Kasilof Winter Killer By Donald Tirrell
Hook: Blue Carlisle # 14646 Size 2/0.
Thread Main body and head Uni-Thread 6/0
Dark Brown, Red Center Band, Danville’s 6/0 Red.Tag/Tip: Flat Gold Tinsel, Golden Yellow
Danville’s Heavy Flat Floss 4 Strand Rayon; (only one
strand used).Tail: Eight Peacock Sword Feather Herl
Strands or Barbs, Golden Pheasant Crest Feather.Body: 1. four metallic green beads size
6/0, two aft and two forward. 2. Dark Brown Danville’s
Heavy Flat Floss 4 Strand Rayon; (only two strands used).Ribbing 1. Danville’s Heavy Flat Floss
Golden Yellow 2. Fine Gold Oval Tinsel (two used in
criss cross).Gills: Grizzly Saddle Hackle Dyed Red.
Throat: Six Peacock Sword Feather Herl
Strands or Barbs.Wing: Rooster Ring Neck Pheasant (RRNP)
wing covert feather dyed Golden Yellow. (The whole
skin dyed Golden Yellow by White River Fly Shop,
purchased at Bass Pro Store in Orlando Florida.)Cheeks: Ringneck Pheasant Natural Back Feather.
Topping: Golden Pheasant Crest Feather
over wing.Horns: Jungle Cock.
Head: Brown Thread with Red Thread
Center Band.
Why the Red thread band? According to Dick Surette’s
Book Trout and Salmon Fly Index Copyright
1978; Publisher Stackpole Books, the Red Band in the
middle of the head, was the trade mark of Mrs. Carrie
Stevens from Upper Dam Maine. I do not know if it
aids in the catching of fish or the fisher-person,
but it caught me, and that’s the story on that.Donald Tirrell
Kasilof AK
Resident of Kasilof, Alaska for thirty two years:
53 years young or old depending upon the day.
I first started tying at age fourteen after my
great uncle tied up some Woolly Worms and we then
went into Yellowstone Park, hiked into Pelican Creek
and caught some dandy Cutthroat Trout on those flies
he tied. They not only hooked the fish but myself
too. Before I moved up to Alaska in 1972, all of
my flies were for trout fishing in the Rocky Mountains
from Colorado to Montana. This all changed when I
reached the far north and five species’ of Pacific
Salmon (Chinook, Coho, Chum, Sockeye, Humpies, and
Steelhead) to fish for, along with Arctic Grayling,
Arctic Char, and Dolly Varden Char; both fresh water
and also in the salt water as well. I have developed
my own style of tube flies for catching Chinook Salmon
in the salt waters of Cook Inlet that imitate bait
fishes I think or maybe it just tics them off, causing
the strike and are caught. Whatever the case maybe it
is a hoot to catch a chrome bright fresh 65# Chinook
in the salt water.
Originally published May 1, 2004 on Fly Anglers Online by Donald Tirrell.