make sure the “shiny” side is toward the hook and make two, full wraps tight to each other, stroking back the barbs as you wind. Take the thread through the barbs and tie down with two wraps. Trim the excess feather close to the tie in and secure with three more wraps. Let the bobbin hang.
4) Select a Lemon Wood Duck Flank feather andstroke back the uneven barbs. The end of the feather should be somewhat square. It is not as necessary to be extremely precise like when you are tying a divided wing on a dry fly, but the more uniform the barbs are in length the happier you will be. Tie in the feather on top of the hook, secure with several wraps, trim the excess and form and nice head. Do not crowd the hook eye. Apply head cement to from a handsome head and you are done.
- Tom Adams, Tim Wilhelm
Fly of the Month 05.10 Sheep Fly
Last month, as an incentive, we promised those that took delivery of the newsletter by email that we would give you something extra. As it turns out, because April was sort of a big news month, we found ourselves this month with a blank page. I don’t know if it is fair, but the post office charges the same amount to print and mail a blank page as it does to print one with the Fly of the Month on it. Therefore, we’re going to give this month’s fly to everyone and hopefully we won’t find ourselves with blank space next month.
The Sheep Fly
The Sheep Fly is often attributed to Cap Wiese, headmaster of the Patterson School found just outside of Lenoir, NC. While Cap did develop some notable flies such as the Early Nelson, the Sheep Fly was actually developed by Newland Saunders of Lenoir. The confusion may be the result of it being one of Cap’s favorite flies. It was also a favorite of Don Howell and Kevin Howell writes on his website “If I had to choose one fly to fish for trout with for the rest of my life with this would be the fly. It was originally tied by Newland Saunders from Lenoir, NC to imitate a grey fly that is commonly found around sheep. Over the flies 60 year life span is has been modified a few times, after learning more etymology we have come to realize that the sheepfly imitates three different food groups, it looks like a Cranefly larvae, a stickbait, and a large emerging mayfly. My favorite sizes are an 8 and 10 but I fish it from a (size) 4-16.”
Jim Casada writes in his latest book: “…that Cap Wiese, the headmaster of Patterson School, was catching big trout with his Sheep Fly along with taking pioneering steps to give a fledgling conservation organization, Trout Unlimited, a foothold in the state.“
Hook: Nymph or small streamer type, 2x long , 2x heavy, Tiemco 5261 or Mustad 3906b or equivalent, Size: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14
Thread: Uni 6/0 Black
Tail: Brown Hen hackle
Body: Muskrat or equivalent dubbing in Adams gray
Legs: Brown Hen hackle
Wings: Grizzly tips
Directions:
1) Overwrap (that term is for wrapping the majority of the length of the hook shaft) with lead or lead substitute using material approximately the same thickness as the hook diameter. Close wraps from five or six eye lengths back from the eye to five or six eye lengths before the bend.
2) Begin thread wrap at three or four eye lengths back from the eye and form a taper at the front and back of the lead wrap. It is not necessary to completely cover the lead with thread. Stop the thread behind the lead and before the bend and let the bobbin hang.
3) Using brown hen hackle, gather seven or eight fibers, keeping the tips even and tie in just before the hook bend making sure the feathers stay on top of the hook shaft. Secure with three or four firm wraps and let the bobbin rest forward of the tail tie in.
4) Begin dubbing by waxing the thread and adding a generous portion of dub. Tapering the dub on the thread will help tapering on the hook. Wrap forward, adding or subtracting dubbing to make a cigar shape, while covering the lead with dub. Stop at the forward taper point allowing five or six eye lengths for legs and wings. Using a bodkin or dubbing pick, loosen the dub fibers on the body to make a “buggy” look.
5) Select a hen hackle and tie in by the tip. To facilitate the tie in, hold the feather by the tip using tweezers and stroke back all but a few barbs very near the tip. This will get the barbs (to keep) out of the way and expose a tiny bit of stem, which makes the tie in easier and more secure. Trim the tip and soft wrap about two or three turns the prepared hackle feather. Stoke the barbs back as they are tied in. Use three or four wraps to secure and trim excess.
