Fly Of The Week
Vince Marinaro Jassid
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Jassid
Compiled by Deanna Birkholm

Vince Marinaro Publisher's Note:
The Jassid is an a 'historical' fly, one seldom seen in today's liturature. Vince Marinaro wrote about it in his A Modern Dry Fly Code and it is his instruction and drawings shown here. Quoting Dick Surrette as to the importance of this fly, "Tied to copy small forms of food just under the surface film, as fish will rise and take this form of food awash, and not on the surface as suspected. A very good fly for late season angling when the trout are selective." Vince would disagree about 'under the surface film'. Whether you think it rides in/on the surface film or just under it, we hope you will tye it and give it a try on your pickest trout. Shown below is Dick Surrette's tie for the Jassid.

Surrett Jassid

Materials: Jassid

  • Hook:  20 short or 22 regular, Model Perfect.

  • Body:  Tying silk, any color.

  • Wings:  One medium to small jungle cock nail, any color.

  • Hackle:  2 or 3 very small ones turned as for a ribbing hackle, any color and as short-fibred as possible.

Tying Steps:

1. Dress the hook. Tie in hackle and the bend of the hook and wind front.

2. Spiral the hackle to the front.

3. Clip the hackle flat top and buttom.

4. Tie in jungle cock nail flat on top, form very small head and tie off.
"One of the more troublesome problems connected with the smallest of imitations, particularly this one, is the matter of eliminating the light pattern, something which is incompatible with the appearance of these tiny creatures on the surface film. Hooks of the finest wire and good temper are an invaluable aid, thinly built bodies are another, and wings tied flat over the thin bodies supply the requisite impression of bulk since trout cannot see things in three-dimensional terms anyway unless they are gifted with the power of imagination. In addition to these aids, I have suggested the use of hackle to obtain the maximum support with the fewest of fibres, accomplished by tying in at the bend of the hook and turning in the manner of ribbing hackle, making one complete turn at the bend, a half turn at the middle of the body, and one complete turn of the head, or 2 1/2 turns in all. It is an effective method and helps to make them ride very lightly with a minimum of disturbance to the surface film." ~ Vince Marinaro

Credits: Excerpt from A Modern Dry-Fly Code by Vincent C. Marinaro, republished by Lyons Press.
For more great flies, check out: Beginning Fly Tying, Intermediate Fly Tying and Advanced Fly Tying.