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Bulkley Mouse SBS

5K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  FGS III 
#1 · (Edited)
Note: The recipe I used was from Dick Stewart's and Farrow Allen's book, "Flies for Steelhead," and mentions that the tail should be tied in short, not extending beyond the hook barb.

Hook: Daichii 2421 size 4
Thread: 6/0 black
Tail: Natural Deer, Moose, or Elk body hair
Body: Butt ends of the hair used for the bound to the hook with criss cross wraps of thread
Wing: Natural Deer, Moose, or Elk body hair
Head: Flared hair from the wing clipped to form a head

Step 1: I like to attach the thread to the hook right behind the return wire. Wrap the thread back to a point on the hook shank directly above the point of the hook and return the thread to the rear of the return wire.


Step 2: Select your preferred hair, clip it off the hide as close to the hide as you can, and while firmly pinching the tips, use a small pet comb to remove all of the underfur. Gauge the length of the tail to go just beyond the end of the bend of the hook and tie it on the shank just behind the return wire. Try to get the hair to cover all sides of the hook shank. The cool part.....compress the hair to the shank with your fingers and make evenly spaced wraps of thread and stop at the hook point.


Step3: Make two extra turns at the base of the tail and spiral the thread wraps forward criss crossing the previous wraps. This will give the fly a segmented look. It's up to you if you want to coat the body and thread wraps with a flexible adhesive.


Step 4: Trim off the butt ends at the return wire or do so slightly past if you don't want to leave as much room in front of the head like I did. It's for a riffle hitch dad........not with that much room son. Darn. minus 1 attaboy.


Step 5: Select matching hair, and as in Step 2 clip it off the hide as close to the hide as you can, and while firmly pinching the tips, use a small pet comb to remove all of the underfur. Measure the wing so it extends to the rear of the hook and clip the butt ends while in your fingers so they are shorter than the wing tips when flared. When you slide scissors over the tips after they are tied in, the butt ends will stand up and make trimming them to shape much easier. Tie the hair on top of the hook shank and let it roll over to the far side and slightly under the hook shank.
 
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#2 ·
Step 6: Repeat step 5, but tie the material in on the bottom of the hook shank where the previous material thins out, and let it roll and flare back to the top of the hook shank. Make another two firm wraps to bind the material tighter to the shank.


Step 7: I should have tied in another small clump to take up some shank but oh well. Begin to trim the but ends of the wings and start to get them to a round shape. Not like a round ball, but like a round cylindar.


Step 8: Start forming the head. I chose to trim some of the hair on the bottom of the hook shank to help expose the body a tad more, but the hair on the bottom can remain intact if you like.


Shot of the bottom of the fly.
 
#5 ·
The originator of the fly I believe is Andre Laporte. A long time guide on the Bulkley. I fished with Andre a couple of times last fall.

If you google his name his website will come up and he has pictures of his fly. I think he ties in some flashabou in the tail as well. Natural and black deer hair versions as well.

Next fall, we're again booked with Andre, and this time I'm determined to stick it out a bit more and fish some dries for the surface oriented fish.
 
#9 ·
Here is the right up in the book I mentioned:

The Bulkley River is a tributary of British Columbia's Skeena River, and is ideal water for skating a dry fly in either slick or broken water. The Bulkely Mouse was developed by a British Columbia guide, Collin Shadrech, during the late 1970's and early 1980's. It is considered the most effective type of dry fly pattern for that river. When dressed with an underwing of pearlescent flashabou it is known as a Disco Mouse.
 
#10 ·
Bulkley mouse, history,tying & fishing

Having worked with Collin and Andre on the Bulkley in the late '80's, I can tell you for sure that the true story can be found on Andre's website. ( Thanks WRX for mentioning that ).

The fly, as perfected by Andre after tying many thousands, is tied with one clump of deer hair on top of the hook shank, which is locked in place by pulling back the wing butts and wrapping the head. The wing is cut to length before tying it in, and all remains on top of the hook shank.To do this well, strong thread is required; Andre at one time experimented with kevlar thread. I believe that Unithread 3/0 is probably the best choice available now.

The big secret of this fly, as Andre ties it, is selecting where on the cured mule deer hide the hair is taken; getting the correct texture is the key. I believe that hair off a tanned hide is too soft to get it right. Andre keeps this information to himself.... trade secrets I suppose.

To fish the fly,tie it on with a double turle knot to give low angle of pull and get tension on the fly immediately so it has no chance to sink. When fished this way, no dry fly dressing is required, and a riffle hitch is not needed except in quite broken water.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth. Thanks for bringing it up, FGS III.

Tight lines, Chris
 
#11 ·
Having worked with Collin and Andre on the Bulkley in the late '80's, I can tell you for sure that the true story can be found on Andre's website. ( Thanks WRX for mentioning that ).

The fly, as perfected by Andre after tying many thousands, is tied with one clump of deer hair on top of the hook shank, which is locked in place by pulling back the wing butts and wrapping the head. The wing is cut to length before tying it in, and all remains on top of the hook shank.To do this well, strong thread is required; Andre at one time experimented with kevlar thread. I believe that Unithread 3/0 is probably the best choice available now.

The big secret of this fly, as Andre ties it, is selecting where on the cured mule deer hide the hair is taken; getting the correct texture is the key. I believe that hair off a tanned hide is too soft to get it right. Andre keeps this information to himself.... trade secrets I suppose.

To fish the fly,tie it on with a double turle knot to give low angle of pull and get tension on the fly immediately so it has no chance to sink. When fished this way, no dry fly dressing is required, and a riffle hitch is not needed except in quite broken water.

Anyway, that's my two cents worth. Thanks for bringing it up, FGS III.

Tight lines, Chris
That is awesome info Chris.....thank you for the history (wrx canoe too) and some of the "behind the scene" technique. That's what this site is about!!
 
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