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I have posted this fly and step by step before, so it is nothing new. This is the pattern I caught my first Sauk River, chrome bright, winter steelhead on. I am restocking my winter box for a trip to the coast and thought this one would be fun to repost with a fresh look. Back when I posted this fly the intruder seemed to be the talk of the town. The majority of the posts back then were Intruder type flies. It has been fun watching the swing back to the classics over the years. Have fun with this one and thanks for looking.
Original Post
After posting the Intruder I thought I had better post the fly I caught my first Sauk River winter fish on. Reliving that experience has brought back some very special memories. It was the first time I had fished a Washington coastal river. I had fished some smaller Oregon streams but had yet to feel the massiveness of the Skagit. As we traveled up the river I was mesmerized by its emerald green color. It was early spring and everything was coming to life. I had left 4 feet of snow at my home in Utah and was expecting winter conditions. Coastal winters were a pleasant surprise. We got to fish one run that first night and had no idea where we were going. We had a little chapel as a land mark and headed into the forest looking for the river. As I stepped into the river for the first time and felt it wrap around me, I knew I was in a special place. Add the special people I was with, Dec, Ed and my family; it just doesn’t get much better. Thanks for looking.
Thread: 6/0 black Fly Master
Hook: Alec Jackson 3/0
Tag: Flat silver tinsel
Rib: Silver embossed tinsel
Body: Rear half orange silk front half orange seal.
Hackle: Dyed black Blue Eared pheasant
Collar: Dyed Orange Blue Eared pheasant followed by a few turns of dyed orange guinea
Wing: Dyed orange goose shoulder
I no longer use the Blue Eared Pheasant, schlappen seems to work better. As for the step by step, I still tie this pattern the same as I did for that first trip to the Skagit/Sauk.
The Sauk River Spey
Start the tying thread at the mid-joint of the hook. Secure in a length of silver flat tinsel. Wrap the tinsel down to the start of the bend, then return back to the mid-joint.
Secure in a length of embossed silver tinsel followed by a length of floss. Wrap the floss down to the start of the bend trapping the tinsel as you go. Stop short of the underbody of tinsel, leaving one wrap exposed for the tip. Return the floss to the mid-joint and secure. Do not cut the tag end of the floss, it will be used for the dubbing loop.
Create a dubbing loop by tying an overhand knot in the tail end of the floss. Split the floss and load with dubbing. Give the loop a spin. Secure in the black hackle. Wrap the dubbing forward and secure.
Bring the rib forward making 6 open wraps. Follow the rib with the hackle.
Secure in the schlappen and wrap as a collar. Follow with two turns of Guinea.
This how I used to set this wing. To set the wing I secure the backside strip first with two turns of thread. I make sure it is set to the length I want. The backside strip is taken from the right side (tip pointing up) of the goose feather. I then match the front side strip that was taken from the left side of the feather, to the length of the backside strip, unwind the two wrap and then make some firm securing wraps over both strips. Trim the butt ends, whip and you are done.
Now I just set both strips on at the same time.
One more coat of cement and this one is ready for the box.
Original Post
After posting the Intruder I thought I had better post the fly I caught my first Sauk River winter fish on. Reliving that experience has brought back some very special memories. It was the first time I had fished a Washington coastal river. I had fished some smaller Oregon streams but had yet to feel the massiveness of the Skagit. As we traveled up the river I was mesmerized by its emerald green color. It was early spring and everything was coming to life. I had left 4 feet of snow at my home in Utah and was expecting winter conditions. Coastal winters were a pleasant surprise. We got to fish one run that first night and had no idea where we were going. We had a little chapel as a land mark and headed into the forest looking for the river. As I stepped into the river for the first time and felt it wrap around me, I knew I was in a special place. Add the special people I was with, Dec, Ed and my family; it just doesn’t get much better. Thanks for looking.
Thread: 6/0 black Fly Master
Hook: Alec Jackson 3/0
Tag: Flat silver tinsel
Rib: Silver embossed tinsel
Body: Rear half orange silk front half orange seal.
Hackle: Dyed black Blue Eared pheasant
Collar: Dyed Orange Blue Eared pheasant followed by a few turns of dyed orange guinea
Wing: Dyed orange goose shoulder
I no longer use the Blue Eared Pheasant, schlappen seems to work better. As for the step by step, I still tie this pattern the same as I did for that first trip to the Skagit/Sauk.
The Sauk River Spey
Start the tying thread at the mid-joint of the hook. Secure in a length of silver flat tinsel. Wrap the tinsel down to the start of the bend, then return back to the mid-joint.
Secure in a length of embossed silver tinsel followed by a length of floss. Wrap the floss down to the start of the bend trapping the tinsel as you go. Stop short of the underbody of tinsel, leaving one wrap exposed for the tip. Return the floss to the mid-joint and secure. Do not cut the tag end of the floss, it will be used for the dubbing loop.
Create a dubbing loop by tying an overhand knot in the tail end of the floss. Split the floss and load with dubbing. Give the loop a spin. Secure in the black hackle. Wrap the dubbing forward and secure.
Bring the rib forward making 6 open wraps. Follow the rib with the hackle.
Secure in the schlappen and wrap as a collar. Follow with two turns of Guinea.
This how I used to set this wing. To set the wing I secure the backside strip first with two turns of thread. I make sure it is set to the length I want. The backside strip is taken from the right side (tip pointing up) of the goose feather. I then match the front side strip that was taken from the left side of the feather, to the length of the backside strip, unwind the two wrap and then make some firm securing wraps over both strips. Trim the butt ends, whip and you are done.
Now I just set both strips on at the same time.
One more coat of cement and this one is ready for the box.
