Senyo's Craft Fur Intruder

Lake Erie Steelhead that took a Craft Fur Intruder.

Step #1:  Take a Mustad 3191 Size 2/0 hook and cut off at the bend. I know wadington shanks are most commonly used, but this hook style allows you to place the hook in the vice without having to tie your fly at an awkward angle, and it is an inexpensive way to tie this pattern.

Step #2: Attach black 6/0 Uni-Thread to the shank and wind to the rear of the hook. 

Step #3: Take a 6 inch piece of 30 pound standard Berkley fire Wire, and found the section in half to form a loop on one end. Thread the loop through the eye of a VMC 7356BN Drop Shot #1 hook or equivalent. Open the loop and slide the loop over the hook to form the connection. This will allow you to change hooks when needed.

The Fire Line is then secured to the top of the hook shank with about 1 inch of the loop hanging out the rear. Secure the Fire Line with several even thread wraps, and apply a thin coating of Super glue. Allow to dry. 

Step #4: Center tie in a medium sized clump of Senyo's Black Laser Dubbing. Fold the dubbing over and bring your thread to the front of the laser dubbing.

Step #5: Using Hareline's Black Select Craft Fur, take a small clump between your thumb and pointer finger and cut off the fur as close as possible to the fake hide. Place the Craft fur on top of the hook shank and secure it with a few thread wraps. Use your free hand and twist the craft fur around the hook shank, so that it evenly coats all the way around. Secure the craft fur and trim off excess or cover evenly over with tying thread.

Step #6: Take 8-10 individual stands of Chartreuse Lady Amherst feather, and secure them evenly all the way around the craft fur wing. You can palmer Lady Amherst feather around craft fur in you want too. When you look at a center section of Lady Amherst you want the shorter feathers for the rear wing, and the longer feathers for the front wing on this particular pattern.  

Step #7: Using Black Senyo's Laser Dubbing form a thin even body toward the eye of the hook.

Step #8: Center tie in a clump of Senyo's Black Laser Dubbing and fold the material over on to itself. Bring your fly tying thread to the front of the material.

Step #9: Apply another generous clump of Hareline's Black Select Craft Fur in front of the dubbing. Again using your free hand, spin or twist the craft fur around the shank evenly.

Step #10: Take 8-10 individual strands of Chartreuse Lady Amherst Feathers and tie then evenly around the entire craft fur wing. 

Step #11: Add 2 strands of Magnum Green and Black Flashabou over the top wing.

Final: Center tie a small clump of Hareline's Chartreuse Ice dubbing, create a small thread head in the front and tie off!

This has been a very effective fly pattern for stained water and higher flows on PA's Elk Creek for steelhead. Many color combinations can be created for this simple but effective pattern.

McCrae's Mohawk Bugger

I got a call from Greg this morning asking me to do this step-by-step breakdown of the woolly bugger that he mentioned on the SAO blog the other day.  The first question he asked was "Do you have a name for it?"  "Sure", I said - "it's the white woolly bugger with blue and chartreuse dubbing."  I guess this wasn't satisfactory, so after a few minutes we settled on the "Mohawk Bugger."

I should also start by saying that in my opinion, very few flies out there are truly original.  Most are inspired by other patterns, with an added step or two, and a different, catchy name.  This woolly bugger is no different.

I used to spend a lot of time tying flies in the attic of a local fly shop that is no longer in business.  In that attic I watched a few guys who were far better tyers than I crank out a lot of bugs to fill their boxes.  One night up there, after a bunch of Budweisers (and possibly some bourbon), a white woolly bugger tied with blue flashbou, pearl body brite, and a mallard flank collar came off someone's vice.  Just about every bugger I've tied for steelhead since then has been some variation of that original pattern.



The Mohawk Bugger

 Hook: Daiichi 2220 or 1750 Size 6-10
Bead: 5/32 Gold
Threat: Red Uni 6/0
Tail: Marabou
Body: Ice Dubbing and Palmered Body Brite
Wing: Chartreuse and Blue Senyo's Laser Dub
Collar: Saddle Hackle

Step 1 - Getting started: Thread bead on hook, lay down thread base, and tie in marabou tail.

Step 2 - Creating the body: Tie in section of pearl Body Brite, dub the length of the hook with pearl ice dubbing.  Palmer body material forward stopping just short of the bead.

Step 3 - the "mohawk":  Tie in a clump of chartreuse and blue dubbing and secure.  Push dubbing toward the bend of the hook so that it lies like the picture above.

