Thunderhead SBS

All about flies Fly Tying
1

Fontinalis mentioned this fly earlier, so I thought I’d check it out. Another Smoky Mountain pattern, developed by Fred Hall in NC in the 50’s. Bears a striking resemblance to a Wulff, the main difference being the hackle fiber tail which is some times replaced with moose body, at which point it pretty much is a Wulff (or a hairwing Adams); whatever.

hook - Dai Riki 320 #12
thread - MFC 8/0 brown
tail - hackle fibers grizzly/brown
abdomen - muskrat
wing - Calf tail
hackle - grizzly/brown

Part 1

Mash down barb, start thread at 75% mark

clean, stack, measure (shank) a clump of calftail

tie in, trim butts at an angle, cover with thread wraps; continue thread back to point above barb and make a small bump

mix/stack, measure (shank) some hackle fibers; tie in, trim butts at junction with wing and smooth

dub thread, dub body up to 60% mark

2

Part 2

move thread in front of wing, crease calftail with thumbnail and set angle with thread dam

divide, post, lock, repeat

brush a little Sally at the base

3

Part 3

tie in hackle in front of wings

make it bushy (this is a roughwater fly); tie off, trim, half hitch x 2, SHHAN

Regards,
Scott

4

I like it thanks

5

A very nice tie. It certainly will be a good floater. Thanks.

6

Thanks a lot, now I have to back and fish in the Smoky’s again in 2015. By the way, nice tye and the fly does take a lot of trout in the smoky Mountains from Gatlinburg to Townsend. I learned of this Pattern in 2013 when I was tying at Trout Fest in Townsend. The guys told me that is the local pattern that takes numerous Trout. Boy were they right. Thanks for tying this pattern for the board Scott. Have you ever fished the Smokey’s Scott. If you have not, you do not know what you are missing.

7

Sadly, so far, I do. My daughter lives in Asheville and although we’ve been to visit her a few times, fishing hasn’t really been an option; yet.

Regards,
Scott