Springbok Hopper

 Tier:  Ed Gallop

Hook:  Dry.
Thread:  Gold.
Body:  Natural muskrat dubbing.
Wing:  Springbok hair, from belly (Substitute

    with Comparadun Deer Hair).
Legs:  Peacock center herl.
Head:  Gold thread.

Note:  Springbok are medium-sized antelope like animals found in the wide open planes of Namiba, South Africa.  When agitated, disturbed, or play-fighting, their dorsal fan of white hair is fully erected as it leaps off the ground.  They arch their back and break into a stiff leaping trot which may carry them about 10 feet off the ground and about 15 feet forward - hence the name "Springbok Hopper."   

Obviously, this material is not available to most tiers.  I was fortunate to receive a small amount as a gift from a friend.  It is quite similar to Comparadun Deer Hair.  I published this fly to illustrate the fun a tier can have by collecting rare and unusual materials.

Select Another Fly:

Springbok Hopper

Elk Hair Caddis

Goddard Caddis

Stimulator

Tup's Indispensable

Madam X - Parachute

Invicta

Rusty Rat

Llama

Pass Lake

Red Tag

Skunk

Cinnamon and Gold

Return to Ed's Introduction.

Return to More Flies (Page 2).

Return to More Flies (Page 3.

Elk Hair Caddis
Tier:  Ed Gallop

Hook:  Dry.

Rib:  Fine gold wire.

Body:  Brown or Olive dubbing.

Hackle:  Brown palmered over body.

Wing:  Light elk hair.

This is an Al Troth style Elk Hair Caddis pattern.  It is the most popular style and a proven pattern for imitating various caddis species.   

Some of the most exciting trout fishing is during a caddis hatch when you can see them skittering on the surface while taking off.  They hatch rapidly so the trout strike quickly due to the limited window of opportunity, sometimes jumping completely out of the water after them.  

Note:  There are different color patterns for this fly, even black.  Brown and olive are popular colors, however, probably the most common body color is tan with a wing of ginger. 

Goddard Caddis
Tier:  Ed Gallop

Hook:  Dry.

Body:  Deer hair packed and trimmed as shown.

Hackle:  Brown.

Antenna:  Tan hackle stems.

This popular caddis pattern was created by the well known British angler and tier, John Goddard.  

Stimulator

The Stimulator was created by Randall Kaufmann to imitate an adult stonefly but also works for caddis, and makes an excellent attractor fly.  It comes in a variety of colors that usually determines it's name.  This one has an olive body with brown palmered hackle.

For detailed recipe and tying instructions see Instructor Don Shipp's Stimulator Instructions.  You can easily change body colors for any pattern you want.

Return to More Flies (Page 3.

Tup's Indispensable

Tier:  Ed Gallop

Hook: Mustad 94842.

Thread: Yellow silk.

Tail: Cream hackle fibers.

Body: Yellow silk with front dubbed with Tups.

Hackle: Cream hackle.

Note: This fly was tied with "Tups" dubbing provided by Jeff Serena.

About Tup's:  This unusual dubbing material originated from a dubbing described by Alexander Mackintosh in his book, The Driffield Angler, in 1806.  It was used in his Green Drake pattern and described as "a little fine wool from the ram's testicles, which is a beautiful yellow."  The word "tup" refers to a ram that hasn't been castrated.

Although G. E. M. Skues put a name to the Tup's Indispensable, the fly was actually created by R.S. Austin in 1900.  It represented a female Olive called the Red Spinner. 

Austin's dubbing ingredients for the body was kept secrete so that he could maintain a monopoly on it.  The secrete continued for 20 years after his death in 1914 so his daughter could maintain the monopoly.  It wasn't until 1934 that the secret was revealed.

Austin's original recipe for Tup's Indispensable is described below:

Hook: 16.

Thread: Yellow.

Tail: Yellow-spangled lightish-blue cock hackle fibers.

Body: Mixed white fur from a ram's testicle, lemon-colored fur from a spaniel, cream seal's fur and a small amount of yellow mohair.  A small tip of yellow tying thread is exposed at the rear of the body.

Hackle: Yellow-spangled lightish-blue cock.

Note: Skues replaced the yellow mohair with crimson seal's fur.

