Deploying the Troops

Headed to the Queen of Rivers, Norway's Alta

     This coming August marks my tenth wedding anniversary. It has been a great ten years. I couldn't ask for a better wife. Due the milestone, I think I'll be on the outside looking in this salmon season.

     My favorite kind of fly tying is tying for a trip. If it's not for my own trip, second best is someone else's trip. After taking a fishing/tying break in January and February, I have been busy tying for anglers taking some interesting trips in 2018. Among the more interesting orders was a dozen Governors, headed for the big, powerful, early June salmon of Middle Camp's pools on the Cascapedia. Another few dozen are headed for the Rivers Tay, Spey, Nairn, and Ness in Scotland. I've  never fished in the UK, but would love to someday. 

Governors for outsized Cascapedia salmon

     The order that got me the most pumped was a dozen tubes, headed to Norway. There are many great Norwegian rivers, but none as revered as the River Alta, home of the world's largest strain of Atlantic salmon. While tying the other orders, I watched some Dave Chapelle specials and listened to a podcast about crime and corruption in Providence, RI (some familiar characters!). While tying Alta flies, I watched Alta videos. Sometimes I stopped tying to give the videos my full attention. I realized that it's a place I need to see at least once in my life.

    Fueled by over an hour of huge salmon videos, I marched into the room my wife was in and declared, "I'm going to start entering the Alta lottery. If I actually win water, I'll figure out what to do later. But I'm telling you right now, one day I'm going to say that I'm going to Norway. It might be next year. It might be fifteen years from now. But it will happen eventually. I have to fish this place before I die."

     She was sort of caught off guard by how abruptly I delivered my "serious" message, but she got it. I think she'd actually like to come along for that trip, which is great. I tried to pitch a tenth anniversary trip to Iceland, but she saw right through it. She knows next to nothing about fly fishing, but I think she understands how this river is different from all the rest. 

Willie Gunns, headed home to Scotland

     I'll probably be living vicariously through some of you guys this season, but that's okay. I still have to tie a bunch of Miramichi flies. It has been a few years since I was last there. Maybe I'll tie a few extra Undertakers and Butterflies for myself. Maybe I can sneak away for a quick trip if the opportunity presents itself...

Cockburn Shrimp for high water on the Miramichi

Governor & "Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies" by Paul C. Marriner

This is one Governor for whom I would vote. 

     Last June, while I was fishing the Cascapedia, my friend sent me an update on his trip there the week prior. He did well, but his boat partner crushed it. I can't remember the exact details. I think his partner landed seven or eight fish. I can't remember how many were over twenty pounds, but I think it was most of them. I believe two or three were over thirty pounds. There are two details I distinctly remember. First, his partner's largest salmon topped the forty pound mark. Also, the Governor was the killer arrow in this angler's quiver. 

     Created by Motel Restigouche proprietor Peter Dubé, the Governor is a primarily Matapedia/Restigouche fly. I have not yet fished either of those rivers and had not been exposed to the pattern prior to my friend asking me to tie him a half dozen for next season. Being a "book guy,"  I tend to research the old fashioned way before I do a Google search. 

Marriner's book is on my "must have" list.

     When I need to find the recipe for a Miramichi fly, I have several places to look. I like Stewart & Allen's book, Flies for Atlantic Salmon, Fulsher and Krom's book, Hair-Wing Atlantic Salmon Flies, and Col. Joseph Bates' book, Atlantic Salmon Flies & Fishing. When I need the dressing for a more recent Miramichi tie, I consult the Dieppe Fly Tying Club's book, Atlantic Salmon Flies. In my opinion, there are no shortage of resources for Miramichi/New Brunswick salmon fly patterns. 

     Fly recipes for the other provinces are not as well documented. The other provinces are represented in the first three books mentioned above but, since these books are old, the patterns are fairly old. Of course, new flies are being created all the time and it is impossible to keep up with all of them. For the most diverse selection of contemporary Canadian salmon flies, my go-to book is Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies by Paul C. Marriner.  

     When I needed the recipe for the Governor, Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies is where I found it. Marriner's book is the best source for many of the patterns used in Canadian rivers right now. Each fly has some biographical information and some tips on when and where it works best. Best of all, many of the flies pictured were tied by their creators, so we can see the flies' exact dressings and proportions. When the fly wasn't tied by its originator, it was tied by an expert known for tying that particular type of fly.  Modern Atlantic Salmon Flies is the only book I know of in which the reader can see a Jones Special tied by Marc LeBlanc, a Carter Bug tied by Bill Carter, or a Ghost Stonefly tied by Todd Cochrane. 

