Steelhead/Salmon Flymphs..... ;>)

[Roadkill]

Kelly L

Those are some nice little flies. As Ray mentioned, are you familiar with low water dressing style for steelhead? If not you have just reinvented the wheel, a familiar experience for any creative tyer.

[Kelly L.]

I originated a whole series of flies called Zebulon. One of them someone told me looked like a low water Steelhead fly. But it has a wing, so I
can't use this one as an entry for this thread. This is the only Steelhead fly I've ever done I think.
So that
is the category I'd put it in. Otherwise I don't know anything much at all about steelhead or salmon flymphs at all. I have made a few
disastrous Salmon flies last year. But I was not ready for them at that time. I want to be a better tyer, before I attempt them again.

[letumgo]

Kelly - That is one the best heads I've ever seen on a fly. Doubly impressive, when you take into account the brass eyes. I've tyed with them before and know first hand, that it can be a challenge to compensate for the thickness and shape of the underlying metal.

I love the contrasting black & white color scheme. I may steal a few of your design features to create a wingless version. I think the high contrast, would make this a useful fly for fishing in muddy (turbid) water.

[Kelly L.]

Oh, I like the flies posted earlier. Sorry I did not comment. I am too busy trying to look up low water steelhead flies, mostly what I see are BOOKS on it. Ray, I made these with Zebulon flies in marabou too, and I made probably 6 or so of these in a series of flies. I am afraid I was boring people. But I loved the theme, and I wanted to make different ones, for different conditions. I also have a Zebulon in Rangeley Streamer. Anyway it is good to be inspired from other people. I have been inspired by others, as I also know I have inspired some people as well. You can see it in their work....

[garyk]

Happy New Year and I would just like to say how inspiring this thread is getting! Thank you to all who have posted. It is really getting my creative juices flowing!

Cheers,
Gary

[fly_fischa]

This thread is going great guns, talk about some fantastic contributions. Every single fly is an inspiration, some beautiful eye candy. I thought I'd sneak one in before the countdown to 2012.
Dishevelled Ginge





Wet Dishevelled Ginge


Happy New Year to you all...

[CreationBear]

Definitely have to have the recipie for that one...

[JohnP]

Great flies, everyone. I have tied a few soft-hackle steelhead flies and some low-water versions as well. None of them have ever caught a steelhead, but since I have only caught one on a fly, that's no big surprise. What fly did I catch one on, you didn't ask? A purple egg-sucking leech.

[fly_fischa]

Dishevelled Ginge
AKA Dishoveled Ginge depending on your spellin skwills
Hook - Partridge Salar 7#
Hackle - Teal Fank, nice and full for lotsa movement
Underbody Thread - White hends stretch thread
Tail - Orange pheasant tail
Ribbing 4 stands of peacock herl wrapped around coppr brown Ultra wire sz. BR to reinforce it.
Body - Orange antron yarn, with Davy Wotton SLF no.37 Rust Brown Dubbed onto the yarn before wrapping it forward.
Thorax 5strands of peacock herl reinforced in a dubbing loop. Once the peacock rope is created dub the same SLF onto it before wrapping the thorax.
When dubbing onto the yarn and peacock rope tease out small/sparse tufts of dubbing out before dubbing it on. If you use too much it won't shroud around the yarn/peacock rope rolling into a separate noodle instead, if this happens peel it off and start over.
Next throw on a 3 turn security whip and trim the thread. Take to the body with some velcro in small circular motions teasing dubbing away from the body. Work your way around the hook until you've teased out a nice veil of dubbing. Catch in some wine coloured thread and wind your hackle, finishing with a neat head, in my case not so neat.

[letumgo]

Do I detect the fuzzle-dubbing technique? Oooo, I love already, and I ain't even seen the picture (nudge...nudge...)