Madam X - Parachute

Tier:  Ed Gallop

Hook: Mustad AC9671 or other 2x hook.

Post:  Antron or Z-Lon (color of choice).

Tail:  Light natural deer body hair.

Rear Body:  Red floss (or color of choice).

Legs:  Rubber legs (color of choice) tied as shown.

Wing:  Light natural deer body hair.

Front Body:  Peacock herl.

Hackle:  Grizzly.

Doug Swisher is the original creator of the Madam X but there have been a lot of variations from his bullet head style.  This version is my favorite and has produced some large browns in coldwater and some very nice bluegill and bass in warm water lakes.  I also like the Royal and Yellow Madam X and they are pictured below.  The Royal is the same as the Red except for the peacock herl on the rear of the body.

The Madam X doesn't represent any particular fish prey but triggers the fish's feeding response.  It can represent hoppers and other terrestrials, stoneflies, and dragon flies.  

Invicta (Variant)
Tier:  Ed Gallop

The original Invicta wet fly was created by James Ogden during the late 1800's in England and it continues to be a favorite for many lake and river trout anglers in various parts of the world.  

It was tied with a Golden Pheasant crest tail curling upward toward the wing tip of a hen pheasant center tail.  It had a gold ribbed body of yellow seal's fur, brown palmered hackle, and a touch of Blue Jay at the head.  

Another British tier, Dave Collyer, developed a sedge (caddis) nymph version and called it "Invicta Sedge Pupa."  It had no tail or wing and a body of yellow wool.  

This fly is tied with a tail of yellow hackle fibers and a beard of dyed blue Guinea.  Try fishing it shallow and slow for a nice hatching caddis imitation.

Rusty Rat - Variation

(With Instructions)

Tier:  Ed Gallop

Hook:  Daiichi 2051 Alex Jackson

Thread:  Red.

Tag:  Fine oval gold tinsel.

Tail:  3 Peacock sword fibers.

Rib:  Medium oval gold tinsel.

Body:  Yellow Floss.

Thorax:  Peacock herl.

Veil:  Yellow floss tied in at front of body.

Wing:  Grey fox guard hairs.

Collar:  Grizzly hen hackle.

Cheeks:  Jungle Cock eyes.

Note:  The Rusty Rat body is normally tied with half floss behind half peacock herl but I tied this one with ribbed floss for 2/3rd of the body to give it more of a streamline look.  Also, the ribbing is normally applied over the floss and herl but I prefer the herl without ribbing.  

There are different versions of the Rusty Rat.  Frank Amato ties one with a gray squirrel wing an unribbed red floss body and veil.  Poul Jorgensen ties a series of different Rats in his Salmon Flies book.  Paul Dieter has a Rusty Rat broach pin on this page with a ribbed red floss body and a red hair wing.  

If you know the origin of the Rusty Rat please email the information to edg@flytyingworld.com and the information will be included here.  Or even better, submit your version for a page of it's own.

Instructions

Step 1.  Tie in the oval gold tinsel tag positioned as shown (just ahead of the barb to the point).

Step 2.  Tie in the peacock sword fibers (three) for the tail, extending to or just past the rear most part of the hook.

Step 3.  Tie in a section of oval gold tinsel to be used for the ribbing in Step 4.  Then tie in the yellow floss and wrap over 2/3rd of the body, about 1/2 of hook shank on a Alex Jackson salmon hook.  If the floss is too thin for the desired body then wrap back and forward until reaching the thickness desired.  

    Step 4.  Wrap ribbing over floss body.  If you wish to rib the front herl section (Step 6) then leave enough tinsel hanging or wait to wrap it until the herl is tied in.

    Step 5.  Tie in the yellow floss veil.  If the floss is too thin then simply add 2 pieces, trimmed evenly, to extend about midway of the tail.  Then tie in 3 or more peacock herl fibers (enough to complete body).  Wrap thread to where front of body will end.  Leave enough room to tie in wing and collar.

    Step 6.  Wrap herl body as shown and tie off.

Step 7.  Tie in gray fox guard hairs (stacked evenly).

Step 8.  Tie in grizzly hen hackle.  Using wet fingers (saliva) pull the fibers together toward the rear and perpendicular to the hackle stem and wrap as you do it.  Only wrap 2 or 3 turns because too much hackle will not look good.  

