FOTW Picket Pin

[Byron haugh]

Terry Helleckson passed away last year, I believe. I believe at his death, he was living in Montana. I think that he also lived in Utah. At any rate, he wrote a wonderful book "Popular Fly Patterns" in 1977. I thought someone might enjoy seeing his description of the Picket Pin from that book:

[Joebe]

I've caught tons of trout in ponds with the Picket Pin, both standard and a black version. The black version I make has black hackle tail, peacock body with blackle hackle palmered, black bear wing, and peacock head. Not sure if it is me but I never stack the hair on the wing, never catch with stacked wings. Sinking line on MA ponds deadly

[lastchance]

Byron, that's really interesting. We sure drifted away from the original.

[Byron haugh]

I'm not sayingg
That was the original, but it was an older book. But the fly is much older than that.

[Daniel J]

118.jpg
I found it in my copy of Hellekson's book under wet flies. Got as close as I could. I dont' have grey squirrel for some odd reason, but I have lots and lots of badger, so the wing is badger. The oval gold tinsel is the outer braided covering of some stretch cord I bought years ago and never found a use for. I pulled the rubber out of it to use as oval tinsel.

[Byron haugh]

Daniel,
I too used badger. Pretty darn close to gray squirrel. In addition, the badger lays pretty flat... Isn't that a good book? I really like the little stories he tells about some of the patterns. Two of my friends in Utah are mentioned in his book. One was Mims Barker of Ogden. He and his brother ran The fly Line - a shop there. He came up with the "Box Canyon Stone" which we all used back then.

[lastchance]

Here's the photo of my "New Age" or synthetic Picket Pin. It's nothing new. I just thought I'd try a peacock color Ice Dub body. I haven't fished it this year. Sorry it took so long, but I just got back online after a power outage yesterday. I've really enjnoyed reading all of the replies to this FOTW. I've learned a lot.
Bruce

[Byron haugh]

J. Boehme would approve!

[oldfrat]

I came across the Picket Pin pattern several years ago and tied up several of them. I'm sure I still hve them in a box somewhere, but I don't think I have ever fished one. This thread inspires me to give them a shot!

[lastchance]

Attachment 10116
I found it in my copy of Hellekson's book under wet flies. Got as close as I could. I dont' have grey squirrel for some odd reason, but I have lots and lots of badger, so the wing is badger. The oval gold tinsel is the outer braided covering of some stretch cord I bought years ago and never found a use for. I pulled the rubber out of it to use as oval tinsel.

Neat fly, daniel. What is the name of Hellekson's book and do you think it's still in print somewhere?
Bruce