Fly of the Month

by Matt O'Neal of Savage Flies: Find him on his YouTube channel at Savage Flies  Merry Christmas! This special Fly of the Month is tied by our good friend Matt O'Neal of Savage Flies. Most of the information about this fly was sourced by Matt from John Shewey's "Classic Steelhead Flies" published in 2015. Jules Francois "Frank" Bekeart came to CA in 1849 in the first wave of the gold rush but quickly decided gold mining wasn't his thing. He started a gunsmith and gun sales business in the 1850s. His business prospered in San Francisco, and he ultimately turned it over to his youngest son Phil in 1890. (Philip Baldwin Bekeart, 1861-1936) Phil was a competitive shooter, gaining fame among handgun aficionados for his design of target weapons. He was a highly-respected marksman, and west coast representative of the more well-known Eastern firearms manufacturers. He was also a dedicated fly angler. He hung out with some of the more notable anglers of the day, including Will and Henry Golcher of Golcher Brothers Sporting Goods. All were members of the San Francisco Fly Casting Club. Here's where the background gets a little hazy. All of these men would have known John S. Benn, one of the most notable fly tiers of the day. Some say Benn created this pattern and named it after his friend Phil Bekeart, but the English author A. Courtney Williams credits the fly to Bekeart in his 1932 book "Trout Flies." Without more research we may never know for sure who created this pattern. I've still got a handful of old books to look through to see if it's mentioned anywhere. But either way, it's a nice looking fly. Recipe: Hook: #4-10 Salmon HookThread: BlackTail: Red hackle fibersTag: Oval gold tinselButt: Peacock herlRib: Gold Mylar tinselBody: Red flossThorax: Peacock herlCollar hackle: Red saddle hackleWing: Mottled turkeyCheek: Jungle cock (optional)Head: Black ostrich herl

This Sulphur nymph variation is a trout pleaser. With a tungsten bead, it gets down in the zone quickly and goes right to work. The flashback not only helps to draw attention, but also helps minic the splitting thorax during emergence. If Sulphur Mayflies are in your watershed, this is a great one to tie on as part of your nymph rig.

