For the foam haters, an all-natural salmonfly. Sorta kinda Mike Lawson’s version.
hook - TMC 5263 #4
thread - UTC 140 hot orange
tail - moose body hair
rib - tying thread
body - dubbing rusty orange/brown
hackle - saddle brown
wing - elk hair
head - deer hair dark brown
Part 1
mash down barb and attach thread at head (gap width)
clean, stack and measure (shank length) a healthy clump of deer hair
two soft loops right behind the hook eye; pull firmly and let it spin
trim hair butts and wrap thread to point above barb
clean, stack and measure (gap length) a clump of moose body hair
tie in, leave the butts long and wrap forward to head, forming underbody; trim butts
Always a sucker for legs; optional equipment, but they do add something.
Foam body’s another option and adds more floatability
everything’s the same from here on out
For those folks hesitant to tie bullets head-first, give it a try; it sets the rest of the body up for easy tying and doesn’t get in the way (really). I hated my head-last attempts because invariably, I wouldn’t leave enough room at the front - partly because of poor proportions but also because the wings always slid forward,no matter how hard I’d lean on the thread to keep them in position. With the head hair spun first, the butts support the body/wing and keep it in place
The smaller head more closely imitates the real thing (at the cost of some floatation), although after a couple fish, the shredded heads on this and the HF Salmonfly both look like cast members of Scanners. Very similar to Lawson’s - only about 30 miles from Last Chance to West Yellowstone; lots of good ideas migrate back and forth across Targhee Pass.