Fly Of The Week

Previous Flies
Fly Tying Terms

Olive PSS (Pine Squirrel Streamer)
By Steve Crosby

This fly has proven effective for several warm-water species as well as for trout. I tie them in sizes ranging from #12 to #8 in olive and brown.

Materials, Olive PSS
(Pine Squirrel Streamer):

    Hook: 3XL-4XL streamer hook.

    Thread: Olive or brown.

    Bead: Gold bead sized to hook (brass or tungsten).

    Body: Gold tinsel.

    Wing: Pine-squirrel strip, dyed olive.

    Rib: Medium gold wire.

    Hackle: Hen hackle.

Step 1

    1. Crimp barb, slide bead on hook and clamp the hook in the vise.

    Step 2

    2. Strip the fluff from the base of the hackle and tie in behind the bead..

    Step 3

    3. Tie in gold wire, wrap back to rear of hook, and tie in gold tinsel.

    Step 4

    4. Wrap thread back to front of hook, wrap tinsel in slightly overlapping turns to the front of hook and tie off, cutting excess tinsel.

    Step 5

    5. Strip the fur from the front 1/8th inch of a pine-squirrel zonker strip and tie in behind bead.

    Step 6

    6. Bind the zonker strip to the hook with the gold wire, Matuka style.

    Step 7

    7. Tie off the wire rib, clip excess and wrap hackle.

    Step 8

    Finished fly. ~ Steve

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