- Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:11 am
#116582
Winter has finally arrived in the north-east. If your like me your fishing time has decreased and your fly tying has increased. So, I have decided to bulk up my collection of steelhead flies. Below are listed some of the flies I have been tying. If anyone wants to add there favorites please feel free to do so. Would love to see them.
Royal Coachman
This fly is a transplant from the east coast were it has been used for trout for as long as anyone can remember. When easterners moved west and started fishing for steelhead they took this fly with them and it has been a staple ever since. When tying this fly I like to rib it with some type of heavy wire, as the body with its floss and peacock herl can be fragile.
Hook: Up eye salmon hook.
Tail: Golden pheasant tippet in strands.
Body: In 3 segments, peacock herl followed by red floss followed by peacock herl.
Collar: Brown hackle.
Wing: White deer hair, polar bear, hackle tips or wing quill segments.

Winter’s Hope
The Originator of this fly is Bill McMillan of Washougal Washington. He developed the fly in 1969 and 1970 and it has since become one of the better-known steelhead flies in existence. The fly is usually tied on a large hook and is designed to agitate and aggravate steelhead into striking. In recent years this fly has been becoming popular on the Gaspe peninsula for Atlantic Salmon.
Hook: Up eye salmon hook.
Body: Flat silver tinsel
Collar: Blue hackle with purple hackle in front.
Wing: Two yellow hackle tips back to back between two orange hackle tips.
Topping: Golden-olive calf tail (sometimes a golden pheasant crest is substituted).
Head: Claret

Springer Green
The inventor of this fly is Walt Johnson, originally from Arlington, Washington. The fly was invented in the 1970’s for spring fishing on tributaries of the Columbia..
Hook: Up eye salmon hook.
Tag: Flat silver tinsel and fluorescent green floss.
Tail: Toucan orange hackle barbs
Rib: Flat silver tinsel
Body: Rear half, greenish yellow yarn, front half, green yarn.
Collar: Toucan orange hackle.
Throat Barred wood duck.
Wing: White fox or rabbit hair.
Cheeks: Hackle tips dyed grass green.
Head: White

Spade
This simple fly may not look like much but aside from being a great fish getter it is one of the more influential flies to come out of the northwest. Popular outdoor writer Bob Arnold of Seattle, Washington invented it in the early 1960’s as a low water fly. Since that time there have been many variations of this fly created for steelhead fishing.
Hook: Up eye salmon hook.
Tail: Deer body hair.
Body: Black wool yarn.
Collar: Grizzly hackle.
Head: Black

Thor
This fly is was named after Walt Thorsen who, according to the story, took five fish on it the first day he used it in the Eel river. Also, according to the story, all the fish put together did not weigh over six pounds. Jim Pray of Eureka, California invented the fly in 1936. It is said that Pray was looking for a fly that had the same color scheme as the Royal Coachman and this is what he came up with.
Hook: Up eye salmon hook.
Tail: Orange hackle barbs.
Body: Red chenille.
Collar: Brown hackle.
Wing: White deer hair or polar bear.
[URL=http://imageshack
Royal Coachman
This fly is a transplant from the east coast were it has been used for trout for as long as anyone can remember. When easterners moved west and started fishing for steelhead they took this fly with them and it has been a staple ever since. When tying this fly I like to rib it with some type of heavy wire, as the body with its floss and peacock herl can be fragile.
Hook: Up eye salmon hook.
Tail: Golden pheasant tippet in strands.
Body: In 3 segments, peacock herl followed by red floss followed by peacock herl.
Collar: Brown hackle.
Wing: White deer hair, polar bear, hackle tips or wing quill segments.

Winter’s Hope
The Originator of this fly is Bill McMillan of Washougal Washington. He developed the fly in 1969 and 1970 and it has since become one of the better-known steelhead flies in existence. The fly is usually tied on a large hook and is designed to agitate and aggravate steelhead into striking. In recent years this fly has been becoming popular on the Gaspe peninsula for Atlantic Salmon.
Hook: Up eye salmon hook.
Body: Flat silver tinsel
Collar: Blue hackle with purple hackle in front.
Wing: Two yellow hackle tips back to back between two orange hackle tips.
Topping: Golden-olive calf tail (sometimes a golden pheasant crest is substituted).
Head: Claret

Springer Green
The inventor of this fly is Walt Johnson, originally from Arlington, Washington. The fly was invented in the 1970’s for spring fishing on tributaries of the Columbia..
Hook: Up eye salmon hook.
Tag: Flat silver tinsel and fluorescent green floss.
Tail: Toucan orange hackle barbs
Rib: Flat silver tinsel
Body: Rear half, greenish yellow yarn, front half, green yarn.
Collar: Toucan orange hackle.
Throat Barred wood duck.
Wing: White fox or rabbit hair.
Cheeks: Hackle tips dyed grass green.
Head: White

Spade
This simple fly may not look like much but aside from being a great fish getter it is one of the more influential flies to come out of the northwest. Popular outdoor writer Bob Arnold of Seattle, Washington invented it in the early 1960’s as a low water fly. Since that time there have been many variations of this fly created for steelhead fishing.
Hook: Up eye salmon hook.
Tail: Deer body hair.
Body: Black wool yarn.
Collar: Grizzly hackle.
Head: Black

Thor
This fly is was named after Walt Thorsen who, according to the story, took five fish on it the first day he used it in the Eel river. Also, according to the story, all the fish put together did not weigh over six pounds. Jim Pray of Eureka, California invented the fly in 1936. It is said that Pray was looking for a fly that had the same color scheme as the Royal Coachman and this is what he came up with.
Hook: Up eye salmon hook.
Tail: Orange hackle barbs.
Body: Red chenille.
Collar: Brown hackle.
Wing: White deer hair or polar bear.
[URL=http://imageshack