Step 9:  Tie in the jungle cock eye for the cheek, angled along with the wing.   Build up the head with thread and coat with cement.  I use "Hard as Nails" clear fingernail polish.

As you probably noticed, I tied the body shaped slightly thinner toward the front.  I did this on purpose because I like the tapered look.  If you prefer a straight level body simply wrap it that way.

Llama

Tier: Ed Gallop

Hook:   Streamer.

Tail:  Grizzly hackle fibers.

Ribbing:  Gold oval tinsel.

Body:  Red Yarn (or red floss).

Wing:  Woodchuck (Groundhog) with underfur included.

Hackle:  Grizzle.

Note:  Painted on eyes are optional.  I used the end of my bodkin, dabbed in model paint, touched on scrap paper to remove access, and then applied on the fly.  After it dried I used a Sharpie pen for the pupil.

This Llama was popularized by Eric Leiser but like many flies, there are other versions with different colored bodies and different wing material.  This is my favorite though.

Pass Lake
Tier:  Ed Gallop

This hair-winged salmon fly is tied on a double hook but the picture doesn't show it.

Tail:  Brown hackle fibers.

Body:  Black Chenille.

Hackle:  Brown hen.

Wing:  White calf tail.

Note by Jill Wegner:  Everyone in Wisconsin knows the Pass Lake.  There are several books that touch upon the subject, but the book written by Ross A. Mueller entitled: "Upper Midwest Flies That Catch Trout and How to Fish Them" reads...  "The original Pass Lake is a Wisconsin fly designed by a Clintonville, Wisconsin, minister in 1938.  It can by tied as a dry, wet or streamer."

Ross A. Mueller also recently had an article about fishing the driftless areas of SW Wisconsin, SE Minnesota and NE Iowa in one of the fly fishing magazines.

I have tied many myself.

Jill Wegner

Red Tag
Tier:  Ed Gallop

The Red Tag is a classic European pattern dating back to the mid 1800's and continues to be a favorite trout and grayling fly for many anglers today.  It is believed to had originated by a man named Flyn in Worcestershire and was initially called the Worcester Gem.  An author named F. M. Walbran made it popular in the late 1800s. 

Tail:  Red wool.

Body:  Peacock herl.

Hackle:  Rhode Island Red (actually reddish brown).

There are many variations of Red Tag, or at least flies named Red Tag.  The only thing in common for most is the red tag tail.  An Orange Tag, also known as Treacle Parkin, is the same except for the orange tag.  It is a favorite of Hampshire chalk-streams anglers.  There is a popular White Tag in France and there is a Green Tag and Crimson Tag popular with Yorkshire grayling anglers.

Roger Woolley, the coauthor of "Grayling Salmo Thymallus" (1954) and other publishings, tied a variation he named Badger Red Tag that included a bronzed peacock herl body, silver tinsel tip, and badger hackle.  

The fly pictured on the right has a ribbed over and palmered red wool body.  I have fished this fly with good success for Alaskan grayling.  It is quite similar to an Australian fly named Red Bug except for the tied back hackle and palmered body.  The "Red Bug" is an Australian version of the Red Tag but stretches the limit to even be called a Red Tag variant, as does this unnamed fly I call a Red Tag.  

Contributions:

Courtney William's 1949 edition of "A Dictionary of Trout Flies" attributes the Red Tag to a Mr Flynn of Worcestershire, who called it the Worcester Gem and fished it on the Teme.  He gave it to F.M. Walbran who introduced it to the Yorkshire grayling rivers in 1878 and gave it the name Red Tag.   In John Roberts' 1995 edition of "Illustrated Dictionary of Trout Flies" he says the same thing.

It's the go-to dry fly in Tasmania.  It's probably the best known grayling pattern and I depend
on it in winter, especially with a gold bead head.  Bob

Hans Weilenmann:  In the German speaking countries of  western Europe, most notably Germany and Austria, the Hexe ("Witch") is an established pattern.  Basically, it a Red Tag with a grizzly, not brown, collar hackle.  
 

Bob Wyatt:  The Hexe is basically the old Grey Hackle.  Bob.

