[SRFS]

SKEENA RIVER FLY SUPPLY GRAND OPENING FLY TYING COMPETITION AND GIVE-AWAY!!
We are happy to announce the opening of our on-line store. Skeena River Fly Supply is based out of Smithers, BC, Canada; “steelhead capital of the world”. So naturally our focus is on materials related to our steelhead fishery. We supply high quality materials, unique materials, custom designs and innovative products. To celebrate our opening we thought it would be fun to do a fly tying competition for the members of Spey Pages.
The rules:
1. Tie an original fly pattern with the use of Snowrunner, the pattern may be for any species, salt water or fresh water.
2. Post your fly, with the tying instructions and materials list, on this thread.
3. The competition will end Wednesday March 25, 2015 at 24:00 hrs.
4. Voting will be by poll and will finish on Friday April 3, 2015. The winners will be announced on Saterday April 4, 2015.
Prizes:
1. The first 50 customers who place an order of $10 or more from our site will receive a bonus package of materials to tie our Snowrunner Leech (1 pack of Blue Snowrunner, 1 pack of blue glitter 3mm tubes, 1pack of 1.8mm tubes, 1 pack of large hole cone heads). To be eligible for the bonus package make sure to mention: “Spey Pages fly tying competition”, on your order (the place for this is just below the "Ship to different address" paragraph on the checkout page). Shipping and handling excluded.
2. The first prize: $200 CAD gift certificate for SRFS materials.
3. The second prize: $100 CAD gift certificate for SRFS materials.
4. The third prize: $50 CAD gift certificate for SRFS materials.
Have fun tying!

 

[klops]

It will be interesting to see how another tiers will use this material.
I have nice photo of flies tied by my friend (of course not for competition )



What is nice SR has nice 3D structure than with not so big amount of material we can tie even big fly

 

[klops]

Ok for sure it will be not most beautiful fly in this competition but I always prefer over beauty efficiency of flies .



List of materials:
Shrimp tube 14x4mm flange version with orange soft tube
Tail –orange SR with pink crystal flash
Feelers- orange boar bristles
Rear hackle – pink nutria
Body UV rainbow glitter nail varnish
Frong hackle – orange
Pink cone head 6mm deep recess (to go over flange )

 

[SRFS]

klops FnS

Nice start Klops! I like the use of the boar bristle on your FnS, it looks good.

 

[SRFS]

Snow Runner sample.

Hi guys here is a sample of one of my Snow Runner flies. You can read the step-by-step for it here: http://www.skeenariverflysupply.com/2015/01/03/snow-runner-brush-fly-concept-pattern-jaap-kalkman/
Also want to remind you to make sure to mention "fly tying competition" in the remarks section on the check out page, in order to be eligible for the bonus package.
Good luck!

 

[klops]

Nice start Klops! I like the use of the boar bristle on your FnS, it looks good.

it is not new idea because boar bristles was used for feelers a lot of years a go . Original recipe asked for hackle steam but boar bristles are much more durable and no problem with Cinderella job which is necessary to remove barbs from hackle stem. I hate it.

 

[SRFS]

Tapam special

Here is another example of a Snow Runner fly. Just to illustrate that the flies do not have to be steelhead flies (you can spey cast for tarpon;-).
Now let's see your creations!

 

[bonefish808]

Mini Runner Baitfish



Hook: Mustad 7766 Size 4
Wing: Snow Runner Mixed with Ice Wing Fiber
Topping: Peacock Herl
Head and Eyes: Paint Covered with Epoxy

 

[SRFS]

Mini Runner

Nice. Mixing Snow Runner with synthetics can be good. That looks like a fly that would be quite effective! I have found that natural hair, unlike synthetics, will not get so badly mangled by toothy fish. My natural hair patterns way outlast my synthetic fibre ones. But by mixing the synthetics with the natural hair you make them more durable as well. Lots of possibilities there! Cheers, and thanks for the submission!

 

[bonefish808]

mixing

I find that mixing natural and synthetic is a deadly combo. I like the snow runner since when wet is translucent and the angel hair gives it a nice sparkle that drives our saltwater (trevally, barracuda, etc) species nuts. Dean

 

[SRFS]

mixing Snow Runner

You would be the one to know Dean!

 

[Jabrowning24]

so I don't really tie this type of stuff so I'm not familiar with snow runner. Is this a material that can be bought other places or do a guy have to make an order through you Guys in order to participate is this "speypages" contest?

