Tying Instructions for the Top 10 King Flies for Alaska

There are just certain king salmon flies that make the top 10 list for their effectiveness. In no particular order the author’s favorite king salmon flies for Alaska are Intruder, Prom Dress, Bjorn Super Prawn, Articulated Leech, Moal Leech, Jumbo Critter,  Squidro, Popsicle, Boss/Comet and Seapup. He also includes a couple honorable mentions. Here’s how to tie them.

Story & Photos By Mike Lunde

  1. INTRUDER

Intruder_Scott_Howell_top_10_king_flies.jpgThroughout all realms of freshwater and saltwater fly fishing, the Intruder is considered one of the greatest anadromous flies of all time and the perfect king salmon fly. In the early 1990s, Ed Ward and Scott Howell combined to create the first shank-styled fly. The original Intruder contained a front and rear deer-hair collar coupled with ostrich serving as the Spey hackle. An advantage to the Intruder’s design was it allowed tiers to tie longer flies through the implementation of a stinger hook connected to the sacrificial front hook. As fly-tying technology expanded, the introduction of Waddington shanks minimized the need for cutting off the rear section of the front hook. [emember_protected custom_msg=’This content is available for subscribers only.’]

Today, many modifications can be applied to Intruders to accommodate tackle-busting kings. A recent trend in Intruder development is to utilize both synthetics and natural materials to result in more high-performance movement compared to the traditional materials tied in the baseline model. Examples of materials to use that will agitate frustrated Chinook include Krystal Emulator Flash, Flashabou, sparse marabou, etc. The appropriate stinger hook size for Intruders is a #1/0 to #2/0. Hooks larger than this specific recommendation will inhibit the Intruder’s movement, thus causing it to over-rotate itself to one side. Smaller hooks won’t disrupt the movement during the swing but will fail to penetrate into the fish’s mouth or will bend out during a prolonged fight. Click here for videos.

Original Intruder Tying Recipe (Ed Ward)

  1. Select Waddington shank or sacrificial front hook.  Tie in dumbbell eyes in front region.
  2. Apply fine amounts of dubbing to make an established dubbing ball in back section.  Dubbing ball location should be where hook curvature starts.  Tie in a feather of choice to make the rear hackle.  Original recipe called for pheasant rump whereas Ed and Scott also experimented with spun deer hair collars.  We will use pheasant rump for this example.
  3. Tie in 7-9 ostrich fibers on top and bottom of shank.  A dubbing loop can also be used to establish a full volume, but the initial tying method is being introduced here.
  4. Attach chenille and a narrow saddle hackle feather.  Palmer forward the chenille in proximity to the dumbbell eyes followed by the hackle feather.  Trim excess material.
  5. Make a deer hair spun collar.  Select either a ringneck pheasant feather or several pheasant rump and palmer in same direction to form hackle.  After this, a bonus option is to tie in a few dyed grizzly saddle hackles (e.g. Whiting Eurohackle, Metz, etc.).  Original recipe called for two saddle hackles.  No more than 4 should be used.

Tying Recipe:

  1. Attach stinger hook of choice to Waddington shank or sacrificial front hook.  A small diameter (5/32”) tube can also suffice for tying the original Intruder prototype first designed by Ed Ward and Scott Howell.

Synthetic Version Recipe:

  1. Attach stinger hook of choice to Waddington shank with 50- or 65-pound low-stretch braid.
  2. Select Baitfish Emulator flash and trim off a 3-inch piece.  This will be used specifically for making the back section of the Intruder.  Tie in and palmer 2-3 times around the shank and tie off.  Spin 10-15 ostrich fibers in a dubbing loop around the Baitfish Emulator Flash.
  3. Tie in Flat Diamond Braid and palmer forward until just behind the dumbbell eyes.  Repeat all the steps outlined in Step 2.  Whip finish, trim thread, and fly is complete.
  1. PROM DRESS

Prom_Dress_Intruder_author_001_top_10_king_flies.jpgThe original development of the Prom Dress is credited to legendary Alaska salmon and steelhead guide Scott Howell. Since baseline patterns can undergo multiple modifications, I substituted a complete Flashabou body for a split combination of marabou and flash. In 2012, my modification to the original Prom Dress involved center-tying multiple bundles of flash and folding them over in an angle to form a spinnerbait-like skirt. Thus, the remaining tying space on the tube or Waddington shank was covered with one or two marabou plumes palmered forward.