Ed Gallop:  Not sure about the "old" Grey Hackle.  The Grey Hackle I know of is tied like a Red Tag but uses red hackle instead of red wool and has grizzle hackle instead of reddish brown.  This is a fine example of the evolution of flies through variations.  

The Witch fly patterns date back to the early 1900s when they were originated by H. A. Rolt .  In addition to the original Witch, there were the Silver Witch and Gold Witch.  

Roger Woolley tied one named the Grayling Witch that is pictured in Taff Price's "Fly Patterns, An International Guide".  It is tied as is a Red Tag but with red floss for the tag and the body is heavily palmered with pale blue dun hackle.   It resembles the well known Wooly Worm.  I do not know if there is a name connection but more likely it is a coincidence.  I believe the Wooly Worm gets it's name from the look alike caterpillar nicknamed Wooly Worm.  Ed.

Hermann Schlibi:  In "The Way of a Trout with a Fly" (1921), Skues wrote, "It is, I think, beyond dispute that trout are extremely sensitive to red and are greatly attracted by it. Witness the value of a red tag to a fly."  I don't know if Skues was thinking of the specific Red Tag pattern you mention, but it is an interesting observation nonetheless.  

Note by Ed Gallop:  I may have provided more information than needed, if that is possible.  However, I welcome any input you can provide on this subject.   Ed.

Skunk

Tier:  Ed Gallop

Tail:  Red Hackle.
Body:  Black Chenille.
Rib:  Oval Silver Tinsel.
Collar:  Black Hackle.
Wing:  White Skunk over Black Skunk

Cheeks:  Jungle Cock eyes are optional.

Note 1:  Most patterns call for a small amount of white over black but I often use a larger amount (as pictured).  

Note 2:  It's the wing's white stripe over black (simulating a skunk) that the name of this popular steelhead fly is referenced to, not the use of skunk hair.  Actually you can use just about any black and white hair for the wing, such as deer hair, calf tail, polar bear, etc.  

Although the main characteristics of the Skunk is the white over black wing,  Al Beatty ties a Black Skunk with a black bear hair wing (no white).  Brad Burden, on the other hand, uses all white calf tail or polar bear wings (no black).  So does Larry Nicholas with his version of the Green Butt Skunk.  It has a wing of white Artic Fox Guard Hairs (no black).  Roger Swingel ties an Electric Skunk with 4 strands of Pearl Krystal Flash mixed in white Fox Tail (no black).  These flies are good example of the diversity of fly tying in that they are called Skunks but lack the Skunk's unique characteristic (black and white wing).

There are also many variations, such as the Green Butt Skunk, which many feel is more popular than the standard Skunk.    There is even a Velcro Skunk tied by Greg Peterka that has a velcro body (non-hook part) ribbed with flat silver tinsel, and the wing is all white.  Deke Meyer ties a Meyer's Green Butt Spey with white hackle tip wings and a florescent chartreuse chenille butt.  The only thing it has in common with the traditional Skunk is the black chenille body ribbed with oval tinsel.

Above is a Green Butt Skunk I tied tied with sparse polar bear over black bear for the wing.  It has a long Golden crest tail and a large lime green floss butt.  

I left out the black bear and added red hackle tail on the one pictured at right.  It matches Brad Burden's recipe.  The Partridge Bartleet Supreme hook and Jungle Cock eyes gives it a dressier look.

As you can see, there are different Skunk variations, but the Green Butt Skunk is probably the most popular term used.  Can't say as I've ever seen a skunk in the wild with a green butt.  Don't think I want to either.  Anyway, the Green Butt Skunk usually has a green floss butt in front of a flat tinsel tag.  The rest of the fly is tied in variations that may not even look similar (as these two do not).  So...  How does one know what they are looking at?  You might ask the tier.  They name their flies whatever they want, normally based on a similar feature to a known pattern.

Scroll down for more information on the Skunk pattern.

Research References

J.S. (jshewey) -  Not much chance of ever determining the origins of the Skunk. This is one of many steelhead flies whose exact origins are lost to us but through which we can learn some interesting and significant lessons about the evolution of steelhead flies and steelhead fly tying.  So for what it's worth, here are some observations: 

Two main theories are that Wes Drain created this fly for the Stilly as early as the early 30's, or that the fly derives from southern Oregon, probably the N. Umpqua.  I have an extensive collection of notes and books and can find no evidence either way. 