 

[SRFS]

so I don't really tie this type of stuff so I'm not familiar with snow runner. Is this a material that can be bought other places or do a guy have to make an order through you Guys in order to participate is this "speypages" contest?

Yup, that's the idea!

 

[KSpey]

Blue and Purple Tube

I purchased some SRFS Snow Runner and Nutria from McBike when I was in Smithers last. Snow Runner does make a nice wing with just the guard hair, under fur or both. For this fly I used a collar of blue Nutria before the Snow Runner wings finished with some black Marabou and Rooster.

 

[SRFS]

uses of Snow Runner

Hi KSpey,
That is a real Bulkley fly! The fish here just seem to love those kind of colour combinations. Very interesting to see that you use the under fur for the wings on smaller flies. I never thought of that. I use the dense under fur for dubbing. But I can see that the short hair that you pull out from the long hair would make a nice wing... The more I use the Snow Runner the more I like it. It is so versatile. It also holds up and behaves nice in the water, unlike some sheep types of hair like Icelandic or Llama that just act like a wet towel. By the way, the first batch of Snow Runner that I supplied to McBike's was very long. If you ever need shorter Snow Runner, I now have also some colours available in "short" (which still is about 4-5" long). http://www.skeenariverflysupply.com/shop/furs/snow-runner-piece/
Thanks for sharing the pattern, and good luck with the competition! Cheers, Jaap.

 

[bodostyle]

Well, why not... ;-)

Materials:
- Snow Runner (4 colors), different flash materials, grizzly rooster saddles, peacock (3 different kinds of feathers), JC.
- hook Gamakatsu F314 2/0

Technique:
- dubbing brush and hollow.

Snow Runner is perfect material for big and huge flies - tied in hollow style, or dubbing brush technique gives big volume, but (at the same time) light, durable and easy to cast patterns. Mixing colors is easy, tying is easy....What else do we need? ;-)

 

[Skeena Flies]

Snow Runner ideas

Here are a few flies with Snow Runner.
I use mostly the underfur for these "small" flies.
There guard hairs work really well on longer saltwater flies, theres no doubt, but they're a little coarse/stiff for my style of tying, at least in the conventional use.

One creative way I've been using them, is to use only the last inch or so, and spin them in a dubbing loop, and use them as a palmered body hackle, or as a collar.

I find the underfur to be somewhat similar to soft polar bear crossed with fox… not much else need be said there!

The squid fly uses both these techniques:
The spread of feelers by the eye are the underfur tips.
The body is densely packed guard tips and underfur used as a dubbing, cut super short and palmered on, and the final collar is underfur over a weighted cone.

The second fly, an intruder i suppose, has guard tips mixed with underfur tips, wound as a collar for the tail section feelers.
The front is an underfur/guard hair wing in front of a weighted cone, and underfur collared on as well to finish the fly.

Its a pretty amazing material, very versatile.
Like i said, everything we love about polar bear with the texture of fox tail…:Eyecrazy:

 

[klops]

WG Snow Runner

Inspired by pike flies tied by friend I tied old classic but with new materials and new technique. Tying is not longer than 5min (for me it is very short wink emoticon ) when you have ready brush. Plastic tube, bead with hole 3mm to support wing and add weight , Snow Runner Brush , js and cone head with 3mm hole. Fly will be for sure very durable and due to bead and proper brush when wet has very nice shape
In fact when we exchange colours we have nice steelhead stinger . Have to do it.

 

[bodostyle]

Ok, so here is my attempt to intruders.

Tied on shank, both collars (blue and pink) are tied in dubbing brush technique.

 

[SRFS]

Some very nice patterns coming in guys! I love the colour combo on the predator tube bodostyle, that would be a very effective fly for early chinook up here on the Skeena. Great use of the Snow Runner in the Intruder too. Klops: I love that Willie Gunn like variation with the Snow Runner mix. Very nice; 21st century Willie Gunn!
Skeena Flies: Very nice! It is great to see the variety of use that different tiers have for Snow Runner. The underfur with some guard hairs looks great on those patterns. I particularly like the second one with the subtle reds through the white. Nice spring pattern for here, when the water is clear and low and the fish are fresh. Great job guys! Can't wait to see some more. Start submitting them, deadline is March 25! Cheers.