Willow

Willow (Variant)

Hook - Gamakatsu T10-6H

Thread -Black

Tail - Amherst pheasant tippet

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel

Body – White wool yarn

Throat – Grizzly hen hackle fibers (original = badger hackle)

Wing – Gray squirrel tail

Reference – Fish Flies Volume Two – Terry Hellekson

Squirrel Tail Streamers

Squirrel Tail Streamer - Copper

Hook – Mustad 9671, #8
Thread - Orange
Tail - Orange marabou fibers
Body - Flat copper tinsel
Ribbing - Oval copper tinsel
Wing: Orange calf tail under orange dyed squirrel tail

Squirrel Tail Streamer - Gold

Hook – Mustad 9671, #8
Thread - Black
Tail - Red marabou fibers
Body - Flat gold tinsel
Ribbing - Oval gold tinsel
Wing: Brown calf tail under fox squirrel tail

Squirrel Tail Streamer - Silver

Hook – Mustad 9671, #8

Thread - Black

Tail - Red marabou fibers

Body - Flat silver tinsel

Ribbing - Oval silver tinsel

Wing: White calf tail under gray squirrel tail

Get'r Done

Get'r Done

Hook - Salmon/steelhead style

Thread - Charteuse

Tag - Flat gold tinsel

Ribbing - Flat gold tinsel

Body - Chartreuse floss or uni-stretch

Throat - Black hackle fibers

Underwing - Pearl krystal flash

Overwing - Black squirrel tail

Head - Chartreuse micro chenille

UV Resin

Reference - Internet Photograph (Gaspe Fly Shop)

Edson Tigers

Edson Tiger - Dark

Hook - Mustad L87-3665A

Thread - Yellow

Tag - Flat gold tinsel

Tail - Yellow Hackle Tips

Body - Yellow Chenille

Wing - Brown bucktail dyed yellow

Throat - Red hackle fibers

Cheek - Edson brass eye

Head - Painted yellow then overcoated with UV resin

Forgotten Flies - Schmookler & Sils

*Forgotten Flies lists 6 recipes for Edson Tiger - Light

Edson Tiger - Light

Hook - Mustad L87-3665A

Thread - Black

Tag - Flat gold tinsel

Tail - Mandarin (I used barred wood duck)

Body - Peacock herl

Wing - Yellow bucktail

Topping - Red hackle tips

Cheek - Edson brass eye

Forgotten Flies - Schmookler & Sils

*Forgotten Flies lists 6 recipes for Edson Tiger - Light

Grizzly Kings

Grizzly King Hairwing

Hook: Streamer

Thread: Black

Tail: Red hackle fibers

Ribbing: Flat silver tinsel

Body: Green floss

Throat: Teal feather fibers

Wing: Squirrel tail

Eyes: Painted Black over white

Grizzly King #2

Hook: Streamer

Thread: Black

Tail: Red hackle fibers

Ribbing: Flat silver tinsel

Body: Green floss

Throat: Teal feather fibers

Wing: Grizzly hackle

Grizzly King #2 Variation

Hook: Streamer

Thread: Black

Tail: Red hackle fibers

Ribbing: Flat silver tinsel

Body: Green floss

Throat: Teal feather fibers

Wing: Squirrel tail

Hackle: Grizzly

Reference: Forgotten Flies

Vic Special

Vic Special (Orange)

Hook: Streamer

Thread: Black

Tail: Golden pheasant tippes

Butt: Peacock herl

Body: Orange floss

Wing: Red fox squirrel tail

Vic Special (Red)

Hook: Streamer

Thread: Black

Tail: Golden pheasant tippes

Butt: Peacock herl

Body: Red floss

Wing: Gray squirrel tail

Kennebago #1 through #6

Kennebago #1

Hook - Streamer style

Thread - Black

Body - Flat Silver Tinsel

Wing - Brown over white bucktail

Kennebago #2

Hook - Streamer style

Thread - Black

Body - Flat Silver Tinsel

Wing - Black over yellow bucktail

Kennebago #3

Hook - Streamer style

Thread - Black

Body - Flat Silver Tinsel

Wing - Red over white bucktail

Kennebago #4

Hook - Streamer style

Thread - Black

Body - Flat Silver Tinsel

Wing - Black over white bucktail

Kennebago #5

Hook - Streamer style

Thread - Black

Body - Flat Silver Tinsel

Wing - Red over yellow bucktail

Kennebago #6

Hook - Streamer style

Thread - Black

Body - Flat Silver Tinsel

Wing - Green over white bucktail

Reference - Forgotten Flies

Spruce Fly

Back in 1918 the Spruce was originally called the Godfrey Badger Hackle or Godfrey Special after a Mr. Godfrey to whom the pattern is now credited.

Variations

The most original dressing of the Spruce is tied on a regular streamer hook with red wool (1/4) and peacock (3/4) body with splayed wings (E.H. Rosborough). This, and the version illustrated are sometimes referred to as the Light Spruce. A Dark Spruce variation replaces the silver badger hackles with golden badger or furnace. The pattern can also include a silver tag and a head over wrapped with red thread.

Light Spruce - Splayed Wings

Dark Spruce - Splayed Wings

Light Spruce

Head: Black

Tail: 4-5 Peacock sword fibers, about a half an inch long when dressed on an average sized hook (regular-length hooks should be used for this fly)

Body: Rear quarter is red wool, not picked out, but built up toward the peacock. Front three quarters is wound with peacock herl, rather heavily dressed.

Throat: A silver badger hackle, wound on as a collar, fairly bushy, applied after the wing has been put on.

