Carmichael's Indispensable SBS

All about flies Fly Tying
1

Pulled this one out of Jack Dennis’ Western Trout Fly Tying Manual (back cover of my copy has a pic of Curt Gowdy sitting on a log interviewing him; cool, even though Curt’s wearing a Red Sox hat- ugh). Bob Carmichael came up with this pattern, a takeoff on the Adams, a while back for fishing around Jackson Hole/Yellowstone; a simpler time.

hook - Mustad 94840 #12
thread - Danville 6/0 black
tail - moose body
abdomen - Uni-Stretch yellow
collar - dubbing pink
wing - hen hackle tips grizzly
hackle - brown/grizzly

Mash down barb, attach thread at 60% mark and wrap back to point above barb

clean, stack, measure (shank length) some moose body fibers; tie in, trim butts

take a pair of hen hackle tips (= to gap width), put them together with the tips curving away from each other, measure for length (entire hook); tie in at 70% mark

trim butts, smooth with thread; pull wings up/back and wrap in front to set the proper angle (a little Sally at the base helps)

2

Part 2

tie in Uni-Stretch (leave tag end long), fold and wrap back to tail; return thread to tie-in

wrap Uni-Stretch forward and tie off; pull tag over the back and tie down (locks the Uni and keeps it from creeping backwards)

dub collar

tie in hackles

wrap hackles, tie off/trim tips, half hitch x 2, SHHAN; this one’s for the Cowboy

Regards,
Scott

edit - forgot to mention I was fresh out of pink dubbing, so I took a virtual page out of Doug Korn’s blog http://55onthefly.blogspot.com/2013/11/making-dubbing-101-step-by-step-by-doug.html

cut up some egg yarn and ran it through the coffee grinder; worked fine

3

Swap out the components but retain the same sequence and you have a Spruce Dry.

Regards,
Scott

4

Excellent as usual Scott,

I suspect you have changed the body from floss to Uni Stretch. I don’t think Uni Stretch was around in 1974. What difference does this make? I suspect Uni Stretch doesn’t become translucent when wet. A yellow floss body over black thread will show olive when wet. I know colour is only of lesser significance in dry flies, but brightening a colour may have quite an effect.

Recently I tried an experiment with the Double Badger variation I tie for a shop. Usually tied with black thread, I tried tying it with Fl Fire Orange to see if it became more attractive to grayling (Many grayling flies have a bright tail). It does seem to be working so far, though we are still in the testing stage.

Petes Flees_0008-1.jpg
Petes Flees_0008-1.jpg944×764 42.8 KB

Cheers,
A.

5

Alan,

Thanks. You’re right, the originals were tied with floss abdomens, but I’ve found the Uni-Stretch much easier to work with and, as you said it retains it’s color when wet; being that these are attractors, that’s the effect I’m looking for. I think Dick Talleur was the first tyer I saw use the stuff.
By the way, I really like those Double Badgers; beautiful flies.

Regards,
Scott

6

Thanks Scott. I get the practice tying them every week for the shop. So many the life of a Whitings Badger saddle is measured in months.
Cheers,
A.

7

Very nicely done Scott.

8

Great looking fly and a fine tutorial.

9

It was also a “takeoff” of the he old school Tup’s Indispensable. I personally love where the pink “dubbing” comes from for this fly.

http://flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part244.php

10

Maodiver, when you go to collect it cut or shave it, don’t pluck! An enraged tup can be quite a handful.
Cheers,
C.

11

Scott,
“even though Curt’s wearing a Red Sox hat- ugh).” AHHHHHH! I may need to view your awesome SBS’s in a different light!!!:wink:
Well, I can overlook them in view of the SBS’s that I have learned soooo much from - really!
Mike

12

Mike,

Born in Baltimore; life-long O’s fan. Sawks fans deserved 2004; 2007 & 2013 - not so much :wink:

Regards,
Scott