     Unfortunately, the second edition of Marriner's book is out-of-print. There are probably a few copies out there for sale somewhere. The good news is that a new digital edition is now available. I highly recommend this book. As many times as I've read it, I realize that there are some patterns I've glossed over which inevitably surface in the future (i.e. the Governor). Actually, it's probably time I look the book over again, so I am going to put it on my bedside table as soon as I'm done here. 

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Governor on a size 2 Sprite double

Anyhow, back to the Governor. Here is Dubé's dressing from Marriner's book (with my substitutions in parentheses):

Governor

Hook: Partridge CS10/1, sizes 3/0 - 8 (Alec Jackson Steelhead Iron, sizes 3/0-7)

Thread: Black 6/0 Uni-Thread

Tag: Gold oval tinsel and rust floss

Tail: Rust floss

Butt: Black ostrich herl

Rib: Gold oval tinsel

Body: Gold embossed tinsel (gold flat diamond braid)

Throat: Mixed bucktail (arctic fox), half orange, half chartreuse 

Wing: Mixed, three-quarters black bucktail (arctic fox), one-quarter gold Krystal Flash 

Cheek: Jungle cock

The only thing left to do is to find a fresh forty-pounder! 

Some Recent Ties

Blue Picasse (sz. 7) and Tiger Ghost var. (sz. 3)

     Here are some recent ties. I finished tying wet flies for summer fishing. I still have to tie a few tube flies and a some dry flies. I'm glad I started early and worked fairly quickly. There is no historic information or stories in this post, just pictures.

     Dressings for any of the flies pictured here are available upon requests. I will probably take a little break from my usual weekly blog posts. Once the spring runs of fish start up, I will (hopefully) post some reports. As always, if you any questions, don't hesitate to contact me or leave a comment. Thanks for reading!

Green Spey (sz. 1.5)

John Olin Longwing (sz. 12)

Black and Red Frances (sz. 10)

Silver Rat (sz. 2)

Rusty Rat (sz. 1)

Green Butt Blue Charm (sz. 4)

Ghost Stonefly (sz. 2)

Green Butt (sz. 4)

Summer 2016 fly box (singles)

Summer 2016 fly box (doubles)

Small doubles

Bugs & Butterflies (and Mesmerizers)

Same Thing Murray: Video Step-By-Step

This is my first attempt at an instructional fly tying video, so please forgive any sloppiness in the video quality, editing and tying! I will post more videos in the future, ironing out some of the kinks in the process. Any advice on shooting fly tying video is greatly appreciated!

Almost

The "Pert'near," as it's known in some circles

Usually, I like to provide a little bit of history when I post fly patterns. I have nothing to say in the history department this time. I can't find any information about the origins online. The name of the fly is so generic, Google isn't even helpful. It's not in any salmon fly tying books I own. The only time I've seen it published was in an old W.W. Doak catalog. Maybe the Doaks still sell the Almost in their shop, but it's not listed in their online catalog. I have seen them for sale at Curtis Miramichi Outfitters and I'm fairly certain the fly has Miramichi roots. 

So why the name "Almost?" Is it because there's almost nothing to it? Is it because it's almost all black? Perhaps the name refers to the fact that it takes almost no time to tie? I could probably come up with plenty of guesses if none of those are correct.

In preparation for the upcoming Connecticut broodstock salmon season, I tied a few this afternoon. I have never tried fishing this fly any larger than a size 8. I carry them in sizes 8 to 12, with some tied very small on low water hooks. I've found a size 10 Almost to be the most effective, however. I fish it on a long leader and a light tippet, usually 6lb. test. I use it on both sunny and dark days. It's a very subtle, drab pattern, so it's a good choice when the fish are feeling spooky. 

Give it a shot sometime. It couldn't be much easier to tie. Its simplicity is almost an affront to a culture  accustomed to fishing overindulgent flies for fish who aren't even feeding. Regardless, it works! 

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Almost

Hook: Any (pictured above: Partridge Code M sz. 10)

Tail: Golden pheasant crest

Body: Black wool

Wing: Black bear hair or squirrel tail*

Throat: Black hen 

Head: Black

*I use hair from a black-dyed fox mask for my small flies

The Atlantic Salmon Flies of Dave Goulet

Clockwise from upper left: Catch-A-Me Lodge, Bette Jane,
Chipper Lodge, Cockburn, Golden Girl, Mezmerizer

      If we were to play a word association game with Southern New England fly fishers, what words would the name Dave Goulet conjure up? Most would probably say, “Classic & Custom,” the name of Dave’s fly shop. Others would mention the Farmington River. After moving Classic & Custom from Holyoke, Massachusetts to New Hartford, Connecticut, the shop sat near the banks of the Farmington until Dave’s retirement in 2009. Some might mention the wary Farmington brown trout, on which Dave was an expert. And you might hear mention of some of Dave’s most well known trout flies, such as Moby Dick, Unicorn, Dirt Diver, or a host of others. Regardless of the words associated with Dave’s name, most would agree that Dave left an inedible mark the local trout fishing community. 

