Thank you for visiting our fly tying blog! Here you will find free step-by-step instructions for fly patterns that we have found to be very successful while fishing on the Tributaries of Lake Erie known as " Steelhead Alley." You will also be able to see step-by-step instructions for warm water, tube, trout, and destinational fly patterns. If you would like to request a pattern tutorial that you do not see,please send requests to info@steelheadalleyoutfitters.com

Monday, February 21, 2011

Mike's Voodoo Squatch




Thread: UTC140 denier, tan
Hook1: Gamagatsu B10S size 2/0
Hook2: Daiichi 2141 size 1
Tail: Marabou, tan
Body1: Marabou, tan and yellow
Body2: Bucktail, tan and yellow
Flash: Magnum Holographic Flashabou, yellow
Head: Senyo Laser Dub, rusty bronze and dark tan
Eyes: 3D Epoxy, Super Pearl 1/2"
Connection: Beadalon, 19 strand .018"

Alternative color combinations: All black, olive over tan, green over orange, red over white


STEP 1: With your Daiichi 2141 size 1 in the vise get your thread started and wrapped to the back of the hook shank. Once at the rear tie in point, located above the midpoint of the hook spear, tie a single marabou feather hanging approximately one hook length off the back of the hook. Tightly wrap the material forward about two thirds of the hook shank then return your thread to the mid-point of the shank.

STEP 2: Tie in three strands of Holographic Flashabou in the middle of the strands then fold them back over and tie them securely down, resulting in six strands hanging off the back of the hook. Tying the Flashabou in by the middle prevents the material from slipping out. The Holographic flashabou should be trimmed to be approximately the length of the marabou tail.

STEP 3: Advance your thread forward towards the eye. About one eye width back on the shank tie in a single tan marabou feather on top of the hook shank and one yellow below. The feathers should be tied in so that the tips taper down towards the tail. Once tied in go ahead and cut off the butt ends of the marabou and create a smooth thread head.

STEP 4: Place the Gamagatsu B10S size 2/0 in the vise and attach the rear hook using Beadalon. For this fly it will be approximately three inches of 19 strand .018" Beadalon threaded through the eye of the rear hook and use three size E glass beads to keep the loop closed. Tie under maximum pressure from the rear to the front and back, then tie the fly. If done under maximum pressure with good coverage no further action is needed to secure the hooks.

STEP 5: About half way forward on the front hook shank tie in a single tan marabou feather on top of the hook shank and one yellow below. The feathers should be tied in so that the tips taper down about mid way through the marabou on the back hook. Tying the feathers in like this give the fly a nice tapered profile.

STEP 6: Again tie in three strands of Holographic Flashabou in the middle of the strands then fold them back over and tie them securely down, resulting in six strands hanging off the back of the hook. The Holographic flashabou on the front hook should be trimmed to taper out at about the same point as the marabou on the front hook.

STEP 7: This step involves reverse tying bucktail. Tie in a clump of tan bucktail on top of the hook shank and a clump of yellow below the hook shank, both with the tips out past the hook eye. Add a few extra tight binding wraps then reverse the hair backwards, easily done with an empty pen tube slid over the eye, and wrap down with eight to ten tight wraps.

STEP 8: Directly on top of the bucktail wraps tie in a clump of Rusty Bronze by the mid point and reverse it back over itself and brush out. Tying in the clumps here gives a nice gill effect but more importantly it serves to add some structure for the rest of the head. This stepp builds up the 'under head' so that there is a nice transition from the Laser Dub head back in to the body...maintaining a profile without gaps.

STEP 9: The head will consist of two clumps of senter tied Tan Senyo Laser Dub. Pull out a clump and work it with your fingers so that the fibers go generally the same direction. Push the clump directly over the eye of the hook then use a pair of tight wraps in the middle of the material to hold it in place. Then fold the material back over itself and secure with a few more wraps in front of it.

STEP 10: Tie in a second clump of the tan Senyo Laser Dub just behind the eye in the same manner as step9 then whip finish. These clumps should be fairly bulky as they are meant to push around enough water to really get the back of the fly doing a jig!

STEP 11: Use Loctite Gel, or similar gel glue, to apply a 1/2" 3D Epoxy eye to each side of the fly about an eye width back. Make sure to hold the eyes in place until you can feel them heating up, indicating that the chemical reaction that bonds the back of the eye to the material has taken place.

At about five and a half inches this is a fairly meaty fly. I generally fish this fly on a 6WT throwing 200gr SA Streamer Express Long. Hard jerk strips make this fly practically dance through a retrieve.