On the swing, the Prom Dress is absolutely deadly because its true behavior is unleashed as it recreates movement characteristics similar to a Kwikfish, the king’s favorite plug. Whether tied shank-style or on a tube, the Prom Dress drives Chinook bananas. Preferences for stinger hooks vary considerably, but the wide-gap models are personal favorites, particularly the Gamakatsu Finesse Wide Gap. Another hook style that works surprisingly well are octopus hooks. Hook size is a matter of personal preference as well, but hooks in the #1/0 to #3/0 range will penetrate deeper through the tissue in the fish’s mouth region compared to a larger hook.

Tying recipe (Scott Howell’s version)

  1. Attach stinger hook to Waddington shank or select a tube.  Start baseline thread near beginning section and tie in dumbbell eyes.
  1.   Select clump of Flashabou and cut an approximate section of 4 to 5 inches in length.  Tie-in location should be just behind the dumbbell eyes.  Tie in Flashabou and continuously repeat until tied around 360 degrees.  No center-tying and folding over is accomplished with the original prom dress.
  1. Once a full volume of flash is achieved, select a New Guinea feather in matching color of the Flashabou.  Tie in Guinea feather and palmer in same location just behind the dumbbell eyes.  An Ice Dub head or similar head finish is optional.  Some tiers leave the just the dumbbell eyes on – its personal preference.

Author’s Prom Dress

  1. Attach stinger hook to Waddington shank or select small-diameter tube.  Tie in dumbbell eyes.  Initial thread location should be just in rear region of shank or tube.  Select dubbing and make a small-sized dubbing ball.
  2. Center-tie in multiple bundles of flashabou about 5 to 6 inches in length.  Each bundle should contain approximately 15-25 strands of flahabou.  Continuously repeat this step so a spinnerbait-like skirt is formed.  Build up thread head and apply cement or UV-based adhesive to secure thread wraps.
  3. Advanced thread just slightly head of thread head.  Tie in sparse marabou plume and palmer forward. Tie in second marabou plume of another contrasting color and palmer forward just behind dumbbell eyes.  If using conehead for weight, leave enough space on the tube to add it on at the very end.
  1. BJORN SUPER PRAWN

Bjorn_Superprawn_top_10_king_flies.jpgThe Bjorn Super Prawn is characterized by undulating movements during the swing that are similar to a Mag Lip 4.5 or Kwikfish. Designed with a marabou body and tail containing a split combination of sparse bucktail hair and a bunch of flash, the Bjorn Super Prawn revolutionized a new era of king salmon flies in the late 1980s, as at the time a majority of anglers swung classic steelhead patterns. As approaches changed considerably, the development of marabou-based patterns increased. To finalize the aesthetics of this killer Chinook fly, a pair of hen saddle feathers in matching colors is tied on the top of the marabou body. The fly is commonly tied shank-style, adding a #1/0 to #2/0 octopus stinger hook connected with 50-pound braid or the recently introduced Senyo Intruder Trailer Wire.

  1. Attach stinger hook to Waddington shank with 50- or 65-pound low-stretch braid (e.g. Power Pro, Spiderwire, PLine, etc.).  Secure main tying thread and attach .030” lead wire to the middle region of the shank.
  2. Tie in sparse clump bucktail about twice the length of the Waddington shank.  Next, tie in a clump of silver Flashabou or other color combination of choice.  Approximately 15-20 strands of flash will suffice.
  3. Tie in chenille or cactus chenille.  Palmer it forward to it covers all the lead wire.
  4. Tie in two sparse marabou plumes and palmer forward until they are near the very front of the Waddington shank.  If not near front, palmer in an additional sparse plume.
  5. Select two hen saddle feathers in same color and tie flat over top of marabou.  Whip-finish, trim excess thread, and fly is complete.
  1. ARTICULATED LEECH

Articulated_leech_top_10_king_flies.jpgThere is no doubt that articulated flies exhibit increased movement compared to non-articulated flies. Out of the entire selection of flies mentioned thus far, no king salmon fly box is complete without some articulated ammunition. The articulated leech has been a traditional producer for not only steelhead, butalso angered kings. Traditional articulated leeches consisted of a rabbit strip tail and main body of either crosscut rabbit strip or marabou. When both materials are combined, the undulation and pulsation is triggered from the current, thereby resulting in a fly that is full of life. The flies should be tied from 3.5 inches to 6 inches in length, depending on run-timing, magnitude of aggression, light conditions and water clarity.

