Joined
·
3,432 Posts
I started traveling to the Deschutes back in the early 90s, first by plane, and then for some reason I started making the long drive. The speed limit back then was 55 nationwide and it really didn’t save time driving the interstate. I tried a few different routes, all of which took me through the town of Madras. We made a habit of fueling and securing our fishing licenses before leaving Madras, Madras was the last chance before dropping down into the canyon. There was a hunting and fishing shop on the main drag -- sadly, I can’t recall the name of the place -- where we would pick up some last minute supplies. It was not much of a fly shop, but they did have a bin of twelve or so steelhead flies. I recognized most all of the patterns except for one named the Deschutes Special. The fly was somewhat odd-looking with its burnt yellow chenille body, blue hackle, and red tail, but with a name like that I had to buy one for a pattern. Being me, I never did duplicate the original, but the fly did inspire a number of different patterns using the same color combination. A few years back I decided to go retro and tied up a box of the old standards. Remembering the Deschutes Special, I tied up a few for the first trip of the year. I did make a few changes by substituting seal for the body and polar bear for the wing, but for the most part the fly looks much like the original. What’s fun for me is I have no idea who came up with the pattern and have yet to see it published. It took me a while to gain confidence in the fly, only because I was slow to give it a fair chance. Now it’s a go-to fly when the sun is high in the sky. My trips through Madras ended when they changed the speed limit back to 65. Maybe someday I will get back there. Have fun with this one and thanks for looking.
Deschutes Special (Variant)
Hook: Alec Jackson 3 -7
Tag: Flat silver tinsel (not found on the original)
Tail: Dyed red hackle fibers
Body: Burnt yellow dubbing (original had chenille)
Rib: Flat silver tinsel
Collar: King fisher Blue saddle hackle.
Wing: White polar bear (original had calf tail)
Start the tying thread near the bend of the hook. Secure in a length of small flat silver tinsel and begin wrapping down the bend of the hook. When the wraps are in line with the point of the hook begin wrapping back to the tie in point.
Pull a clump of barbs from a dyed red saddle hackle and secure in for the tail. With two turns of the tying thread secure in a length of flat tinsel for the rib.
Build a dubbing loop with the tying thread, load with dubbing and give it a spin. Wrap the dubbing forward and secure.
Bring the rib forward making 5 open wraps.
Secure in a King Fisher blue hackle and wrap as a collar.
Clip a clump of hair for the wing. Clean all the off length hairs from the clump and stack. Gauge to length and secure. Before the whip finish I place a drop of thin cement on the base of the wing.
Build up a head with the tying thread and whip finish. Add a second coat of thin head cement, followed by a coat of thick head cement.
The fish on the Ronde seem to like this fly as well. Good tying and better fishing.
Deschutes Special (Variant)
Hook: Alec Jackson 3 -7
Tag: Flat silver tinsel (not found on the original)
Tail: Dyed red hackle fibers
Body: Burnt yellow dubbing (original had chenille)
Rib: Flat silver tinsel
Collar: King fisher Blue saddle hackle.
Wing: White polar bear (original had calf tail)
Start the tying thread near the bend of the hook. Secure in a length of small flat silver tinsel and begin wrapping down the bend of the hook. When the wraps are in line with the point of the hook begin wrapping back to the tie in point.
Pull a clump of barbs from a dyed red saddle hackle and secure in for the tail. With two turns of the tying thread secure in a length of flat tinsel for the rib.
Build a dubbing loop with the tying thread, load with dubbing and give it a spin. Wrap the dubbing forward and secure.
Bring the rib forward making 5 open wraps.
Secure in a King Fisher blue hackle and wrap as a collar.
Clip a clump of hair for the wing. Clean all the off length hairs from the clump and stack. Gauge to length and secure. Before the whip finish I place a drop of thin cement on the base of the wing.
Build up a head with the tying thread and whip finish. Add a second coat of thin head cement, followed by a coat of thick head cement.
The fish on the Ronde seem to like this fly as well. Good tying and better fishing.
