Alaska Fly Fish Gear

	THE TICK Courtesy of Max aka FlashBackMax EDITORIAL I call him the tick. I didn’t know salmon ate ticks but kings seem to like it, as do silvers. Don’t ask me why, I think it just looks like a tick. The tick fly is a morphed combination of a bunny leech, woolly bugger, and a comet. I chose to show the tutorial in red and black because it has always seemed to be a good color combo for kings. However don’t let that stop you. Orange/white, black/orange, black/purple, and red tail/pearl estaz/red hackle all seem to be top producers as seemingly any of a myriad of other color combinations would. Materials List Thread: Black 6/0 for smaller size, 3/0 for the larger sizes Hook- Any salmon hook #2-3/0 Eyes- Large gold or black bead chain Tail- Pearl Mirage Flashabou with a red rabbit strip tied over top Body- Fire red estaz or other similar sparkle body material Hackle- Large webby black saddle hackle Rib- Black Wire Head- Rabbit Dubbing TYING INSTRUCTIONS Step 1 - Insert the hook into the vice and coat with thread. Step 2 - Move the thread to the front of the hook and tie in the bead chain eyes. Figure 8 around the eyes and hit the middle with some head cement so they don’t spin. Step 3 - Tie in the flashabou material for the tail. Make it slightly longer than the length of the hook shank Step 4 - Tie in the rabbit strip so the tips of the hairs are about equal to the ends of the flashabou material. Step 5 - At the base of the tail, tie in the wire ribbing Step 6 - Gently brush down some of the fibers near the tip end of a black saddle feather and tie it in. Step 7 - Either pick off or trim off the very end pieces of a hunk of Estaz so just the thread base is still there and tie it in. Trimming or picking off the fibers at the tie in point will make sure there isn’t a big disproportional bump at the back of the fly Step 8 - Wrap up the estaz just behind the eyes and trim off the excess Step 9 - Wrap the saddle hackle up and tie it off at the same point as you did the estaz and trim it off Step 10 - If you’re a neat tier you can skip this step. However if you are like me, you’re left with some ugly stubble and pieces estaz sticking out. Just take your thumb, index, and middle fingers and put them together to make a triangle shape. Set your hand over the top of the fly with your fingers extending beyond the eye. Firmly but gently move your hand back over the fly gathering all the hackle fibers and excess pieces of estaz. Now take the thread and wrap a few time to secure the fibers/etc so they do not stick out. Step 11 - Trim the hairs off a small piece (the same color used for the tail) of rabbit strip and mix the fur together. Then dub it onto the thread and wrap it around the eye in the same figure 8 motion as before. This step covers up all the butts and excess estaz bits you brought together. It also just makes the fly look more tidy. Step 12 - Wrap a nice head on the fly, tie it off, and you’re done! Notes: You can substitute lead eyes for the bead chain. This will of course make the fly harder to cast but it will also sink the fly at a much faster rate getting it down to where those big guys hang out. Courtesy of FlashBackMax

THE TICK

Courtesy of Max aka FlashBackMax

EDITORIAL

I call him the tick. I didn’t know salmon ate ticks but kings seem to like it, as do silvers. Don’t ask me why, I think it just looks like a tick. The tick fly is a morphed combination of a bunny leech, woolly bugger, and a comet. I chose to show the tutorial in red and black because it has always seemed to be a good color combo for kings. However don’t let that stop you. Orange/white, black/orange, black/purple, and red tail/pearl estaz/red hackle all seem to be top producers as seemingly any of a myriad of other color combinations would.

Materials List

Thread: Black 6/0 for smaller size, 3/0 for the larger sizes

Hook- Any salmon hook #2-3/0

Eyes- Large gold or black bead chain

Tail- Pearl Mirage Flashabou with a red rabbit strip tied over top

Body- Fire red estaz or other similar sparkle body material

Hackle- Large webby black saddle hackle

Rib- Black Wire

Head- Rabbit Dubbing

TYING INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1 - Insert the hook into the vice and coat with thread.

Step 2 - Move the thread to the front of the hook and tie in the bead chain eyes. Figure 8 around the eyes and hit the middle with some head cement so they don’t spin.

Step 3 - Tie in the flashabou material for the tail. Make it slightly longer than the length of the hook shank

Step 4 - Tie in the rabbit strip so the tips of the hairs are about equal to the ends of the flashabou material.

Step 5 - At the base of the tail, tie in the wire ribbing

Step 6 - Gently brush down some of the fibers near the tip end of a black saddle feather and tie it in.

Step 7 - Either pick off or trim off the very end pieces of a hunk of Estaz so just the thread base is still there and tie it in. Trimming or picking off the fibers at the tie in point will make sure there isn’t a big disproportional bump at the back of the fly

Step 8 - Wrap up the estaz just behind the eyes and trim off the excess

Step 9 - Wrap the saddle hackle up and tie it off at the same point as you did the estaz and trim it off

Step 10 - If you’re a neat tier you can skip this step. However if you are like me, you’re left with some ugly stubble and pieces estaz sticking out. Just take your thumb, index, and middle fingers and put them together to make a triangle shape. Set your hand over the top of the fly with your fingers extending beyond the eye. Firmly but gently move your hand back over the fly gathering all the hackle fibers and excess pieces of estaz. Now take the thread and wrap a few time to secure the fibers/etc so they do not stick out.

Step 11 - Trim the hairs off a small piece (the same color used for the tail) of rabbit strip and mix the fur together. Then dub it onto the thread and wrap it around the eye in the same figure 8 motion as before. This step covers up all the butts and excess estaz bits you brought together. It also just makes the fly look more tidy.

Step 12 - Wrap a nice head on the fly, tie it off, and you’re done!

Notes:

You can substitute lead eyes for the bead chain. This will of course make the fly harder to cast but it will also sink the fly at a much faster rate getting it down to where those big guys hang out.

Courtesy of FlashBackMax