  1. Select octopus or streamer hook of choice and start thread at back region of hook.  Cover middle region of hook shank with .030” lead wire.  Select bright colored marabou plume and palmer forward until at middle of hook.  Repeat again with a darker colored marabou plume.  Bonus option if preferred is to tie in a hackle collar such as Schlappen for example.
  2. Formulate articulation to Waddington shank or sacrificial front hook with 50- or 65-pound Braid.  Use gel-spun thread or Kevlar to secure Waddington shank secure, particularly if using OPST model.
  3. Use .030” lead wire to provide weight to front section.  Repeat step 1 again.  A total of 2-3 sparse plumes should be ideal to cover the entire Waddington shank or sacrificial front hook.  Attach Schlappen or New Guinea feather for collar and palmer in same direction.  A final option here is to add sparse Flashabou or Monoflash tied 360 around the shank.
  4. Whip-finish and trim thread.
  1. MOAL LEECH

MOAL_Leech_top_10_king_flies.jpgThe introduction of longer, gaudier flies produced a cult following in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1990s, as many steelhead anglers went over to fishing a large pink worm. This heavy-weighted critter composed of 100 percent rabbit is characterized by a fair magnitude of movement, and it also drives Chinook absolutely bonkers. Tied with the assistance of two tying vises, a long section of crosscut rabbit-strip is inserted into the rear region of braid. A fine application of Super Glue is layered on the braid followed by simply palmering the crosscut rabbit strip forward until just behind the dumbbell eyes. Next, several strands of flash in matching colors are tied over the anterior region of the fly. Various color combinations work, with a lot of guides preferring the hot pink model. MOAL Leeches can be tied in any length so experiment to match the specific systems you fish accordingly.

  1. Two rotary vices are necessary to tie this fly.  Select octopus hook of choice and insert both tag ends of 50-pound braid through the eyelet of the hook from the top end going through bottom section.  Reinsert a looped portion of the braid so it double-backs over itself.  Approximately 8-10 inches of tag end of the braid should remain.
  2. Secure braid to the front Waddington shank or sacrificial front hook.  Length of section  should range from 4 to 6-inchs.
  3. Position both vices relatively close from each other to the point where the braid connection is semi-taught.
  4. Select crosscut rabbit strip about 10-inches long and insert it ½” to ¾” through the back section of taught braid.  A fine application of Super Glue is laid down on the taught section of braid.
  5. Palmer the entire crosscut rabbit strip forward until in proximity to the front section of the Waddington shank or sacrificial front hook.  Leave small portion up front open to tie in dumbbell eyes and apply multiple sections of dubbing to form the dubbing head.  Tie in 6-8 strands of Flashabou equivalent in length to the fly over top of the crosscut rabbit body.
  1. JUMBO CRITTER

Jumbo_Critter_top_10_king_flies.jpgOn long expeditions to the famed Kanektok River in southwest Alaska, many king salmon flies were first field-tested prior to becoming popular with the masses—one headliner coming out of this process is the Jumbo Critter. Original development of this Intruder-styled weapon is attributed to Bjorn Beech, and the fly is represented by a spun deer-hair or calftail collar, Lady Amherst feather fibers for hackle and fine application of dubbing in a matching color combination. Larger profiles can be achieved by substituting spun bucktail hair over deer hair. The blue/chartreuse combination is a tidewater favorite on the Kanektok and other Bristol Bay systems. Other popular color combinations for the Jumbo Critter include pink/orange, black/royal blue, chartreuse/kingfisher blue, and black/red.

  1. Attach stinger hook of choice to Waddington shank or sacrificial front hook with 50- to 65-pound braid.  Tie in dumbbell eyes in front section of fly leaving partial room for the dubbing head.
  2. Start thread location in back and make a spun deer hair collar!  Spun calftail or bucktail will also work.  Tie in sparse Flashabou 360 degrees around the back collar.
  3. Tie in silver wire or tinsel.  Continuously apply dubbing to build up body until in proximity to the dumbbell eyes.  Advance tinsel or wire forward until behind dumbbell eyes.
  4. Repeat step 2.  Spin 8-14 Lady Amherst fibers in dubbing loop and palmer back.  Make an Ice Dubbing head.  Whip finish and trim thread.
  1. SQUIDRO

Squidro_top_10_king_flies.jpgA common trend found in the physical features of salmon and steelhead flies are Sili or rubber legs. Rubber legs exhibit a lot of movement and they don’t absorb water, unlike natural furs and similar materials. The original development of Squidro is again credited to the ingenious mind of Scott Howell. This Intruder-style fly is one of the ultimate patterns due to its ability to sink fast in the current. When presented on the swing, the rubber legs create the majority of action. Advantages of the rubber legs in Squidro are maximum movement, reduced water absorption, increased durability and less bulk compared to flies full of natural furs. An additional advantage is sinkability. The color scheme possibilities are endless, with personal preferences rotating from black/blue, pink/orange and kingfisher blue/chartreuse depending on location in proximity to the intertidal area.

