To properly learn the techniques and flies presented in this website, work your way through the Basic Skills sections and then do the listed flies in the recommended order. Each fly builds on previously learned skills. Once you have done this, the flies listed for river use (Stonefly, Cranefly, Egg Pattern, and Baitfish) should be easily mastered.

Importance to Fly Fishing

Most attention in flyfishing is paid to observing and creating imitations of insects. However in many lakes and rivers, small fish are an extremely important food source. There are two factors to think about. Firstly, some lakes and rivers do not have a rich insect population. Fish then depend more on smaller fish as food. Secondly, in creeks, streams, and rivers where salmon spawn, larger fish actively seek out the salmon fry. Sockeye fry, for example will spend up to two years in the rivers and streams near where they hatched (and in nearby lakes as well). In these areas there are many huge trout that have reached their size mainly on a diet of other fish!

The flies shown here are easy to tie compared to many baitfish imitations. These flies imitate smaller fry in the Spring time. The top fly has a large orange “bulge’ at the front. This imitates the egg sack that salmon fry have when they first emerge from the gravel. The lower fly has a small amount of orange material at the front. This represents the gills of a small fry. The alevan is fished in early Spring. The fry is fished later in the Spring.

Materials needed for this river fly.

For the lake flies previously described there was a set of materials that applied to all of them. The river flies will require a different list of materials that you will need to shop for. For this Baitfish pattern you will need to add:

• Mallard flank feathers
• Silver diamond braid
• Orange chenille (a piece of orange yarn will be fine)

A Mallard is a type of duck. Mallard flank feathers are taken from this duck’s side

Silver diamond braid is braided silver mylar. It is easy to control and wraps nicely. It also comes in a gold colour.

This demonstration does not include adding lead to the hook. This fly has a different sequence and way of handling materials than usual. To add weight to the first fly you tie may make it too complicated. After mastering this pattern, try weighting it.

In the Basic Skills sections you learned how to

• Smash down the barb
• Put the hook in the vice
• Start the thread

Do the above. Make sure the thread is about 3-4 mm from the bend of the hook as shown in the picture.

Cut an 8 cm length of silver braid. Position it over the hook as shown.

Tie in the silver braid. Wrap thread over the silver braid that is positioned over the shank

Move the thread back to the bend of the hook. Note how the thread is positioned to the left of where the braid was initially tied in.

Prepare a mallard flank feather by peeling away fibers from each side so the feather looks like the one on the right.

Position the feather over the hook as shown. The part where the fibers start should be projecting a bit over the eye of the hook.

Push the diamond braid forward. Then tie on the feather with several wraps of thread. Make sure the feather remains on top of the hook.

Carefully, while holding the feather and silver braid back, advance the thread to the eye of the hook.

Wrap the silver braid to just behind the eye of the hook. Secure the material with several thread wraps. Cut off the excess.

Tie in a short piece of orange chenille or yarn. Use fine chenille or yarn if you want the fry “look”. Tie in thicker chenille or yarn if you want the alevan “look”. For this demonstration, the fry “look” will be chosen.

Make one wrap of the red material and secure with several wraps of thread. Cut off the excess.

Pull the mallard flank feather over the front of the hook. Make several wraps of thread to secure the material. Be careful not to crowd the eye of the hook.

Snip off the excess. Build a thread head, secure with 5 half hitch knots, snip the thread, and add head cement.

Here is the same fly but with more orange material at the front to create the alevan “look”.

Where to find fish in a river.

How to fish this fly in a river.