6) Use two grizzly tips, sized to the hook length. The tips can be tied in at the same time. Strip about a 1/8 inch of barbs and have the feathers face out. The shiny sides of both feathers are outward. Tie in firmly on top of the hook shaft immediately in front of the hackle. Allow room for the head.
7) Wrap head, whip finish, and coat with several coats of head cement.
Note: The original pattern also included a head tied with Peacock herl and fine copper wire wrapped on the body.
-Tim Welhelm, Tom Adams
Last month, as an incentive, we promised those that took delivery of the newsletter by email that we would give you something extra. As it turns out, because April was sort of a big news month, we found ourselves this month with a blank page. I don’t know if it is fair, but the post office charges the same amount to print and mail a blank page as it does to print one with the Fly of the Month on it. Therefore, we’re going to give this month’s fly to everyone and hopefully we won’t find ourselves with blank space next month.
The Sheep Fly
The Sheep Fly is often attributed to Cap Wiese, headmaster of the Patterson School found just outside of Lenoir, NC. While Cap did develop some notable flies such as the Early Nelson, the Sheep Fly was actually developed by Newland Saunders of Lenoir. The confusion may be the result of it being one of Cap’s favorite flies. It was also a favorite of Don Howell and Kevin Howell writes on his website “If I had to choose one fly to fish for trout with for the rest of my life with this would be the fly. It was originally tied by Newland Saunders from Lenoir, NC to imitate a grey fly that is commonly found around sheep. Over the flies 60 year life span is has been modified a few times, after learning more etymology we have come to realize that the sheepfly imitates three different food groups, it looks like a Cranefly larvae, a stickbait, and a large emerging mayfly. My favorite sizes are an 8 and 10 but I fish it from a (size) 4-16.”
Jim Casada writes in his latest book: “…that Cap Wiese, the headmaster of Patterson School, was catching big trout with his Sheep Fly along with taking pioneering steps to give a fledgling conservation organization, Trout Unlimited, a foothold in the state.“
Hook: Nymph or small streamer type, 2x long , 2x heavy, Tiemco 5261 or Mustad 3906b or equivalent, Size: 6, 8, 10, 12, 14
Thread: Uni 6/0 Black
Tail: Brown Hen hackle
Body: Muskrat or equivalent dubbing in Adams gray
Legs: Brown Hen hackle
Wings: Grizzly tips
Directions:
1) Overwrap (that term is for wrapping the majority of the length of the hook shaft) with lead or lead substitute using material approximately the same thickness as the hook diameter. Close wraps from five or six eye lengths back from the eye to five or six eye lengths before the bend.
2) Begin thread wrap at three or four eye lengths back from the eye and form a taper at the front and back of the lead wrap. It is not necessary to completely cover the lead with thread. Stop the thread behind the lead and before the bend and let the bobbin hang.
3) Using brown hen hackle, gather seven or eight fibers, keeping the tips even and tie in just before the hook bend making sure the feathers stay on top of the hook shaft. Secure with three or four firm wraps and let the bobbin rest forward of the tail tie in.
4) Begin dubbing by waxing the thread and adding a generous portion of dub. Tapering the dub on the thread will help tapering on the hook. Wrap forward, adding or subtracting dubbing to make a cigar shape, while covering the lead with dub. Stop at the forward taper point allowing five or six eye lengths for legs and wings. Using a bodkin or dubbing pick, loosen the dub fibers on the body to make a “buggy” look.
5) Select a hen hackle and tie in by the tip. To facilitate the tie in, hold the feather by the tip using tweezers and stroke back all but a few barbs very near the tip. This will get the barbs (to keep) out of the way and expose a tiny bit of stem, which makes the tie in easier and more secure. Trim the tip and soft wrap about two or three turns the prepared hackle feather. Stoke the barbs back as they are tied in. Use three or four wraps to secure and trim excess.
