Fully dressed classics + some pikeflies

Lately I've been tying mostly classic flies for atlantic salmon. I tie them with fishing in my mind. Some variations for different pools etc. I have huge expectations for Silver Doctor pattern because Heikki got so much action on a hair wing variaton of it in the last summer. Here's my version of the classic:

Silver Doctor

Hook: Mustad SL73UBLN

Thread: Sheer 14/0 white

Tag: Oval silver tinsel (xs) and yellow silk floss

Tail: Golden pheasant crest and tippet

Belt: Red wool

Rib: Oval silver tinsel (s)

Body: Flat silver tinsel

Underwing: Golden pheasant tippet

Throat hackle: Blue cock and teal

Wing: Red, yellow, blue and brown goose shoulder feather and amherst pheasant tail feather, mallard on top.

Cheeks: Jungle cock nail feathers

Roof: Golden pheasant crest

Head: Thread and red varnish

The Green Highlander is one of my favorite patterns as well as the Silver Doctor and I caught some trout and char on it last summer. I had it tied as a veeeeery simple hair wing variation on a heavy treble and might take them with me next time also. Anyway I thought it would be nice to add them to my fly box as a fully dressed, married wing version also. This is not even close to the original recipe, but at least the colors are the same.

The Green Highlander

Hook: Mustad SL73UBLN

Thread: Sheer 14/0 white

Tag: Oval silver tinsel (xs) and yellow silk floss

Tail: Golden pheasant crest

Belt: Black ostrich herl

Rib: Oval silver tinsel (s)

Body: 1/3 yellow silk floss, 2/3 green seal fur

Body hackle: Green cock

Throat hackle: Yellow cock

Underwing: Golden pheasant tippet

Wing: Yellow, orange and green goose shoulder, amherst pheasant and golden pheasant tail feather, mallard on top

Cheeks: Jungle cock nail feathers

Roof: Golden pheasant crest

Head: Thread and black varnish

I was scrolling around for nice patterns for slow current from Risto Asikainen's book, The Swimming Salmon Fly and came across a classic Dee pattern, The White Winged Akroyd. I have seen a lot of pictures of it before but never have I thought of tying it. There was my chance. I had just found out that I have some white turkey tail feather for the wing so it was a perfect timing. I think this is quite close to the original recipe also. 

The White Winged Akroyd

Hook: Partridge Bartleet traditional

Thread: Sheer 14/0 white

Tag: Oval silver tinsel (xs)

Tail: Golden pheasant topping and tippet

Rib: Oval silver tinsel (s) for yellow part and flat silver tinsel for black part

Body: ½ yellow silk floss, ½ black silk floss

Body hackle: Yellow cock for yellow part and black cock for black part.

Throat hackle: Natural guinea fowl

Wing: White turkey tail feather

Head: Thread and black varnish

A few days ago I was tying Silver Doctors and I forgot to tie the GP tippet to the tail of one fly. I noticed it after attaching the underwing and did not want to tie the body all over again. I decided to make up a new pattern for the body. I tied in a black cock feather for the hackle and made a wing from amherst pheasant. Some flashy silver in the body and black and white wing. I will try it out next summer. The underwing gives a nice glow from under the white parts of the main wing when wet.

The Silver Amherst

Hook: Mustad SL73UBLN

Thread: Sheer 14/0 white

Tag: Oval silver tinsel (xs) and yellow silk floss

Tail: Golden pheasant crest

Belt: Red wool

Rib: Oval silver tinsel (s)

Body: Flat silver tinsel

Underwing: Golden pheasant tippet

Throat hackle: Black cock

Wing: Amherst pheasant

Head: Thread and black varnish

Today we were visiting Ruotoshop with Heikki again. There was Jani Mäkeläinen from Vision promoting their new products and tying some flies for pike. I started tying pike flies too and these are what I came up with. Have to give these a go as soon as the sea gets free from ice... Hopefully soon.

Slinky, yellow and red

Hook: Partridge universal predator

Thread: Giorgio Benecchi 8/0 white

Tail: Yellow fuzzy fiber

Body: Uni Axxel rainbow

Wing: Yellow and red fuzzy fiber

Head: Sticker eyes and UV-glue

Slinky, green and black

Hook: Partridge universal predator

Thread: Giorgio Benecchi 8/0 white

Tail: Fluoro-green fuzzy fiber and a lot of pearlescent flash

Wing: Fluoro-green and black fuzzy fiber

Lateral line: Pearlescent Lateral scale

Head: Sticker eyes and UV-glue

 Hollow Deceiver, white and pink

Hook: Partridge universal preadtor

Thread: Giorgio Benecchi 8/0 white

Tail: White and pink cock feathers and pearlescent flash

Body: Uni Axxel rainbow

Wing: White and pink bucktail

Lateral line: Pearlescent Lateral scale

Head: Sticker eyes and UV-glue

We stayed for about 4-5 hours in the shop just chatting and tying flies. A nice way to spend a whole evening. Have to go back there on friday to check out a presentation on saltwater fly fishing by Mika Vainio.

-Niilo