In this fly tying video, Rob Russell shows you how to tie his top pattern for fly fishing for chinook salmon in the Pacific estuaries. If you think salmon don’t eat flies, check out this shot:
The Black Tail
Hook: TMC 700 size 4-8
Thread: 6/0 Unithread black
Eyes: Bead chain
Tail: Black buck tail
Flash: Orange Krystal flash
Rib: Medium copper wire
Body: Gold holographic braid
Hackle: Pink dyed grizzly
Thorax: Red chenille
Collar: Orange saddle hackle
Rob. Buddy. I am stunned. To mislead fellow fly fishers into thinking that an actual salmon might eat one of these silly looking things in a thousand ears seems unfair. Personally, I fish Griffith Gnats and parachute Adams for king salmon. Maybe a Bead-head, Gold ribbed Hare’s Ear now and then. But this thing – – – this so-called “black tail”? Can’t imagine EVER tying one of these wierdnes-embedded creepies on a leader and chucking it in the direction of a salmon. Besides, your palmer hackle should be claret or chartreuse instead of pink (a non king salmon color), you have one too-short fiber in your tail, and dude, we need to talk about this “under the shank” trend you are setting. I might be willing to give these a try, though, just for the fun of it. Please send 12 dozen to my PO box by next Friday. Thanks for listening.
JN
Rob – great fly and great job! These shop guys can fear for their jobs for sure. One thing: black vise, black hook, black materials….all against a black shirt made the first part of your demo pretty difficult to see at times. If they had given you one of the new shop shirts to wear (grey) you would have had it made! Thanks for the effort and I intend to try it out in Puget Sound off the beaches next week for sure.
Great idea folding over the bucktail.
awesome pattern, anywhere i can purchase a few of these?