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Santa's Slay Ride
Fly and Photos by Rodney Barilleaux (smokeater734), New Mexico

This fly was created for a "fly swap" with folks from "The Virtual Flybox" for what was called the "Christmas Swap," (Christmas 2004), and must have contained Christmas colors. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted when I started, and I didn't want to copy someone else's creation, (and I truly hope that I haven't), so I more or less let my imagination run wild. Once I had what I wanted, I didn't know what to call it. I asked a friend of mine, Jimi Genzling, for some ideas and the name sprung from a combination of ideas contributed by his wife, Theresa, and daughter Amanda. Being from the Pacific Northwest and now living in New Mexico, we don't have the kind of Salmon and Steelhead fishing they have up there, so this fly really hasn't been tested. (Although I really would love to try it sometime on my favorite Steelhead river, the Lower Skykomish, between Sultan and Monroe Washington.) Following is the recipe and tying instructions. Again, I truly hope I haven't copied someone else's creation. If I have, please let me know as soon as possible, and I will credit it appropriately.

Materials Santa's Slay Ride

    Hook: Tiemco 7999 #6.

    Thread: Red Uni-Thread 6/0.

    Tag: Flat silver tinsel.

    Butt: Peacock herl.

    Body: Hareline, STS Trilobal, Red.

    Ribbing: Green, UTC Utra Wire, size: medium.

    Underwing: Florescent white Calf tail with strands of multicolor holographic flashabou.

    Overwing: Red marabou barbs, topped with green marabou barbs.

    Cheeks: Jungle Cock.

    Throat: Peacock herl.

    Head: Red Uni-Thread 6/0, topped with Loon's UV Knot Sense.

Tying Instructions: Santa's Slay Ride

    1. Place hook in vise and tie in thread approximately ¼ inch behind the eye. Wrap the thread back to the hook bend, just above the barb of the hook.

    2. Tie in a single strand of flat silver tinsel, and then wrap the thread forward in tight touching wraps, approximately ¼ inch or so. Wrap the tinsel forward about a ¼ to a ½ inch. Tie it off and clip excess.

    3. Tie in one strand of Peacock herl and make about 3 to 4 wraps forward. Tie it off and clip excess.

    4. Wrap thread forward to your "thread tie-in point". Tie on a piece of medium sized green wire for the ribbing, then attach the wire to the underside of the hook by wrapping the thread back to the peacock herl butt.

    5. Spin the dubbing onto the thread and create the body up to the "thread tie-in point". Then rib the body in wide, even symmetrical wraps with the wire. Tie off the wire with 3 or 4 tight wraps of thread and clip excess.

    6. Tie in the "underwing" of florescent calf tail hairs, trying to make it as uniform as possible, and not too bulky, on the top half of the hook, with the hairs extending to just barely beyond the bend of the hook.

    7. Once the calf hair is tied down and secured, clip excess and attach about 6 - 8 strands of holographic flashabou, dispersed evenly over the hair with about 3 to 4 tight wraps of thread. At this point, I place a small drop of head cement over the tie-in point of the hair and flashabou to keep it from twisting around the hook.

    8. When the head cement is semi-dry, attach 8 - 10 long red marabou barbs, dispersed evenly over the calf hair and top half of the hook, extending just past the tips of the hair. Clip excess.

    9. Once you have the red marabou tied in, and in place where you want it, tie in the green marabou barbs over the red. Try to disperse it evenly but be very sparing with it because the green will most definitely overpower everything. Secure them with tight even wraps of thread and clip excess.

    10. Pick out two symmetrical Jungle Cock feathers and trim off the fuzz with your scissors. This leaves some short barbs on the stem, which helps hold the feathers in place when you tie them in.

    11. Tie in the Jungle Cock feathers on each side of the fly, trying to keep them as symmetrical as possible and with the tips even with the ends of the calf hair. Secure them down with several tight wraps of thread and clip excess. At this point, I again place a drop of head cement over the tie-in point to keep everything from twisting around the hook.

    12. Attach a strand of Peacock herl to create the neck and make about 4 to 5 wraps forward to the eye of the hook. Leave enough room to the eye of the hook so you can create the head. Tie off and clip excess.

    13. Spin your thread clockwise to create a rope with the thread, and make multiple wraps back and forth from the eye to the Peacock herl neck to create a nice tapered head of the fly. Whip finish and clip thread. At this point I use "Loon's UV Knot Sense" to make a nice glossy head, but if you'd prefer to use Epoxy, that's entirely up to your preference.

I've been flyfishing for quite a few years, but have only been tying flies for a little over a year. I have never taken any "formal" tying classes and I attribute my skills to the tying instructions of Al Campbell at FAOL. I followed his easy to understand, precise step-by-step instructions from "Beginning Tying" to "Advanced Tying" and because of him I've been asked to be a guest tier at the upcoming "Sowbug Roundup," which will be held in Mtn. Home, Arkansas, on March 17th, 18th, & 19th, 2005. ~ Rodney Barilleaux barilleauxrodney@qwest.net (smokeater734)


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


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