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Spectra Streamer
Copy and photos by Barry Ord Clarke

This is a quick, easy and realistic method for tying patterns to represent any bait fish with a slim streamlined body, such as stickle backs and sand eels. I suggest that if buying the material Ghost fibre you only require white, as this can be coloured with waterproof felt pens to any colour that you may require. In the pattern illustrated I have used a Partridge Sebastien Rat carp hook. The short curved shank, wide gape and in-turned point balance the pattern well and creates a fine bait fish movement when fished. All this said, any other salt water streamer hook can also be used.

The softex head coating that I have also used in this pattern is an excellent material as it still remains soft to the touch after drying, but this can also be replaced by clear Silicone, melt glue and epoxy. This pattern and material is well worth experimenting with, if you vary the colour combination and size, you can cover just about any pattern for imitating bait fish.

Materials List:

    Hook:   Sebastien Rat Carp Z2005SR #6.

    Thread:   Clear mono.

    Body:   Roman Moser Ghost Fibre (White) silver mobile (or substitute).

    Gill Covers:   Orange floss.

    Eyes:   Prisma tape eyes.

    Head:   Softex coating.

    Colour:   Waterproof felt markers.

Instructions - Spectra Streamer:

    1. Attach the clear mono tying thread to the hook and run along the shank until the mono hangs plum with the hook point.

    2. Tie in a bunch of white ghost fibre about half way down the straight part of the hook shank. When you remove a bunch of ghost fibre from it's hank, you separate the amount and length that you require. Now holding the hank in one hand, take hold of the bunch you have selected with the finger and thumb of your other hand and PULL. The fibres will pull away from each other into a fine tapered tail. If you find this difficult you can also use dubbing brush to achieve the same effect.

    3. Top the white ghost fibre under body with a few strands of mobile or crystal hair. This will add a little sparkle to the pattern.

    4. Pull another bunch of ghost fibre (about 1/3rd the amount used for the under body) and colour it blue with a waterproof felt marker. The best way to colour ghost fibre with felt markers is: Place a sheet of paper on the table and lie the ghost fibre on it with the tapered end pointing away from you. Hold the ghost fibre in place by placing your thumb on the end to be tied in, now with your marker make single stokes beginning at your thumb and moving away from you. Once you have done one side turn over the fibre and repeat on the other side. Tie this in on top of the mobile, about 5 mm longer than the white fibre.

    5. Take a length of floss 30 cm long and fold it 4 times, cut off the ends and roll in between finger and thumb to mix the fibres. Now you can cut this into two equal lengths and tie in as shown each side of the head to form the gill covers.

    6. Pull yet another bunch of ghost fibre about the same amount as the last one and colour this dark green. Tie in on top of the blue fibre about 2 mm longer that the blue.

    7. Finish off with a good tight half hitch knot so the mono thread doesn't slip, and attach the prisma eyes.

    8. Before you apply the softex or epoxy whichever you use, comb all the fibres in the fly with a dubbing comb. This will blend the three layers and colours together creating a more realistic body. Now you can cover the head with your chosen medium.

    9. The finished spectra streamer, a real killer not just for sea trout but all predatory fish. ~ Barry Ord Clarke

    Credits: This fly is from a collection of flies produced for the Partridge of Redditch Limited website. We thank them for use permission.


For more great flies, check out: Beginning Fly Tying, Intermediate Fly Tying and Advanced Fly Tying.


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