  1. Attach stinger hook of choice to Waddington shank with 50- to 65-pound low-stretch braid.  Tie in dumbbell eyes near the front of the hook leaving partial space available for the dubbing head.
  2. Make small dubbing ball at back of Waddington shank prior to tying in Sili Legs.  Either use dubbing loop or tie in sili legs individually around the Waddington shank 360.
  3. Tie in silver mylar or Flat Diamond Braid to form the tag and body.  Advance forward until in proximity to the dumbbell eyes.
  4. Repeat Step 2 making another dubbing ball and using a dubbing loop or individually tie in Sili Legs to make front section of fly.  A very sparse marabou plume can be added for  a bonus option.
  5. Use Ice Dubbing or Senyo’s for the dubbing head.  Whip finish, trim thread, and fly is complete.
  1. POPSICLE

Articulated_popsicle_top_10_king_flies.jpgOne of the most underrated flies for targeting both aggressive and sensitive kings is the Popsicle. An articulated version developed andpopularized on the Kenai in the mid-1990s proved its effectiveness on a number of trophy-class 60- to 70-pound kings. This pattern is very effective in both soft- and hard-water habitats. When tying this fly specifically, pay considerable attention to the marabou plumes. Refrain from overdressing as this makes the fly’s behavior resemble a mop. Tie-in by the tips, remove excess fluff and use longest fibers possible to achieve the vortex effect.

  1. Select stinger hook of choice and begin thread location at back section of the hook.  Wrap .030” lead wire for weight.  Remove excess fluff from marabou plume and palmer forward.  New thread location should be in middle region of hook.  Select a second marabou plume.  Remove excess fluff again and palmer forward.  A few strands of flash can be tied anywhere 360 degrees around the back section.
  2. Select Waddington shank of choice or long-shanked streamer hook.  Attach rear section of Popsicle to sacrificial front hook or Waddington to form the articulation.  Add more .030” wire for weight on front section.
  3. Repeat Step 1 with marabou in same color combinations as on the rear section.  Select New Guinea or Schlappen as a collar, tie in, and palmer in same direction.
  1. BOSS/COMET

Bosscomet_top_10_king_flies.jpgTypically, a combination of unseasonably warm water temperatures coupled with low, clear water conditions is the ideal recipe for smaller, sparse flies. Another component that generally plays a significant role in determining fly size is the magnitude of angling pressure. To combat these tough angling scenarios, the practical solution is a smaller dressed fly. The concept of using smaller flies for kings was developed in Northern California in the 1940s. A collaboration of California’s legendary Chinook anglers—Johnny Ferenz and Grant King—resulted in the development of the Comet/Boss-style flies. The fly’s materials consist of a mixed composition of bucktail or calftail hair, flash or monoflash, diamond braid and a schlappen collar. Compared to the larger hook sizes associated with other traditional and newly-developed king salmon patterns, Boss- and Comet-style flies are tied on size #2 to #6 streamer-style hooks. An alternative is to tie them on tarpon-style #1/0 hooks, as since these hooks hold 100-plus-pound tarpon, they will therefore hold the largest kings. Beadchain or dumbbell eyes serve as the primary weight. Click here for videos.

  1. Select sturdy streamer hook or small diameter tube.  Start at front section of fly and tie in dumbbell eyes.  Tie in sparse clump of bucktail or calftail hair for the tail.  Tie in fixed length of Flat Diamond Braid.
  2. Advance forward the Flat Diamond Braid until its in proximity to the dumbbell eyes.  Tie in a single Schlappen feather.
  3. Palmer schlappen feather in same direction, trim away excess material, whip finish, and fly is complete.
  1. SEAPUP

Seapup_top_10_king_flies.jpgFlies designed for tarpon would generally not be presented to king salmon, but I have personally witnessed one such tarpon fly produce king after king during a mid-June swinging session on the lower Kenai. In one hour of fishing, we landed several kings in the 30- to 45-pound category. The Seapup, a fly of simplistic design represented by a 2-inch black Zonker strip tail and Ice-Dub head, can be tied in various color combinations—I favor black with a blue head as the best all-around option.The fly performs well in streams characterized by intense angling pressure.

