Fly Tying: Inspiration

I dipped into my copy of  Flies: The Best One Thousand for some more inspiration for Steelhead ties. I didn't try to duplicate the patterns, just followed them with the materials I had at hand. 

TOP: STONEFLY NYMPH

     Not in the book, but one of my favorite basic stonefly nymph patterns.

     Hook: #6 Gamakatsu T10-6H salmon hook

     Thread: Black

     Tail: Natural deer hair

     Body: Black wool

     Rib: Oversized Grizzly hackle, palmered (Just for the heck of it.)

     Thorax: Olive sparkle dubbing

     Wing Case: Natural deer hair

     Legs: Deer hair tips folded back

LEFT: LEMIRE'S FALL CADDIS

     Originator: Harry Lemire

             My Tie                                                 Lemire's Tie

     Hook: #6 TMC 2312                              Hook: Partridge 01, #4-6

     Thread: Black                                        Thread: Black "A" nymo

     Tag: Fine flat copper tinsel                      Tag: Fine flat copper tinsel

     Rib: Fine flat copper tinsel                      Rib: Fine flat copper tinsel

     Body: Rusty orange sparkle dubbing        Body: Rusty orange seal fur

     Underwing: Black antron yarn                 Underwing: Gray squirrel tail

     Wings: Brown Hackle tips                      Wings: Light mottled brown hen saddle feathers 

     Collar: Moose tail hair                            Collar: Moose body hair

     Head: Moose tail hair                              Head: Moose body hair

RIGHT: BLACK PALMER

     Originator: Bill McMillan, based on a Roderick Haig-Brown pattern, the Carpenter Ant

               My Tie                                                McMillan's Tie

     Hook: #6 Gamakatsu T10-6H                  Hook: Partridge N, # 1/0-6

     Thread: Black                                        Thread: Black 6/0 prewaxed

     Tag: Copper wire                                   Tag: Copper wire

     Rib: Copper wire                                    Rib: Copper wire

     Body: Black wool                                   Body: Black seal or goat fur

     Hackle: Brown hackle, palmered               Hackle: Iron blue dun hackle, palmered

Harry Lemire Or April Vokey: Looking For Signs

Click on photos for full size image.

This is a great time of year for many reasons. One of those is that it's the time to be making those plans for future megatrips. My brother John and I have been kicking around some ideas.

We have some family connections in New Mexico that make a trip there attractive. Neither of us have ever fished that country, and we'd have a staging area in Las Cruces, a piece of land near Chama to camp on, and a plethora of water to explore, including the San Juan.

There's always the Henry's Fork to consider, and the Grande Ronde. We have some golden memories of those rivers, and their call is strong.

Then there's the Olympic Peninsula. I've never been there--not yet--and neither has John, but he has some history on the Skagit. Back in the day, when he was with the Atlantic Salmon Federation, he fished the Skagit with a select group that included the fly fishing legend Harry Lemire. He wrote in an email, "That was the day I was chastised by Harry Lemire for fishing too slowly through a drift, thus wasting valuable time. So much for the 'contemplative sport.' I was the redtail that day and he wanted harrier."

Hah! That makes me laugh because when we fish together John always moves faster than I do. He's the one that came up with the redtail/harrier comparison to describe our different fishing styles.

Just goes to show...that I'd better not ever fish with Harry, I guess.

So all of those options are hanging out there, each with much to recommend themselves.

But then there's this: here I am, as I write this, sitting twenty miles from the border of British Columbia, right next to the highway that would take us in a few short hours to the fabled Skeena watershed. That fishery is famous for many reasons, not the least of which is that it's April Vokey country.

I couldn't resist. (And, let's see...think I'll make April's image extra large, and John's large. Yeah. Perfect.)  

So I've been researching a possible trip to that area. There's no shortage of information about that fishery, and it's all, well, as tantalizing as April herself.

In the course of my research I found a photo that makes me think Brother John has been holding out on me. Here he is:

And here he is on the Skeena with a 45 inch wild Steelhead! Why didn't he tell me?

OK, no, that isn't him. But what a resemblance. As I emailed John, it's a sign, man.