6) Use two grizzly tips, sized to the hook length. The tips can be tied in at the same time. Strip about a 1/8 inch of barbs and have the feathers face out. The shiny sides of both feathers are outward. Tie in firmly on top of the hook shaft immediately in front of the hackle. Allow room for the head.
7) Wrap head, whip finish, and coat with several coats of head cement.
Note: The original pattern also included a head tied with Peacock herl and fine copper wire wrapped on the body.
-Tim Welhelm, Tom Adams
Fly of the Month 09.12 Tellico
It’s a caddis larva! No, it’s a stonefly nymph! No, it’s a crayfish! No, well, uh, or just maybe it’s a U.F.O. which means it is a (U)nique (F)ly for (O)pportunistic trout in the southeastern Appalachian mountains. The true answer - all of the above. Thi unique local fly pattern has been used successfully by local fly fishermen for many, many decades. The Tellico is an original Southern Appalachain Pattern (SAP) or old timey pattern. Tom and I hope to occasionally include other SAP’s as part of this series. We present the pattern using the original recipe, then with a few modern variations.
Tellico
The Tellico is often referred to as the Tellico Nymph as it was originally tied to be used as a no-wing wet fly. In modern terms, the Tellico could actually be considered a soft-hackle fly as well. The original pattern is believed to have originated by an unknown tyer in southeastern Tennessee who fly fished the Tellico River. Little is known about the origin as the productive fly soon became a common fly to use in the area. It has long been a favorite pattern for many anglers in the southeastern area. The Tellico used to be a pretty common pattern even out west, but due to the explosion of nymph patterns it seems to have fallen out of favor. Regardless, this is a simple, fun fly pattern to tie and the trout really find it appealing.
My research indicates that the original fly pattern used guinea body feathers for the tail, a wire underbody for added weight, natural mottled turkey wing quill for the shellback and bright yellow rayon floss for the body. Modern versions utilize Golden Pheasant tippet for the tail, strands of peacock herl for the shellback, chenille for the body and a beadhead for added weight.
For years I tied and fished what I believed was the original lead weighted fly pattern without the beadhead until one day I realized that chenille and Golden Pheasant was not readily available when the original fly was created. I also discovered that many local fly fishermen tied both a yellow version and an orange version. The yellow version is believed to more closely imitate a golden stonefly nymph or caddis larva. The orange version is believed to more closely imitate a crayfish. I have actually ran into a local fly fisherman on Hazel Creek one time that had a bright green version of the Tellico he consider to be an imitation of a “green rock worm” or Grannom which is a caddis larva.
Personally (Alen), I prefer to tie the Tellico with a lead-substitute underbody for added weight, use the Golden Pheasant tippet for the tail and use bright, embroidery floss for the body. I typically fish the Tellico as a dropper nymph pattern.
We suggest that the orange pattern in particular be more heavily weighted and be fished more like a wet fly or streamer to best imitate a crayfish. If you added linear weight to the top side of the hook, it will tend to force the fly to turn upside down on the stream bottom and be less likely to hang up.
By the way, when the topside popper action on the local farmpond is gone, largemouth bass and bluegill sunfish are highly attracted to the Tellico as well, so you may consider tying your Tellico fly pattern in size 8 and size 10 for the farmpond and up to size18 for trout streams.
Fly of the Month 09.12 Tellico
Hook: Wet 2X, Tiemco 5262 or equivalent, Size: 12, 14, 16, 18
Thread: Black 8/0 Uni or equivalent
Tail: Golden Pheasant Crest
Abdomen: Yellow or Orange Chenille
Rib: Peacock Herl
Wingcase: Turkey tail feather (see special note below)
Hackle: Brown Hen hackle
Directions :
1) Wrap thread starting three eye lengths from the eye and in tight turns to the above the hook point. Let the bobbin hang.
2) Choose five or six golden pheasant tippet feathers and trim them from the stem keeping the tips aligned. Tie in with soft wraps extending past the hook shank by about the same length as the shank, keeping the feathers on top of the hook by making slight adjustments with your fingers. Once you are happy with the length, tie in firmly, advancing the thread to the start up at the head and returning to above the barb. Let the bobbin hang.
