With little fanfare, this video offers a quick shot at Nicholas’ simplicity style of a very effective steelhead fly. This color hue is one that shows well in dark water, but I prefer to fish black in the lowest light and fish these shrimp pink flies in clearer water, colder water, or… You know the drill. Got to soak the fly in the river in order for Mr. Steelhead to bite these cuties.
A note on the absence of the tinsel wrap through the rabbit strip: by pulling the strip quite tight at the fore of the fly, and tying it in securely, the rabbit strip will stay just where it is supposed to be. Repeated chompage by fish will cause more damage to this fly than to the version in which one winds oval tinsel through the rabbit strip. But I find that I can tie these so much faster, and my ratio of loss to trees and rocks versus damage by fish (hope you followed that because I barely did) is such that I come out ahead by tying more of this simple version – – – – –
Jay Nicholas
February 2012
Shrimp Pink Steelhead Matuka Fly
Hook: TMC 7999 #3/0 – 4
Thread: Lagartun 150 D Black
Body: Speckled Crystal Chenille – Pearl/Fl. Orange
Topping/Tail: Tiger Barred Rabbit Strip – Hot Pink Brown stripe over Shrimp Pink
Hackle: American Saddle Clump – Kingfisher Pink Grizzly