Step 4 - the collar: Tie in a saddle hackle, wrap a few times, and secure.  Whip finish, then fish.

This fly fishes well in a variety of water conditions, and is best when dead drifted under an indicator.  At the end of your drift allow the fly to swing briefly at the end of your drift.  As the fly swings upward off the bottom it can trigger a feeding response from steelhead which results in some incredible strikes.  For swinging or fishing the beaches, consider upsizing the fly.

Any questions on this fly or the step-by-step tutorial can be directed to Brett McCrae who can be reached at brett.mccrae@gmail.com .

Wiley's Suspender Minner

Hook: Gamakatsu SP11 #2
Thread: 6/0 Uni-Thread
Tail: Schlappen Feather
Body: Ice Dubbing, Polar Chenille
Flash: Holographic Flashabou
Collar: Mallard Flank Feather

Step 1: Start by placing a Gamakatsu SP11 #2 In the vise. Wrap a layer of 6/0 Uni-Thread back to just before the hook point.

Step 2: Secure two schlappen feathers on either side of the hook shank.

Step 3: Place a small clump of buck tail on either side of the hook shank and secure right on top of point were the schlappen was tied in. This help hold the schlappen from crossing each other.


Step 4: Next, tie in a strand of UV Polar Chenille. Then dub some Ice Dubbing on the thread.


Step 5: Dub the Ice to about ¼” from the eye of the hook. Then wrap the Chenille to the same point, secure and cut the excess.


Step 6: Tie in a mallard flank feather at the same point the chenille was tied off at.

Step 7: Wrap the feather forward two to three times, tie off and cut excess.


Step 8: Next tie in a large clump of buck tail reverse style. Measure the clump so that the tips will extend just past the bend of the hook when folded back.


Step 9: Once the buck tail is folded back secure it with a few strong wraps.


Step 10: Next, take four to six strains of flashabou double over and secure on top of the fly. Wrap a nice bullet head, whip finish, cut thread off and glue. You can also place some eyes on at this time as well.


I came up with this pattern a few years ago when I was dealing with low waters on the Huron River. The whole concept was to make this fly with as few materials as possible and still have it still hold a bait fish profile. I wanted it to be weightless so I could throw it in to the shallow waters at that time. I have since found that this fly has much more uses than just a go to low water fly. The sparse and buoyant materials make for a fly with lots of movement when fished on a weighted fly line. Also this fly will almost suspend perfectly in the water column when you need a more wounded bait fish action. This fly has earned a permanent place in my fly box for smallmouth bass, trout, pike and anything else that crushes minnow. Tie one on and get bent!

Aaron guides for Schultz outfitters in Ann Arbor Michigan. If you have any questions e-mail him, aaron@schultzoutfitters.com, or check out schultzoutfitters.com

Wiley's Velvet Touch

Wiley's Velvet Touch

Hook: Gamakatsu SP11 #8

Thread: GSP 100

Head: Small cone head

Collar: Schlappin

Body: Rabbit strip, Ice dubbing and Ice fur

Tail: Rabbit strip

Flash: Flashabou

Step 1- Start out buy sliding a small cone head on to the hook. Then wrap the thread from the hook eye to the bend of the hook.


Step 2- Tye in a rabbit strip. Leaving enough of a tag in order to extend the rabbit strip to the cone head later.


Step 3- Dub a tapered body from the bend of the hook to 3/4th of the way up the hook shank.



Step 4- Were you ended the dubbing, tie in two clumps of ice fur on either side of the body. The clumps should extend to just beyond the hook point.



Step 5- Now pull the rest of the rabbit strip forward and tie it off just in front of the dubbing.

Step 6- Next tie in 6 to 8 strands of Flashabou. I always like to add red in to what ever color combo I'm doing.

Step 7- Tye in a schlappin feather at the tip of the feather.

Step 8- Fold and wrap the schlappin feather forward to the cone head. Tye off, glue and put it in the box.



This fly is an old favorite for me. It's one of those I've had in the fly box for years and just keeps evolving with new materials and situations. This pattern can be made in any color that you can think of and in any size hook. Trout, bass, steelhead and salmon have all fallen victim to this pattern. This is one pattern that has become a staple in my box no matter the species I'm going for.

Happy cliant with a Velvit Touched Smallie

Aaron guides for Schultz outfitters in Ann Arbor Michigan. If you have any questions e-mail him,aaron@schultzoutfitters.com, or check out schultzoutfitters.com