by Nathan Wight, Durham ME, J. Stockard Pro Tyer Again this year we called on the talents of the J. Stockard Pro Tyer Team to create an eye-catching image for our catalog cover. Check out Nate Wight’s turn on the traditional Copper John. Nate, who owns North Woods Fly Co., is a 4th generation Maine guide and a tyer with 30+ years’ experience. History of the Copper John In 1993 John Barr began to develop a nymph that we know today as the Copper John. Although the Copper John does not imitate any given species of insect, it has proven itself to be a fish catching fly here in the United States and around the world. There have been many variations of the fly over time, but all are based on the same copper wire body. A couple of years ago I started tying this double wire jig hook variation. One of the many advantages to this style is that you can change up wire colors. For example, use small black wire with brassy copper wire to achieve a slightly darker fly without losing all the original copper flair. Copper John Recipe / Materials List Hook: Wide Gap hook in Size 14. You can adjust the size of the hook and bead to suit your own preferencesBead: 2.8 Slotted tungsten in Gold.Thread: 30D black Gel Spun.Tail: Brown dyed Duck wing Biots.Body: Small and Brassie sized copper wire.Abdomen: Peacock Black Ice Dub.Collar: Dun colored Hare’s Mask Copper John Tying Instructions Start by placing a tungsten bead on your favorite wide gap jig hook then secure it firmly in your vise.  Lay down a base of thread starting behind the bead and working it back to the beginning of the bend of the hook. I prefer using 30D gel spun because of its strength and its ability to lay flat on the hook shank.  Select two Biots from a brown dyed Duck Quill. Bind them onto the hook making their length about the same as the shank of the hook. Be sure the natural curve of the Biot turns the tips outward. Return your thread to behind the bead.  For this fly I used small and brassie sized wire. Bind the wire down on the opposite side of the hook to where you tied the tails and return your thread to behind the bead. Be sure to use good touching wraps of thread; this will help with tighter wire wraps.  Next, wind both wires simultaneously towards the bead. Another little trick for nice tight wraps is to use your thumbnail to push the wires back against your previous wraps. When you get behind the bead, tie off both wires and either clip or twist the remaining off.  To create the thorax, apply a small dubbing noodle of peacock black ice dub and wrap it tight to the back of the bead. You only need two to three turns of dubbing.  For the collar of this fly I used Dun colored Hares mask. It doesn’t take much to make a buggy collar; a small pinch is all that’s needed. I apply the Hares mask to the fly by utilizing the split thread method. The benefits of using gel spun is that you can easily split your thread with either a bodkin or thread splitting tool by simple spinning your bobbin counterclockwise until it flattens out. By doing this method you save space over using a traditional dubbing loop. Once you’ve applied your hares mask collar, apply glue and whip finish.  See Product See Product See Product See Product See Product See Product More About Nate Wight Nathan's favorite flies: Although he ties a lot of Euro nymph flies, Nathan’s real passion is for large predator streamers and top water flies. Find Nathan @: www.instagram.com/n.w.flyco/, www.facebook.com/n.w.flyco, www.northwoodsfly.com About Nathan: Growing up in the western mountains of Maine, Nathan was surrounded by some of the best native brook trout and landlocked salmon in New England. Taught by his father, he quickly developed a passion for fly fishing and is 4th generation ME guide. With 30+ years of tying experience, he opened North Woods Fly Co. in 2015. Although he loves to tie classic Maine streamer flies, there is no pattern that he won’t tie or replicate for his clients. Nathan has fished throughout New England, parts of the US west, northern Canada and the Canadian Maritime’s. He is part of a program that brings casting, fishing and fly tying to Veterans in Maine and also teaches group and one-on-one tying lessons. He regularly ties at the Fly Fishing Shows in Marlboro MA and Edison NJ, most often in the HMH booth. How to Fish the Copper John A Copper John is a versatile fly pattern that can be used in a variety of fishing situations. When fishing with a Copper John fly, it's important to consider the water conditions and the type of fish you're targeting. Here are some tips on how to fly fish effectively with a Copper John: Cast the Fly in the Right Location: To increase your chances of success, it's important to cast the Copper John fly in the right location. This may involve casting the fly upstream or downstream, depending on the water flow. You may also want to cast the fly near structure, such as rocks or logs, where fish are likely to be hiding. Vary the Depth of the Fly: Fish often feed at different depths depending on the time of day and the water temperature. To increase your chances of catching fish, it's a good idea to vary the depth of your Copper John fly. You can do this by adjusting the weight of the fly, using a sink tip or intermediate line, or using a strike indicator to help adjust the level of the fly under the water’s surface. Try Different Colors and Sizes: Copper John flies come in a variety of colors and sizes, so don't be afraid to experiment to see what works best for the fish you're targeting.

The flies that I tie are made out of necessity, the necessity to create art, and the necessity to create fishable flies. Sometimes both of those driving forces combine and align, The All Night Diner is a great example of this. Named after one of my favorite Modest Mouse songs, The All Night Diner is fun to tie and an effective dry fly. This parachute emerger pattern is a great example of how the tying art flies leads to new techniques for effective fishable patterns. I first tied this pattern late at night on a long project fly using a VKsteelworks hook.

This is a fly originally designed by Bob Clouser as is obvious by the name. This is how Bob himself describes the fly.

Euro nymphing, tight line nymphing or high-stick nymphing, no matter what you choose to call it, can be an extremely effective way to catch fish. The key is to get the fly to the bottom and into the feeding lane of the fish. I, like a lot of trout fishers, grew up fishing the classic nymph patterns like Pheasant Tails and Hare’s Ears. Although these patterns are exceptional at mimicking the naturals as closely as possible in shape and color, I soon discovered with euro style flies, shape and weight were more important. I believe it is better to have four patterns in various weights than 100 of the same flies in the same weight. I often fish flashier flies when in high pressured waters for nothing else than to show the fish something different. I say all this based on my experiences. Not everyone will be the same and there are always exceptions.

The Grey Fox is a classic Catskill pattern developed by Preston Jennings to imitate a wide range of mayflies that the avid angler is likely to encounter while out on the water.