  1. Select sturdy saltwater hook or small diameter tube for fly.  Select 20-pound mono and secure to hook shank or tube with several layers of thread.  This loop assists in additional movement to the zonker strip so it doesn’t foul on the hook.
  2. Cut 3-inch rabbit zonker strip and tie in back section of hook or tube. About 2-inches will serve as the tail while the remaining inch or so will be palmered forward until its near the middle of the hook.  Several strands of flash can be tied here as well.
  3.  Select deer hair in same color combination as rabbit.  Spin 2-3 bundles of deer hair, slightly advancing forward after each spun clump.  Tie in dumbbell eyes and fly is complete.

Honorable Mentions
Although these 10 flies are specifically designed to cover a wide range of environmental conditions and angling situations, the patterns that follow should not be neglected. Some of these patterns are modifications to the originals. Others are traditional patterns that have stood the test of time.

Prom_Dress_Intruder_top_10_king_flies.jpgProm Dress Intruder This deadly prototype combines the spinnerbait-like skirt of the Prom Dress and Spey hackle principles of the Intruder. Both standard diameter Flashabou and newly introduced Flashabou Magnum suffice for the skirt. A fair distribution of ostrich or rhea spun in a dubbing loop is applied to the Flashabou skirts. A current version is tied by Luke Saffarek of Tiger Fly Outfitters in British Columbia, and I experimented with this fly during the 2015 king season and landed my largest of the year, a 40-plus-pounder from the Susitna drainage. See videos here.

  1. Use small diameter tube or 75 mm Waddington shank.  Apply dubbing ball to back section of tube or Waddington.
  2. Center-tie multiple bundles of Flashabou (approx. 15-20 strands) and fold remaining strands over in 45 degree angle.  Keep repeating until the spinnerbait-like skirt is formed.
  3. Continue to build up a well-formed thread head.  Use an application of quick-drying adhesive to cement the thread wraps.
  4. Select ostrich or Rhea plume, cut section with desired amount of fibers, spin in dubbing loop, and palmer.  Bonus step here is to spin lady Amherst or tying in Guinea feather or Schlappen for spey hackle.
  5. Tie in Flat Diamond Braid.  Palmer forward until thread is slightly behind front section of Waddington or tube.
  6. Repeat step 1 with another application of a dubbing ball.
  7. Repeat step 2 with same color combination of Flashabou to make the front spinnerbait-like skirt.  Build up another well-tapered thread head.  Cement the thread wraps and spin additional ostrich or Rhea in a dubbing loop as previously attempted in Step 4.  Throw in optional Spey hackle collar (New Guinea, Schlappen, or Lady Amherst fibers)

Russian_Intruder_top_10_king_flies.jpgRussian IntruderFamed Russian fly tier Yuri Shumakov revolutionized the tube fly scene for Atlantic salmon, which transcended into the Pacific salmon jurisdiction. This modified Intruder consists of multiple cones interspaced between palmered schlappen and Lady Amherst. Sparse strands of monoflash are tied on each side of the fly in front of the palmered feathers. It is characterized by large profile and minimal flash and designated for softer water areas. An online tutorial to tie the Russian Intruder is provided on the Canadian Tube Fly Company’s website. Materials can be purchased from their online store as well.

  1. Cut 4 to 5-inch small diameter plastic tube.  Insert 2 or 3 medium to large coneheads onto hook and slide them forward to front section of tube.  Insert tube onto mandrel and secure in place.  Start baseline thread location near back region of tube leaving space for the junction tubing to be inserted at end of tying process.
  2.  Tie in 5-6 strands of Lady Amherst feather fibers on top and bottom of tube.  Rotate vise to each side and tie in several strands of monoflash.  Use fingers to manipulate and spread out Lady Amherst.  Tie in a light colored Schlappen feather by the thicker area of quill just in front of the Lady Amherst and palmer forward.  Repeat again with a darker Schlappen feather.
  3. Whip finish thread in front of palmered Schlappen feathers.  Slide first conehead against them.  Build a small miniature thread dam against the conehead to prevent it form moving anywhere along the tube.
  4. Reattach thread in front of thread damn and repeat Step 2 with tying in sparse clumps of Lady Amherst feather fibers followed with the two Schlappen feathers in different colors (bright & dark).  Slide up the second conehead so it is wedged against the palmered feathers.
  5. If enough space left on tube, repeat the specifics outlined in Step 2 with the Lady Amherst Fibers, Monoflash, and Schlappen feathers.  All cones have been added so tie in several strands of Flashabou in similar color combination.  Tie in New Guinea feather and palmer forward.  Add Jungle Cock eyes, whip finish, apply head cement, and remove fly from mandrel.