A much smaller percentage of us tapped into Dave’s other area of expertise. Dave is a hardcore atlantic salmon fisherman. Though he has fished all over maritime Canada, Dave knows the Miramichi River inside and out. In terms of atlantic salmon fishermen, Dave Goulet is my favorite kind. He has never been afraid of public water. In a world seemingly full of pricey lodges, pristine Bogdan reels and an overt sense of exclusivity, Dave is the real deal…a salmon fisherman’s fisherman. 

Though Dave is mostly known as an innovative trout fly tyer, he has created some fine atlantic salmon flies. I am aware of six original patterns. Four of which can be found in Flies for Atlantic Salmon (Stewart & Allen; 2001) and The Complete Directory of Salmon & Steelhead Flies (Mann; 2008), among other publications. As far as I know, the two remaining flies have never been published.

      Below are the dressings for all six of Dave’s original patterns. I didn’t try to copy Dave’s tying style, but I did try to respect his choice of materials whenever possible. There are a few unavoidable material substitutions, however. For a more personal account of my experiences with Dave, please see my piece in the Spring 2014 issue of the Atlantic Salmon Journal (Fit To Be Tied, p. 62). 

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The Atlantic Salmon Flies of Dave Goulet

(tied and photographed by Ben Bilello)

Bette Jane

Bette Jane

Tag: Oval gold tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent green wool

Tail: Red hackle barbs

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Rear half: medium green floss; Front half: peacock herl

Throat: Yellow hackle over light green hackle

Wing: Badger hair

Head: Black

Catch-A-Me Lodge

Catch-A-Me Lodge

Tag: Oval silver tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent green wool

Rib: Oval silver tinsel

Body: Black seal fur (or substitute)

Hackle: Golden pheasant breast feather dyed black (or other spey-type hackle)

Throat: Speckled guinea fowl

Wing: Two strips of white goose shoulder, tied short and splayed (Dee style)

Cheeks: Jungle cock (optional)

Head: Black

*The original was tied with a black silver pheasant body hackle.

Chipper Lodge

Chipper Lodge

Tag: Flat gold tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent orange floss

Tail: Golden Pheasant tippets, tied in at the second black bar

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Black wool

Throat: Purple hackle

Wing: Woodchuck guard hairs, topped with soft orange hackle fibers 1/3 of wing length

Cheeks: Jungle cock (optional)

Head: Black

Cockburn

Cockburn (unpublished)

Tag: Flat silver tinsel

Tail: Chartreuse bucktail with a few strands of peacock green Krystal Flash

Body: Fluorescent green floss

Underwing: Chartreuse arctic fox or bucktail with black tips

Wing: Chartreuse arctic fox or bucktail with black tips

Hackle: Black-Laced-White hen saddle dyed fluorescent yellow; tied collar style

Head: Black

*The underwing and wing were originally tied with dyed mongoose fur.

Golden Girl

Golden Girl

Tag: Flat gold tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent green floss

Tail: Golden pheasant tippet strands

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Black floss

Throat: Black hackle

Wing: Black squirrel tail

Head: Black

Mezmerizer (top view)

Mezmerizer (side view)

Mezmerizer (unpublished)

Tail: Pearl Krystal Flash (or substitute flash material)

Shellback: Pearl Krystal Flash (or substitute flash material)

Hackle: Black, palmered up length of body

Body: Fluorescent green floss

Wing: Pearl Krystal Flash (or substitute flash material), doubled back and evenly distributed on both sides of the hook shank (same flash as used to make the shellback)

Head: Butt ends of the Krystal Flash wing and black thread

*The original was tied with a generic Krystal Flash substitute with which I am unfamiliar. It is less kinky than the original Krystal Flash. I substituted Crystal Mirror Flash in the fly pictured. 

Red Butt

Simple but effective

The Red Butt...aka Black Bear Red Butt...aka Red Butt Bear...aka Bear Hair Red Butt...whatever the name is, it's as good a fly as any other. Of course, the same can be said for it's more famous sibling, the Black Bear Green Butt, but I prefer the red butt in the fall. I tie mine in a predominantly North American fashion, but with a little European touch for the tail.

