Steelhead Flymphs

[Roadkill]

Here are a couple of Steelhead flies that I tied for my boxes over the holidays.

The first is credited to Old Hat's influence. Carl showed me some of his beautiful Coq De Leon creations at the Western Idaho Fly Fishing Expo last year. He has posted most of them on the net including those here on the flymphforum. It is a CDL flymph tied on a Mustad 9049X #6. It has an Oval Silver Tinsel tip and rib with the body made out of Claret Merino Wool. The thread used on both is a UTC Fluorescent Orange


The second was prompted by a question not too long ago by willowhead about anyone using Chukar on Soft Hackles. I went looking for a Chukar fly I tied about 20 years ago and found it but it had a Coyote wing. Here is a Chukar and Orange using Merino Wool and Oval Silver Tinsel on a 9049x #4.

[letumgo]

Handsome flies. I'd swing those any day!

[CreationBear]

Those are very cool...for myself, if Carl ever found a way to extract royalties I'd be in trouble, though of course there are no steelhead in Tennessee (that we're allowed to talk about. )

Your ties bring up a question I've been meaning to ask about proportions on those longer irons--some like to start the tag perpendicular to the hook barb, while others start way up the hook shank ahead of the point. Is that just a matter of aesthetics, or are tyers trying to come close to the length of a given prey species? For myself, I've been experimenting with the "long shank/short body" look even for my "trout" sized flies in hopes that they will make the "Release" part of "Catch-and-Release" a bit simpler, but I've not got a chance to see how they fish yet.

[hankaye]

Roadkill, Howdy;

Great lookin' Dynamic Duo. Colorful an look great!


CreationBear, Howdy;

Looks Like ya have just the correct amount of good looks and functionality to me..
hank

[Roadkill]

CreationBear

That is a nice fly you have there! Nice color blend in the body and dubbing.It is hard to see but my wool dubbing has several shades of color in it. It came from a local fiber arts store that caters to spinners and wool crafters.

Almost no consideration of a prey involved in Steelhead flies. No known reason why they bite as almost no feeding occurs when they return from the salt. The tie in from point to barb for the tip and tag is traditional. Many tyers start everything in front of the hook point for durability to keep teeth from tearing up the fly. And there are considerations of function like low water ties to minimize the fly profile or maximize the hook sinking.

It all boils down to what you want in your fly.

[Old Hat]

Great looking flies guys. I like the look of the orange thread in yours Roadkill and wool is one of my favorite materials for the bodies on these flies. It dubs nice and helps to get the fly down.

Creation bear,
That is a beauty, and I'm sure would work for trout as well. I have caught more trout on these larger size flymphs than I thought I would have when I started tying them. It has been quite surprising actually.

As far as proportions go, it is really up to the tier. It is generally accepted that the abdome starts at a point somewhere between the point and barb. I tend to stick to this on my trout flies but am also experimenting with longer hooks. On the steelhead flies, there is such a large choice of hook styles that I just take into consideration the the fly I'm tying and the hook and put it together so it is pleasing to me and hopefully the fish.

While I agree that steelhead are not to particular ini their pattern choice, there are triggers and getting the right fly with the right triggers to fish is the game. In my area the fish have been in the water a long time and the water is small by western standards. A size #8 - #12 fly that is more buggy seems to do far better that the traditional larger hair wings, speys, large leeches and the like. Flymphs in this size fit the bill nicely.

Carl

[CreationBear]

Roadkill, Old Hat-- thanks for your insights...I've read just enough Haig-Brown to envy y'all your bright fish. I'll look forward to pirating some more of your flymph/spey patterns and seeing how they work on my infertile freestoners: without a hatch to match usually, something that looks like a big nymph, small crustacean, and young-of-the-year fry at the same time might fry their little piscine synapses.

Hank--thanks for the kind words...I'm looking forward to your fishing reports from that "ditch."

[hankaye]

CreationBear, Howdy;
Got permission for another stretch, about a mile long, an a tip about the landowner of the next 2-3 miles upstream from the new section.
Have to find the man at home and ask first.
If you go South (using Google Maps), from the section that I was able to get the pix of, to the town of Mount Pleasant, go West on the road (State Route 116), that connects to Moroni, Ut., ya'll should see where the 'River' crosses the road. South is where I now have permission. North is where I will soon have permission. Also, the section downstream from where I took the pix is opening up to public access soon! yippee . So I should have about 5 miles (maybe a bit more or less), of the Sanpitch River to fish. Now I gotta wait for the snow to go away and get my license.