The skunk is rarely mentioned in the old steelhead literature and is not mentioned at all by Clark C. Van Fleet (1951), who fished the North Umpqua regularly.  However, Van Fleet says very little about specific fly patterns anyway. 

More telling, perhaps, is that J. Edson Leonard (Flies, 1950) makes no mention of the Skunk in his list of about 5 dozen steelhead wet flies, and he listed all his references. In any case, Leonard cites, as his steelhead fly sources, grand old masters Roy Donnelley (San Pedro, CA), Claude Kreider (Long Beach, CA), Haig-Brown (Campbell River, BC) and Don Harger (Salem, OR).  None of these men mention the Skunk yet the CA and OR contributors fished the Rogue and N. Umpqua.  Does this offer any credible evidence that the fly was unknown to them?  We will never know. 

You will no doubt realize that the state of Washington is left quite un-represented by Leonard. Had he contacted the Washington Fly Fishing Club, whose members included Enos Bradner and virtually all the other steelhead pioneers of the 30's and 40's, would the Skunk have appeared in his book, thus lending credence to the Wes Drain theory? Again, We will never know.  Note: Somewhere buried away in my notes I have recorded the earliest reference (in a book) for this fly but off the top of my head I can't remember which book.  If anyone is interested I will endeavor to find that reference between steelhead and grouse outings. 

In my opinion the Skunk has never been a terribly popular steelhead fly.  On the other hand, the Green-Butt Skunk ranks amongst the most popular of all the steelhead flies and its origin is generally credited to the grand photographer, Dan Callahan.  Note: Somebody might want to track him down and ask for specifics. 

The Purple Skunk has been "invented" by lots of folks. Amongst the first of whom I suspect was Keith Stonebreaker (Idaho) and, although I hesitate to speak for him, I suspect Keith himself would accept little praise for originality. After all, is not the purple skunk just a white-winged version of the Purple Peril? 

Also, if anybody out there can provide me with historical reference (e.g. 1900-1960) of the Skunk being tied with skunk hair or even with black-over-white or white-over-black hair, I would certainly like to see this source.  My assumption has always been that the name refers to the color scheme of a white wing over a black body. I could write volumes more on the subject of historical steelhead fly design, but instead, I'll relieve all of you your misery herein by simply closing with my favorite skunk dressing: 

Hook: Bartleet or A.J. 

Tag: Silver Flat Tinsel 

Tail: Golden Pheasant Crest (dyed red) 

Body: Black Wool Yarn (thin) 

Rib: Medium or Large Silver Oval Tinsel 

Hackle: Shiny Black Cock Neck Hackle 

Wing: White Polar Bear 

Cheeks: Jungle Cock 


Jeff Serena -  Trey Combs in "The Steelhead Trout" (1971) specifies white bucktail for the wing. 

Eric Leiser's "Complete Book of Fly Tying" (1977) describes natural polar bear or calf tail for the wing. 

Fenton Roskelley (Editor) "Flies of the Northwest" (1979) uses sparse white bucktail or polar bear as a variation of the original North Umpqua dressing. 

Terry Hellekson's "Popular Fly Patterns" (1984) Page 154 described a two-toned-wing version (white over black). 

John Buckland's "Trout and Salmon Flies" (1986) appears to be tied with a white bucktail wing. 

Eric Leiser's "The Book of Fly Patterns" (1987) describes natural polar bear or a substitute for the wing. 

Randall Scott Stetzer's "Flies - the Best One Thousand" (1992) The pattern appears on page 94 in (tied by Brad Burden) is as follows: 

Hook: TMC 7999, Mustad 36890, sizes 1/0-8 
Thread: Black 6/0 prewaxed 
Tag: Flat silver tinsel 
Tail: Red hackle fibers 
Rib: Flat silver tinsel 
Body: Black chenille or goat dubbing 
Hackle: Black hackle (soft) 
Wing: White calf tail or polar bear 
Cheeks: Jungle Cock (optional) 

The earliest reference I can find is: Terry Hellekson's "Fish Flies" (Vol. 2, 1995).  He describes a white calf-tail wing (model tied by Jim Pray in about 1934). The fly probably was tied by Mr. Hellekson using Mr. Pray's fly as a model. The text in the book implies that the earlier fly is in Mr. Hellekson's possession. 

