Christmas shopping is done & I can’t stop

[Meskel]

Just the thought of the D during this hatch makes me want to


I figure that is enough of this exact pattern. Does any one else use any variations I might need to tie?

[mandinga]

There are sooo many variations...

I am tying some this year with some coated screen door material for the wings...

These are so much fun to tie.

[grsteelies]

Those are killer S flys. I would love to try some on the Madison this summer. Wanna swap some flies? Let me know what you need?

[Plem]

somebody start a Salmon fly swap- I have one that outfishes anything else I or my buddies have used the last four years. A little slimmer profile than the foam body, rides a little lower, but murderous. I'm in

[nookslayer]

Nice bugs Brian. Hopefully that's what you got me for Christmas since you drew my name!

[O Tshawytcha]

For the big ol' salmon flies I find it is hard to beat the good ol' Sofa Pillow!

Make sure you only use just enough hair in the wing to give the silouete of fluttering wings. Many people and pro's make the false assumtion that the sofa pillows wing helps in floating the fly and tie in WAY too much hair.

Example:





This extra weight ends up actually making the fly float worse and cast crappy. Idealy you want all of the wing out of the water and the fly to float as high as possible so that you can skitter it. Also its important to use the stiffest, highest quality hackles and lots of it (very hard to find high quality hackles for a size 4-6 fly).

Here's a pic of a good looking one (though the hackles look a little webby):



Finally use nothing less than 4X (where I use to guide we would run straight 3ft 12lb leaders). If you use a tippet that is too light the fly will spin, tangling your leader. You will also have a harder time turning it over and you will lose more flys. If you can get away with it use the heavy stuff!

Later in the hatch I will switch to the rogue foam stones to match the spent bugs.

Man do I miss the Gunnison in June/July!!!
(drool....)
Nice looking flies!


GRIFF

PS.. I am in for a swap!!