Guest Blogger + FOM Tyer: Mike Cline, Bozeman, Montana In the 1970s, Keith Fulsher, a commercial fly tyer from New York, popularized the Thunder Creek Minnow style of baitfish streamer.  The reverse bucktail style head enabled larger heads and eyes on otherwise slender baitfish patterns.  The style has been widely adapted to both fresh and saltwater species.  Although a relatively simple pattern to tie, creating a clean, secure head and eyes using the original methods takes a bit of practice.  This is where Deer Creek comes in (metaphorically).  Deer Creek is just one of many brands of UV cured cement.  Brand is not important here, but UV cured cement, Fish Masks and Living Eyes has made tying the Thunder Creek style a whole lot easier. As I occasionally participate in fly swaps on Flytyingforum.com, I recently took the opportunity to participate in a “Classic Bucktail” swap.  The rules were simple: “Anyone up for some quick, easy classic bucktails? Don’t get hung up on “classic” patterns…get creative if you’d like.”  Swaps are great opportunities to get a bit creative so I needed a pattern I could play with.  I had all the materials I needed to create a variation of the Thunder Creek style for the swap.  The result has proven to be a pretty effective fly on my local trout streams. Thunder Creek Minnow Recipe Hook: Firehole Stick, 811, #4-8 Thread: UTC 140 Fluorescent Orange or Red Tail: Finn Raccoon Body: Polar Flash Flash: Polar Flash Parr marks: Grizzly or Cree hackle Upper wing: Dark bucktail or moose body Lower wing: Light bucktail or moose body Head: Fish Mask, # 4-5 Eyes: Living Eyes How to Tie the Thunder Creek Minnow 1. After forming a thread base on the rear 2/3rds of the hook, tie in a short clump of Finn Raccoon with guard hairs removed. The tail should be no longer than 2/3rds the hook length. 2. Select 5-8 strands of Polar Flash and tie in at the hook bend at the middle point of the strands. Wind forward creating a smooth body to a point 1/3 behind the hook eye and secure ensuring the tag ends are on top of the hook shank. 3. Fold the tag ends back toward the tail and secure with a few wraps. Make a smooth transition of thread toward the hook eye.  Trim the flash even with the tail.  Apply a bit of cement to the wraps. 4. Select two grizzly or Cree hackles. Tie one hackle on each side of the hook shank with smooth wraps.  The hackle should extend no longer than the tail.  Apply a bit of cement to the wraps. 5. Select a small clump of dark bucktail or moose body hair for the top wing. Remove and the fuzz and short fibers and ensure the butts are flush.  With bucktail you usually have to trim the butts to get the desired length.  Moose body hair is already an ideal length for size 4-8 hooks. Take the hair clump and hold it tight on top of the hook with approximately ¼ inch of butts back from the hook eye. Begin securing with loose wraps and follow with tighter wraps as you proceed.  There are two critical aspects of the step.  Don’t allow the hair to spin on the hook shank.  When finished, all the hair fibers should be on top of the hook shank.  Two, make sure there are a few tight wraps close to the hook eye.  Moose is going to flair more than bucktail but provides a slightly bulkier profile in the water.  6. Repeat steps 5-6 with a lighter colored hair. Finish the thread wraps at least 3/16 inches behind the hook eye.  Trim any wayward hair butts and apply a liberal coat of cement.  This helps keep the whole head area of the fly from twisting loose. 7. Carefully grab the dark top hair and fold back along the hook shank. Pulling the hair tight, take several tight thread wraps at the tie in point. 8. Turn the hook over (rotary vise works well here) and repeat step 8 with the lower hair. Make sufficient wraps to create a smooth, even gill line.  Secure with several half-hitches and cut the thread. Slide the Fish Mask over the head to ensure it fits.  Remove the mask and apply an even coat of thick UV cured cement on the entire head.  Slide the head on and allow the cement to settle a bit before curing.  When curing, hold the hair wings tight along the hook shank so they lay as flat as possible.  9. Apply Living Eyes, seal with a flexible UV cement. Apply a finishing coat of normal cement over the whole head. 10. The UV cured cement and Fish Mask take away the tedious method of finishing the original Thunder Creek Minnow style making this fly simple and quick to tie.  Using Moose also makes using the Fish Mask easier as there’s no need to build up a bulky thread head.  It is a versatile style that can be tied on any number of color combinations and sizes to simulate whatever baitfish is needed.My originals have been on the water several times with great success.

Luckily, my mentor and friend Blane Chocklett posted a Full Dressed GameChanger he recently tied.  I have never tied a game changer like this before and knew it was going to be tough.  It took me about an hour and forty-five minutes to tie this fly and lots of Pheasant feathers.  I was very happy with how the fly turned out and entered it as my round two entry.  My Full Dressed Feather GameChanger went over well in round two of the Norvise March Madness Tournament and I was lucky to make it to round three.