3) Select a section of turkey tail feather about the same width as the hook gape. Trim from stem and tie in, with the dull side up, make several wraps forward to secure the turkey on top of the hook shank. Wrap to the rearmost tie in and let the bobbin hang.
NOTE : For this use of turkey tail and most other uses as well, it is advisable to spray the entire feather lightly with a fixative a day in advance of usage. This will enable the barbs to stay together when you pull the turkey down for a wingcase. Craft stores will have a selection, make sure you use Matte finish and spray outdoors.
4) Select a three inch piece of chenille and strip about one quarter inch of chenille to reveal the core thread. You can use your fingernails to do this. Tie in, tight to the tie in of the turkey, with several wraps of thread and let the bobbin hang.
5) Select a single peacock herl and tie in the base or thickest section, tight to the chenille. Advance the thread to the head cleaning up the previous tie in materials, but do not overwrap to the point of adding any bulk. The profile needs to remain slim. Let me bobbin hang.
6) Advance the chenille in tight, touching wraps to three eyelengths from the eye and tie off, trimming away the waste. Let the bobbin hang.
7) Advance the peacock in spirals, more or less along the space between the chenille wraps and tie off in front of the chenille. Trim the waste and let the bobbin hang.
8) The thread should be making a small head by now and you can make a few extra wraps to even and tidy everything up. Let the bobbin hang.
9) Select six or eight hen hackles from a feather by aligning their tips and pulling away from the stem. Using that bundle of hackle, hold against the hook shank at a forty five degree angle, trap with thread and make several secure wraps. You can then use a thumbnail to rotate the hackle so that it is underneath the head and nearly touching the point of the hook. Tie in tight once you have positioned them to your liking, trim the waste and let the bobbin hang.
10) Bring the turkey forward and make two or three wraps for placement, once you are happy with the spot and the length, use your left hand to extend the turkey slightly (to hard and it will separate) and pinching to keep it on top of the shank make several firm wraps and trim the waste. There should be sufficient room to form a nice thread wrap head. Whip finish and apply two coats of head cement.
There is also an Orange Tellico fly pattern.
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker
It’s a caddis larva! No, it’s a stonefly nymph! No, it’s a crayfish! No, well, uh, or just maybe it’s a U.F.O. which means it is a (U)nique (F)ly for (O)pportunistic trout in the southeastern Appalachian mountains. The true answer - all of the above. Thi unique local fly pattern has been used successfully by local fly fishermen for many, many decades. The Tellico is an original Southern Appalachain Pattern (SAP) or old timey pattern. Tom and I hope to occasionally include other SAP’s as part of this series. We present the pattern using the original recipe, then with a few modern variations.
Tellico
The Tellico is often referred to as the Tellico Nymph as it was originally tied to be used as a no-wing wet fly. In modern terms, the Tellico could actually be considered a soft-hackle fly as well. The original pattern is believed to have originated by an unknown tyer in southeastern Tennessee who fly fished the Tellico River. Little is known about the origin as the productive fly soon became a common fly to use in the area. It has long been a favorite pattern for many anglers in the southeastern area. The Tellico used to be a pretty common pattern even out west, but due to the explosion of nymph patterns it seems to have fallen out of favor. Regardless, this is a simple, fun fly pattern to tie and the trout really find it appealing.
My research indicates that the original fly pattern used guinea body feathers for the tail, a wire underbody for added weight, natural mottled turkey wing quill for the shellback and bright yellow rayon floss for the body. Modern versions utilize Golden Pheasant tippet for the tail, strands of peacock herl for the shellback, chenille for the body and a beadhead for added weight.
For years I tied and fished what I believed was the original lead weighted fly pattern without the beadhead until one day I realized that chenille and Golden Pheasant was not readily available when the original fly was created. I also discovered that many local fly fishermen tied both a yellow version and an orange version. The yellow version is believed to more closely imitate a golden stonefly nymph or caddis larva. The orange version is believed to more closely imitate a crayfish. I have actually ran into a local fly fisherman on Hazel Creek one time that had a bright green version of the Tellico he consider to be an imitation of a “green rock worm” or Grannom which is a caddis larva.