Red Butt

Hook: Any single or double salmon iron
Tip: Oval silver tinsel
Butt: Red floss, yarn or stretch nylon (Gordon Griffiths red floss shown above)
Tail: Red Fluoro Fiber
Rib: Oval Silver tinsel
Body: Black floss, yarn or stretch nylon (black Uni-Yarn shown above)
Throat Hackle: Black hen
Wing: Black bear
Head: Black

M1 Killer

M1 Killer - tied by Dave Goulet

My first trip to the Miramichi River was during an autumn plagued by low water. I was fortunate enough to hook a dark, multi sea winter salmon on my first evening of fishing. Long story short...I blew it and lost the fish. I sweated out the next five days without a pull. Fortunately, hurricane Kyle was just about to blow into town and a good shot of rain got the fish moving. I hooked three grilse (one landed) the next morning, which was a relief, but I was disappointed that my two sea winter salmon had escaped.

In terms of weather, the next year was even worse. It was a very dry summer. I remember it was an easy summer for mowing the lawn. I barely had to do it past June. My friend and salmon fishing and fly tying mentor Dave Goulet, former owner of New Hartford, Connecticut's Classic and Custom Fly Shop, saw the writing on the wall and warned me that we both would be facing difficult conditions that fall (he arrived at his camp near the end of my week). Earlier that year, Dave gave me a list of eight fly patterns he recommended for autumn fishing on the Main Southwest Miramichi. Around the beginning of September, he amended the list with three additional flies, all specifically for challenging low water conditions.

The one he had the most faith in was a fly known as the M1 Killer. According to Dave, the M1 was created in the early 1990s by his friend Steve Messier. It was loosely based on the Supervisor, a classic Maine streamer pattern. Originally, the M1 Killer had a green throat, but they ultimately found a light blue throat to be more successful.

Dave instructed me to tie some M1s on size 8 and 10 double hooks. I did as I was told and had a couple of each in my fly box when I arrived at camp. The water was much lower than the previous year and we were not optimistic. I remember asking our guide if he knew of any golf course ponds we might be able to fish instead.

On the second day of the trip, just before it was time to come in for lunch, I decided to give the M1 its first swim on the end of my line. I was fishing a gravel bar on the near side of the river under a bright midday sun. I reached the end of the run and said to myself, "Ah, just one more cast." That was the one! A shadowy fish plucked my #10 M1 Killer from just under the surface and we were off to the races. I hollered for our guide to bring the net. The salmon was neither huge nor was it fresh, but I knew it wasn't a grilse and I didn't want to lose him. The Miramichi hookbill was safely landed, photographed and released. I was both excited and relieved.

My first msw Atlantic salmon - M1 Killer #10 double

Little did we know it was the only action anyone in camp would see for the entire seven days. It was a tough week for fishing. Even heavy midweek rain didn't raise the river enough to bring fish in. We really should have found those golf course ponds! It didn't matter to me though. I might have only caught one salmon that week, but I was still sitting pretty, especially given the state of affairs at that time. Since then, I'm never without a few small M1 Killers, just in case.

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M1 Killer (as tied by Dave Goulet)

Hook: Single or double salmon iron
Tip: Oval silver tinsel
Tail: Golden pheasant crest
Rib: Oval silver tinsel
Body: Flat silver tinsel
Throat: Light blue
Underwing: Pearl Krystal Flash
Wing: Black squirrel tail or black bear
Head: Black

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My version of the M1 Killer - Tied on a #10 Partridge Code M

I tie mine a with a couple of material substitutions. The body of mine is flashier, but is offset by having less flash in the wing. To help reinforce the body, I often take more than the traditional five turns of ribbing when tying over tinsel (à la Belarmino Martinez) or braided body materials. I have found the flat braid body to be very durable.

M1 Killer (variation; as tied by me)

Hook: Single, low water or double salmon (typically sizes #8-#12)
Tail: Golden pheasant crest
Rib: Silver wire
Body: Silver Lagartun Mini Flat Braid
Throat: Light Blue
Underwing: Pearl Krystal Flash (midge size); two or three strands
Wing: Fur from a fox mask, dyed black (sub black squirrel tail or stoat tail)
Head: Black

CT Salmon Fishing News - Late November

Yet another victim of the infamous HM Sunray Variant 

Warm, cold, warm, cold...I think we've about seen the last of the warm weather until April or so. Fishing, however, has been red hot. My last day out saw four hooked and all four landed, the smallest being around 7# and the largest a hefty male in the 16-18# class. Three of the fights were nothing to write home about, but the big boy fought well, jumping over 10 times. I saw four other fish hooked that day, three of them landed.

