Holsinger's Steelhead Candy

[AllenOK]

Finally got around to tying up some of these. Need get some of the teal tinsel in Medium size; all I have is Small.

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[hap]

Finally got around to tying up some of these. Need get some of the teal tinsel in Medium size; all I have is Small.


Attachment 14932

I have used that pattern for a while and really like it... as a tip... Sulky Metalic thread makes a great substitute for tinsel and is easier and quicker to work with.

https://www.sulky.com/catalog/sub/th...ic/holoshimme/

A spool will last for a huge lot of flies... and it is great to make flashabou out of for smaller flies.

A piece of it furled makes a very good looking segmented body, also. I buy it at JoAnns fabrics here and have almost all of the colors on hand. The copper is special in a bunch of the patterns I fish a lot.

[AllenOK]

Hap, I was at my local Jo-Anns last week, and looked at the Sulky. Ended up passing on it, but might go back.

[hap]

It is good stuff! It is much narrower than Flashabou (looks to be exactly the same material) which means if it is cut down in length for smaller flies it does a great job... it also shines when building smooth, tapered bodies.

Where it is potentially troublesome... it is a thin flat ribbon and twists when wound manually. I tie almost exclusively on Nor-Vises and in full rortary mode... twist is an absolute non-issue.

It is obvious Great Lakes Rainheads and steelbows love a little extra flash and you tie lots of tiny patterns... this stuff is made for you!!!

I have interest or holdings of any kind in any business relating to Sulky!
art

[hap]

Thinking about it, another place it sucks is using it as thread... it is too slippery and the knots will NOT hold...

[whatfly]

What a peculiar pattern. I can understand why Hap would use it because of some of the regulations against using beads alone in AK on some streams, but would seem much more sensible to just peg the bead and tie a nymph instead of a just a hook below the bead. This would allow you to change colors and size of the egg rather than having to tie a fly for each possible permutation.

Nice tie, regardless.

[AllenOK]

Whatfly, you have a point. If you watch his video on Youtube, he even mentions that he doubts it's the fly that the Salmon/Steelhead/Trout are after, but the bead representing the egg. He also does one or two other variations of the basic concept. One of those is a "Hare and Egg", with a large a Hare's Ear nymph for the fly, with the egg, and another one called a "Steak and Egg" that I haven't seen yet.

[hap]

What a peculiar pattern. I can understand why Hap would use it because of some of the regulations against using beads alone in AK on some streams, but would seem much more sensible to just peg the bead and tie a nymph instead of a just a hook below the bead. This would allow you to change colors and size of the egg rather than having to tie a fly for each possible permutation.

Nice tie, regardless.

Excellent point about the legality of beads in patterns in AK... but someone on the Board of Fish woke up one morning and smelled coffee for the first time ever. They brought some to the rest of the Board and big changes were made in "fly-fishing only" waters rules. Used to be a bead had to be ON the shank. No beads on articulation wire and such. Now they basically say anything goes. Beads in front of flies are just attractors... hang the beads on there any way you like...