Personally (Alen), I prefer to tie the Tellico with a lead-substitute underbody for added weight, use the Golden Pheasant tippet for the tail and use bright, embroidery floss for the body. I typically fish the Tellico as a dropper nymph pattern.
We suggest that the orange pattern in particular be more heavily weighted and be fished more like a wet fly or streamer to best imitate a crayfish. If you added linear weight to the top side of the hook, it will tend to force the fly to turn upside down on the stream bottom and be less likely to hang up.
By the way, when the topside popper action on the local farmpond is gone, largemouth bass and bluegill sunfish are highly attracted to the Tellico as well, so you may consider tying your Tellico fly pattern in size 8 and size 10 for the farmpond and up to size18 for trout streams.
Fly of the Month 09.12 Tellico
Hook: Wet 2X, Tiemco 5262 or equivalent, Size: 12, 14, 16, 18
Thread: Black 8/0 Uni or equivalent
Tail: Golden Pheasant Crest
Abdomen: Yellow or Orange Chenille
Rib: Peacock Herl
Wingcase: Turkey tail feather (see special note below)
Hackle: Brown Hen hackle
Directions :
1) Wrap thread starting three eye lengths from the eye and in tight turns to the above the hook point. Let the bobbin hang.
2) Choose five or six golden pheasant tippet feathers and trim them from the stem keeping the tips aligned. Tie in with soft wraps extending past the hook shank by about the same length as the shank, keeping the feathers on top of the hook by making slight adjustments with your fingers. Once you are happy with the length, tie in firmly, advancing the thread to the start up at the head and returning to above the barb. Let the bobbin hang.
3) Select a section of turkey tail feather about the same width as the hook gape. Trim from stem and tie in, with the dull side up, make several wraps forward to secure the turkey on top of the hook shank. Wrap to the rearmost tie in and let the bobbin hang.
NOTE : For this use of turkey tail and most other uses as well, it is advisable to spray the entire feather lightly with a fixative a day in advance of usage. This will enable the barbs to stay together when you pull the turkey down for a wingcase. Craft stores will have a selection, make sure you use Matte finish and spray outdoors.
4) Select a three inch piece of chenille and strip about one quarter inch of chenille to reveal the core thread. You can use your fingernails to do this. Tie in, tight to the tie in of the turkey, with several wraps of thread and let the bobbin hang.
5) Select a single peacock herl and tie in the base or thickest section, tight to the chenille. Advance the thread to the head cleaning up the previous tie in materials, but do not overwrap to the point of adding any bulk. The profile needs to remain slim. Let me bobbin hang.
6) Advance the chenille in tight, touching wraps to three eyelengths from the eye and tie off, trimming away the waste. Let the bobbin hang.
7) Advance the peacock in spirals, more or less along the space between the chenille wraps and tie off in front of the chenille. Trim the waste and let the bobbin hang.
8) The thread should be making a small head by now and you can make a few extra wraps to even and tidy everything up. Let the bobbin hang.
9) Select six or eight hen hackles from a feather by aligning their tips and pulling away from the stem. Using that bundle of hackle, hold against the hook shank at a forty five degree angle, trap with thread and make several secure wraps. You can then use a thumbnail to rotate the hackle so that it is underneath the head and nearly touching the point of the hook. Tie in tight once you have positioned them to your liking, trim the waste and let the bobbin hang.
10) Bring the turkey forward and make two or three wraps for placement, once you are happy with the spot and the length, use your left hand to extend the turkey slightly (to hard and it will separate) and pinching to keep it on top of the shank make several firm wraps and trim the waste. There should be sufficient room to form a nice thread wrap head. Whip finish and apply two coats of head cement.
There is also an Orange Tellico fly pattern.
- Tom Adams, Alen Baker
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Rocky River Chapter of Trout Unlimited (c) 2014