Fly wise, it was a day of stark contrast. My first fish was caught on a small #10 wet fly called the M1 Killer. I was fishing a very shallow riffle, so I decided to go small and subtle. The next three fish came from a deeper run with a much heavier current. The two middle fish (including the big guy) were taken on a Gold Bodied Willy Gunn tied on a brass tube. The total length of the fly was about 3.5"-4". The fourth fish took the orange HM Sunray Variant, a tube pattern which has been one of my top two salmon flies this fall (as well as being one of my top trout flies this past spring).

The other fly which has produced quite well for me is the venerable Ally's Shrimp. Still nothing on the Sugerman Shrimp since Russia, but I haven't been fishing it much this season for some reason. When I've needed a dark fly, I've been fishing the Same Thing Murray. Flies with orange in them have been producing so well, it's hard for me to fish with anything else.

Between playing gigs, teaching and fishing, I've been burning the candle at both ends lately. In between the insanity, I've been busy at the vise, tying flies for custom orders. As it gets colder, the less I fish with conventional flies and the more I fish with various tube flies. As far as single hooks go, I've been really happy with the Owner SSW straight eye hooks and I have been including them on all my tube fly orders lately.

Get out there and make sure you try some orange flies/tubes!

Expanded Naugatuck River Fly Assortment

Same Thing Murray

A great fly, despite the weird name

Historically, there are some salmon flies with some pretty strange names. My favorite has to be "Moonlight on Mrs. Higginbotham" (???). The Same Thing Murray has a pretty weird name, albeit not as weird as Mrs. H's fly. I would venture to guess the Murray has caught a lot more salmon in its relatively short life than the old, obscure Mrs. H fly.

When looking at the stats of this blog, I've noticed the Same Thing Murray is often searched for. I am going to try to keep my eye on the stats and post flies which seem to be frequently "requested." Feel free to make a formal request if there's a fly you'd like to see highlighted. I can't promise anything, but I'll do my best to post it.

This one is a notch or two tougher to tie than a standard hairwing such as a Blue Charm, Cosseboom, etc. Make sure you leave plenty of room for the double head. I leave the butt ends of the moose hair wing long to make a nice platform for the head components to sit on. This can be a bit of a tricky tie at first, but don't get discouraged. It just takes a little practice and some planning to nail this one.

Here's the recipe I use to tie Doug Hasting's "Same Thing Murray," which is slightly different from the original dressing:

Hook: Tiemco TMC 700 or Daiichi 2441
Tip: Oval silver tinsel
Tail: Orange hackle fibers
Body: rear 1/2-fluorescent green Gordon Griffiths floss (or chartreuse Uni Stretch); front 1/2-peacock herl
Underwing: a few strands of lime green or peacock Krystal Flash
Wing: Moose body hair
Collar Hackle: Black hen
Head: Chinese red Uni Stretch, followed by black ostrich herl

Ally's Shrimps

Ally's Shrimps on copper/aluminum tubes and doubles

In my experience, Ally's Shrimp is a great fly early and late in the season. My first salmon of last season was caught on a #1 Ally's Shrimp, tied on a single hook. This is my first attempt at tying it on a tube. I subbed natural Finn Raccoon tail for the normally prescribed grey squirrel tail on the tube versions. I've also had great success swinging this fly for trout all season long, particularly rainbow trout. I tie it on a stonefly hook in sizes #10-#12. 

Ally's Shrimp for trout

More Cascades

A Cascade Parade

This should be enough...on to Snaeldas and Willie Gunns...

Ghost Stone Fly #2 Double

The Ghost Stone Fly...what a weird pattern!

In the world full of oddball patterns that is Atlantic salmon fly tying, this one is in the running for the strangest of all time. It is a variation of Lee Wulff's "Surface Stonefly," which is quite possibly an even stranger pattern. The history of these flies can be found on this great blog post from the FlySpoke Blog (which is one of my favorite blogs). 


This pattern first came to my attention a few years back during a phone call with Bryant Freeman of Eskape Anglers. I was up fishing the Miramichi and he was headed off to fish the Kedgewick. He mentioned that he and his friend had just caught some very large salmon on a variation of the Surface Stonefly and they were headed back for more. Last summer, I noticed my good friend Marc had some Wulff Stonefly variations in his fly box. He let me take one home to copy. Here is the Ghost Stone variation I tied:


Thread: Chartreuse 6/0
Hook: Sprite Double Salmon #2
Parachute Post: Straight pin with a clear glass bead
Tip: Oval silver tinsel
Body: Chartreuse Gordon Griffiths floss (coated with super glue for durability)
Wing: Black squirrel tail, under a few strands of holographic Flashabou, under white marabou
Hackle: Grizzly, wound parachute style on the straight pin (under the glass bead)

Top view

The business end