Maintaining a wet width of three quarters of an inch gives this fly a great profile from any angle.

If you have any questions about the pattern that were not addressed, please visit http://www.anglerschoiceflies.com/ or find me at the Anglers Choice Flies News Feed at http://www.anglerschoiceflies.blogspot.com/.

-mike schmidt

Monday, February 7, 2011

Back Winged Scandi Tube

Tube flies are admittedly something I have not avidly pursued as long as other styles that I tie. I have of course tied up the odd bunch of tube leeches or Ice Mans over the last few years, but truthfully two things had held me back from really diving in hard and really becoming a student of the tradition and style wrapped up in tubes; cost and an adapter that does not allow the tube to spin. The cost of much of what is on the market for tube flies, both in materials and components, has been a significant barrier for me. More companies are starting to carry materials that are traditionally used on tube flies so that competition is driving costs towards the more reasonable end of the scale. As for the components, I happened upon a company out of Denmark called Pro FlyTyer that makes a very well thought out component system at a very solid price point as well as a well designed adapter that fits any vise. SCORE! That has allowed me to be able to spend my free time between orders learning the 'rules' so I can follow them for tradition sake and break them at will to push the boundaries. All I can say is that I am hooked. This first tube fly step by step from me covers a fly based on the traditional Scandi tubes.

Thread: UTC70 denier
Tube: Pro FlexiTube
Weight: Pro FlexiWeight
Body1: Finn Racoon
Body2: Schlappen
Body3: Ice Dub
Flash: Flashabou and/or Holographic Flashabou
Cheeks: Jungle Cock Eyes
Cone: Pro Soft SonicDisc

STEP 1: Start off the fly by firmly fitting the Pro FlexiTube on to your adapter or vise. In this case I have used the Pro FlexiNeedle which starts as a standard needle and transtions to a rectangular back. The shape and construction allow it to be used with any vise and firmly hold the tube so it will not spin.

STEP 2: Select the weight size you want for the fly and slide the Pro FlexiWeight on to the tube. Slide it all the way until it firmly butts against the tube transition.

STEP 3: Directly in front of the FlexiWeight tie in a clump of Finn Racoon to act as a back wing. Use a few tight wraps forward then wrap back right to the FlexiWeight to help cant the wing up just a bit.

STEP 4: Holding a schlappen feather by the tip, stroke back the fibers to give yourself a tie in point on the stem. Tie in the feather by that tie in point with a few tight wraps. This particular feather I chose is a 'IC Sub Funky Feather' from FeathersMC…John does some pretty wild dye jobs!

STEP 5: Dub in a base of Ice Dub for the shoulder of the fly. You will notice that the larger diameter of the tube, as compared to a hook shank, will increase the amount of dubbing necessary to appropriately cover the tube.

STEP 6: Fold the feather and tightly palmer it forward through the dubbing to form the shoulder; be careful not to trap fibers down as you wrap forward. This collar will give the fly some added body and help to keep the forward wing from collapsing.

STEP 7: Tie in a forward wing of Finn Racoon directly in front of the palmered schlappen. The length of the forward wing should extend all the way over the body and just past the rear wing so as to maintain a solid profile and taper.

STEP 8: Tie in some Flashabou and/or Holographic Flashabou of your choosing; I am partial to tying in three complimentary colors. Make sure that the first bunch is the longest, and each successive bunch a bit shorter to again maintain a proper taper. For this fly I chose a light purple, holographic pink and holographic cranberry.

STEP 9: For the cheeks you will tie in a Jungle Cock eye on each side of the tube. When tying this style it is imperative that you keep the materials tied in tight and the head small. The head I built up on this example would be far to big if I were not using a cone to finish off the fly.

STEP 10: I chose to cap off the front of this fly with a pink Pro Soft SonicDisc. It is a great injection molded piece that both forces water around the head as well as letting some through for even greater cavitation directly behind the cone. All the Pro cones also have a deep inner well so they can be used over a more bulky head and still be properly seated. Once the cone is seated use a razor to shave the tube down to just a millimeter or two in front of the cone.

STEP 11: To finish off the fly simply apply a flame to melt back the tube to the Pro SonicDisc. As the ProSonic disk is not metal you do have to be very careful as you melt down the tube not to melt the cone as well! The finished product will cast and swim like a charm.
If you have any questions about the pattern that were not addressed, please visit http://www.anglerschoiceflies.com/, or find me at the Anglers Choice Flies News Feed at http://www.anglerschoiceflies.blogspot.com
-mike schmidt