Erik Andreasson (Erik the Swede) -  Just to make it more confusing, the following pattern is taken from the Trout and Salmon magazine pocket guide: "Hair Wing Salmon Flies" compiled by Rob Wilson. It's titled "Skunk Tail." 

HOOK: Standard 
THREAD: Black 
TAG: Oval Silver Tinsel (long) 
TAIL: Golden Pheasant Topping 
BODY: Black Floss 
RIBBING: Oval Silver Tinsel 
HACKLE: 
THROAT: Blue Cock 
WINGS: Skunk Tail 

Bruce Harang -  Trey Combs in Steelhead Fly Fishing (1991) lists the Skunk pattern, independently invented by Mildred Krogel and Wes Drain, as: 

Tail: Red Hackle Fibers 
Body: Black Chenille ribbed with Silver Tinsel 
Hackle: Black 
Wing: White Bucktail 


Robert Balogh -  On page 94 in Randall Scott Stetzer's "Flies - The Best One Thousand" the pattern, tied by Brad Burden, is as follows: 

Hook: TMC 7999, Mustad 36890, sizes 1/0-8 
Thread: Black 6/0 prewaxed 
Tag: Flat silver tinsel 
Tail: Red hackle fibers 
Rib: Flat silver tinsel 
Body: Black chenille or goat dubbing 
Hackle: Black hackle, soft 
Wing: White calf tail or polar bear 
Cheeks: Jungle Cock (optional) 


Pastortd -  According to the CD-ROM, "Fishing Flies of North America," ... "Some believe that the first Skunk was tied for the Stillaguamish River during the 1930s by Wes Drain of Seattle, Washington. Joe Howell of Idleyld Park, Oregon, believes the Skunk originated on the North Umpqua River during the early 1940s. Regardless, the Skunk is one of the most popular steelhead fly patterns in use." 

The CD has several different versions. The most popular according to my experiences has been with a hackle-fibre tail, chenille body and calf-tail wing. 

Probably more popular than the original Skunk is the Green-Butt version.  Locally, a Red-Butt version is used to better effect than the Green from time to time. 

On the Deschutes, many anglers will carry only two flies, a Purple Skunk and a Green-Butt Purple Skunk (tied the same as a Skunk, but with a Purple body). 

The Fly Shop in Redding, CA (http://www.theyflyshop.com/) carries a beautiful Spey version as well. 

There is an Atlantic Salmon pattern that uses a floss body and GP crest tail. I noticed a different Atlantic Salmon Skunk in the W.W. Doak catalogue with a chenille body and bucktail wing. Amongst all those hair-wing Salmon flies, the vertical wing fit right in! 

Along the Atlantic lines, our friend Brett Groves sent me some Peacock Green Butt Skunk for our last Charity Auction that I had to duplicate for my box. We should get him to elaborate, but it has a Peacock body and black-over-white Polar Bear wing. When I held them in the sunlight they dazzled and shone like you wouldn't believe! 

John Thomas - Terry Combs in his 1976 book Steelhead Fly Fishing and Flies mentions that the Skunk is the most popular fly in the Northwest and had been around for at least 30 years at the time of his writing the book. He mentioned the feeling that the fly was from the North Umpqua, but admits he did not have concrete evidence of this. Terry said "It has been around for perhaps thirty years or more and would presently make almost any "dozen favorite" steelhead fly list. Yet its originator, or even its general geographic origins, are unknown."  Any other references or information? Please let me know. 

PLEASE SUBMIT ANY INFORMATION YOU HAVE TO classroom@flytyingworld.com

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Cinnamon and Gold
Tier: Ed Gallop

Hook: Streamer size 10 to 14
Thread: Black 6/0.
Tail: Golden pheasant tippet.
Body:  Flat gold tinsel ribbed with oval.
Wing: Cinnamon colored duck or other quill.
Hackle:  Light brown or tan hen hackle.

This is a popular European pattern for trout or salmon, especially in Ireland but has performed well for trout in the USA.  Likely mistaken for hatching caddis pupa.