Egg_lucking_leech_top_10_king_flies.jpgEgg-sucking LeechesOne of the most versatile flies needed in any salmon fly box. In addition to chum, silvers and pinks, the classic, reliable Egg-sucking Leech is a necessity in case the flies mentioned here don’t produce. Popular colors include pink, black and purple. Also, it is highly recommended to tie on a sturdy hook. Recently, tying Egg-sucking Leeches onto tubes is favored over traditional streamer hooks due to their high probability to bend out.

  1. Tie in individual set of dumbbell eyes in front section of tube or hook so there is room for the dubbing-based head.  Advance thread to back of hook or tube.
  2. Select marabou plume and tie in the back section of hook or tube for the tail.  Add several strand of flash in contrasting or similar colors of marabou tail.  Tie in chenille followed by large saddle hackle feather or Schlappen feather.
  3. Palmer chenille forward just to behind the dumbbell eyes.  Select hackle pliers and palmer feather of choice forward, advancing it to the same location.  Tie off and trim excess.
  4. Apply multiple sessions of dubbing (Ice Dubbing or Senyo’s) until the egg-sucking head is formed to your desired preference and shape.

Marabou_tube_fly_top_10_king_flies.jpgMarabou Tube FliesSmall tube flies dressed with sparse plumes of marabou and accented with either a standard New Guinea or Mallard flank collar work wonders, especially for kings in pressured systems or when water temperatures rise above the king’s preference. Effective color combinations include black/blue, pink/cerise, royal blue/chartreuse and black/pink. Use a rotary vise and tie-in sparse flash at various angles around the fly for best results. Substituting a conehead onto a hard plastic tube with a fine application of Super Glue is a popular technique for providing weight. Recently introduced multicolored Monster Cones are another weighted option.

  1. Select small diameter plastic tube or weighted tube of choice.  The size of the tube should be an inch to 1.5-inches at most.  Select sparse marabou plume and remove excess fluff.
  2. Palmer forward, tie off, and select a second marabou plume in different color.  Remove excess fluff and palmer forward.  If there is still substantial room, tie in a third plume.  Remember to only palmer around tube several times to keep its sparseness.  Select New Guinea feather for collar, tie in, and palmer in same direction.
  3. Rotate vise at various angles and tie in several strands of Flashabou.  Tie off and trim thread.  Remove tube from mandrel or tube-fly vise and insert conehead onto tube.  Tube should be touching the materials somewhat.  Secure conehead with application of Super Glue or UV-based adhesive such as Tuffleye or Clear Cure Goo.

Tying Tips
Standard materials for all these killer fly patterns are a combination of natural furs, synthetics, marabou and feathers (e.g. ostrich or rhea) for Spey hackle. Common length ranges for tying should be between the 3- to 6-inch category. During unsatisfactory conditions or periods of heavy fishing pressure, experiment with lengths shorter than 3 inches if larger flies don’t produce strikes. A physical feature to pay close attention to is the amount of flash incorporated into the fly’s design. Minimal flash is often the key for flies to exhibit the best behavior in the water.

As mentioned in the May 2015 issue of Fish Alaska, color combinations for these patterns can be either stream-specific of based on the general rules previously discussed. Chartreuse dominates for freshly conditioned fish and the early run. Dark colors are preferred in glacial systems, overcast conditions and during the late run. Other times, color rules can be periodically broken, so rotate through color selection to increase confidence.

Frequently experiment with dubbing loops to place on a full volume of feather fibers. A slight rotation of the vise is often required to tie in missed gaps from spinning. In case of tying experience, reference the April 2015 issue on instructions for making the basic composite loop. The last tying tip is to use stinger hooks in the #1 to #2/0 range as this hook size range doesn’t disrupt the fly’s movement. Again, small hooks are insufficient at penetrating the mouth of a king salmon, whereas large hooks inhibit the fly’s movement.

Mike Lunde is originally from Pewaukee, WI, and received his B.S. in Fisheries from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. Mike works as a fisheries technician for the Alaska Cooperative Fisheries and Wildlife Research Unit and has guided in both Alaska and Patagonia.
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