Fly Tying step by step tutorial

Ive been sick for the last few days with strep throat along with a fever and other cold symptoms and after sitting around taking medicine and watching TV for 3 days,  I decided to do something productive and catch up on some fly tying since I wasnt able to get out on the water. I have meaning to do a few fly tying step by step tutorials for my blog and figured this would be a good time to start. To me fly tying adds an extra element to the sport of fly fishing because you can take a hook, some feathers, hair(real or synthetic), and thread and combine them to create something that mimics a bait or prey species and use it to deceive a predator fish into thinking its food. Also it allows you to use your imagination and the hundreds of natural and synthetic tying materials and create something new that the fish havn't seen.

This first pattern is one that I've been using with success this winter along the Cape Fear Coast for redfish. Its black and purple and shows up really well in dark or stained water. It is basically a modified version of a seaducer and is a great shallow water fly as it lands softly and has alot of action underwater. It can be tied in many different sizes for any salt or freshwater fish that feeds on shrimp or minnows.

This particular one I have been using is tied on a size 1 Gamakatsu SC15 hook and is about 3 inches long.

Materials:
Gamakatsu SC 15 size 1
UTC Ultra Thread 210 in black and optional fl. fire orange
Bead Chain Eyes - size large in gold color
Craft Fur - purple
Schalppen feathers - black
Flashabou Accent - gold color
Tying tools- scissors, bobbin, hackle pliers, needle nose pliers with wire cutter, and whip finisher

Start your thread and create a base from the eye of the hook to just past the hook point

Cut a patch of purple craft fur and pull off any underfur that is attached and place to the side. At the same time cut about 8-10 strands of the gold flash accent the same length of the craft fur. From here you can combine the craft fur and flash together like I did in the picture or you can attach the flash on top of the craft fur after its tied in.

Next tie the craft fur to the hook

Once the craft fur and flash is secured cut off a pair of eyes from the bead chain with wire cutters. Tie the eyes in just in front of the craft fur.

The next step is to pick a wide schlappen feather and attach the top of the feather just in front of the eyes and then work your thread back to the eye of the hook.

Attach your hackle pliers to the schlappen feather and begin palmering the feather around the hook shank, keeping the wraps close together to build a thick body. Use your fingers to keep the fibers from getting wrapped under each other.

Continue wrapping to the eye of the hook. Tie off the schlappen feather and trim excess.

From here you can continue using the black thread or switch to the fl. fire orange color. Using the bright color is simply to help track the fly in the water and is not neccessary to catch fish. From here use one hand to fold the feather fibers back over the fly and work your thread about 1/8 of an inch towards bend of the hook. This forces the feathers fibers to lay back over the fly. Finally whip finish and trim your thread and coat with a drop of head cement.

This is a simple to tie but effective fly and one that I have used with good success over the last few months...just look in the mouths of these 2 fish.

I will try to get a few more tutorials done on other patterns soon.

The weather is still mild along coastal NC and fishing has remained very good so tie up a few flies and bring them down to test on a few Cape Fear Coast redfish.

Capt. Allen Cain

http://www.sightfishnc.com/