Hi-Viz Butterfly SBS

[ScottP]

Looking for something to toss at shad besides crappie jig/Mr. Twister tails. Notional; change colors/add weight as you see fit.


hook - Dai Riki 899 #8
thread - UTC 140 hot orange/Danville 6/0 black
tail - Krystal Flash UV pearl
butt - mylar ribbon pearl
body - yarn fuchsia
wing - calftail hot orange
hackle - fuchsia

Part 1

mash barb; start thread




clean, stack, stack, stack, measure (shank length) a clump of calftail; tie in at return wire, trim, cover with thread








tie in KF; fold, wrap to bend, trim








tie in ribbon, wrap, tie off/trim

[ScottP]

Part 2

tie in yarn (1 strand of a piece of 4-ply); take thread to base of wing




divide wing






post wing, sweep back, lock in place






and again






wrap yarn forward; take a wrap around/between each wing; tie off/trim, half hitch x 2, trim thread

[ScottP]

Part 3

start black thread, tie in (folded) hackle




wrap hackle, tie off/trim, whip finish, SHHAN










Regards,
Scott

[whatfly]

Really more of a steelhead than a shad pattern, isn't it? Undoubtedly would work but I generally prefer faster sinking flies. Not sure how shad fishing is back east, but out here shad flies have been getting smaller over the years, with #10's on scud hooks often saving the day when the old #6-8's chrome steelhead hooks just won't get a bite. One of the more popular flies in my local waters is the Bloody Maria which works quite well in red and white. Last year (drought), a local guide told me his #1 shad fly that years was a chartreuse Copper John in #14, so I've no idea how comparable our fishing is these days (shad numbers have been nose-diving over the decades).

[ScottP]

John,

The original Butterfly was a salmon fly, not in this color scheme, though; this one is just playing around at the vise. Interesting that west coast shad are going for such small flies; on the Potomac, where I do my shad fishing, most of my flies are #6-8 and the crappie jig/Mr. Twisters (a real joy to cast on a 6wt with a T-250) are about 2" long.
As I noted in the recipe, weight is optional - this one could go as-is or a few turns of non-tox up to a fully wrapped underbody with a conehead.
I like the Bloody Maria; that would get down in a hurry.

Regards,
Scott