Wing: Two silver badger hackle tips, tied on back to back so that they splay out to form a V, extending beyond the end if the tail.

Originally, the fly was called the Godfrey Special or Godfrey Badger Hackle

Dark Spruce

Head: Black

Tail: 4-5 Peacock sword fibers, about a half an inch long when dressed on an average sized hook (regular-length hooks should be used for this fly)

Body: Rear quarter is red wool, not picked out, but built up toward the peacock. Front three quarters is wound with peacock herl, rather heavily dressed.

Throat: A furnace hackle, wound on as a collar, fairly bushy, applied after the wing has been put on.

Wing: Two furnace hackle tips, tied on back to back so that they splay out to form a V, extending beyond the end if the tail. (I substituted brown hackle)

Reference: Streamers & Bucktails The Big Fish Flies by Joseph D Bates JR

Silver Spruce - Splayed Wings

Head: Black

Tail: 4-5 Peacock sword fibers, about a half an inch long when dressed on an average sized hook (regular-length hooks should be used for this fly)

Body: Rear quarter is silver tinsel, not picked out, but built up toward the peacock. Front three quarters is wound with peacock herl, rather heavily dressed.

Throat: A silver badger hackle, wound on as a collar, fairly bushy, applied after the wing has been put on.

Wing: Two silver badger hackle tips, tied on back to back so that they splay out to form a V, extending beyond the end if the tail.

Spruce Flies as tied today (non splayed wings)

Light

Dark

Wooly Worms

Black Chenille - Grizzly Hackle

Gray Chenille - Silver Badger Hackle

Gray Chenille - Grizzly Hackle

Olive Chenille - Grizzly Hackle

Olive Chenille - Grizzly Hackle

Orange Chenille - Grizzly Hackle

Peacock Chenille - Brown Hackle

Peacock Chenille - Cree Hackle

Peacock Chenille - Grizzly Hackle

Red Chenille - Brown Hackle

Red Chenille - Grizzly Hackle

Yellow Chenille - Brown Hackle

Yellow Chenille - Golden Badger Hackle

Yellow Chenille - Grizzly Hackle

Basic Wooly Worm Recipe

Hook - 3xl, 4xl nymph/streamer style

Weight - Lead/lead free wire (add a bead if you desire)

Thread - Black or your choice of color

Tail - Red antron yarn, wool yarn, marabou

Hackle - Brown, badger, grizzly etc

Ribbing - Gold wire

Body - Chenille in your favorite color, yarn, peacock herl, dubbing

Hairwing Tying Tip

A loop of thread alone around a bundle of hair is not enough to keep the hair from rolling to the far side of the hook. The hair must be held firmly while subsequent wraps of thread are used to hold the hair in place. Without holding the hair, thread torque will roll it all over the place

Lopez Minnow

Lopez Minnow

Hook - Streamer style

Thread - White

Under body - Lead Wire

Tail And Back - Buck tail (Brown, black, green etc)

Over body - Silver mylar braid piping

Eyes - Painted yellow over black

 UV Resin

Reference: Streamers & Bucktails The Big Fish Flies by Joseph D Bates Jr

Awesome Lake Brookie

Awesome Lake Brookie

Hook: Streamer style

Thread: Light color for under body and then black

Tail: Olive marabou

Ribbing: Red holographic tinsel

Body: orange floss, orange Uni Stretch or equivalent

Topping: Peacock herl from an eye stick

Throat: White buck tail followed by orange hackle fibers

Eyes: Painted yellow and black

Tying Note: Light colored thread is used to help maintain the body color of the fly. 

Thanks for looking.

Fly Tying Proportions

More proportions here

Black & Brown Bear Streamers

Black Bear

Hook - Mustad 79580 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Tail - Gray Squirrel. Tail should be 1/2 the length of the body

Hackle - Black tied palmered over the body

Body - Black chenille

Wing - Gray Squirrel 

Brown Bear

Hook - Mustad 79580 or equivalent

Thread - Black

Tail - Fox Squirrel. Tail should be 1/2 the length of the body

Hackle - Brown tied palmered over the body

Body - Brown chenille

Wing - Fox Squirrel 

Reference

Popular Fly Patterns - Terry Hellekson

A Streamer A Day

If you like tying streamers, check this site out.

Streamers 365

Uni-Stretch/Nylon-Stretch Alternative

I found this tip while surfing on the world wide web, so its not my idea and lay no claims to it!

Uni-Stretch/Nylon-Stretch comes spooled on the standard sized bobbins and costs about $1 for 30 yards.

The alternative I found during that surfing trip is a product called "Wooly Nylon" and costs about $3 for 1000 meter bobbins or $3 for 1093.61 yards (I'll let you do the math). "Woolly Nylon" is used in the garment industry for rolled hems and edges, ruffles, swimwear, aerobic wear, kids clothes, knits and lingerie.

This material works great for

Caddis Larva

Streamer Bodies

Soft Hackles

This material can be used for an under body filler to build up fatter fly bodies.

You can use your favorite marker and on the thread itself or after the body has been wrapped. The caddis larva was coated with an apple green Sharpie marker, followed by a coat of bug bond and the sally hansens

Not everybody is going to use this material or even use Uni-Stretch/Nylon-Stretch but at least there alternatives to use.

One more alternative is a tread called "Bulky Nylon" which is approximately the same as "Wooly Nylon" but slightly thinner. "Bulky Nylon" can be purchased at Joann Fabrics stores. This product also is 1000 meters long and comes in a rainbow of colors.

Wolly Nylon was bought on amazon.com

Thanks for looking