Fly of the Month Bob Ireton brings together his experience in fly fishing, aquatic entomology, and knowledge of fly tying techniques and materials, to design and tie durable and effective flies.

   Volume 6,  Issue 2                                                        February  2005

SKUNK
Fly, Text, and Photography by Bob Ireton

This is a traditional Steelhead pattern from the 1930’s. The exact origins are lost, but it appears that the Skunk originated on the Stillaguamish and/or the Umpqua Rivers in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. A couple good variations are the Red Butt Skunk, and the Green Butt Skunk. This pattern continues to be one of the most popular Steelhead fly patterns in use.

I happened to have a piece of polar bear, and black bear skin in my tying materials stash, so I decided to tie this old pattern using materials that the original tyers would have used. Except for the tinsel, I think I have succeeded. I found the polar bear hair to be difficult to stack, and the bulk leaves the head a bit fuller than I like. Some flies may have been tied using skunk hair, but the name comes from the combination of ‘white over black’, like the markings of the skunk.

MATERIALS

Hook – TMC 7999, Daiichi 2441, Dai-Riki 710, Orvis 1645, Mustad 36890.
Size – 2-8.
Thread – Black UNI 3/0 and 6/0.
Weight - .025 Lead wire.
Tail – Natural red feather fibers from a Golden Pheasant skin.
Rib – Medium Silver Tinsel.
Body – Black wool.
Under wing – Natural Black Bear hair.
Over wing – Natural Polar Bear hair.
Beard – Black hen cape hackle feather fibers.

TYING STEPS -  click on pictures for larger view

1 – Place the hook properly in the vice. Steelhead are large, and strong fish, so use your discretion as to weather or not you mash down the barb. Attach the 3/0 thread behind the eye of the hook. I like to use 3/0 for the base of larger flies because it covers faster. Lay down a good base rearward, stopping above the barb. Add the weighted wire to the center half of the shank. Now form a ramp on both ends of the lead wraps, and cover the lead with the thread. Anywhere on the shank, tie a half hitch, then a whip finish. Snip off the working 3/0 thread, and coat the thread with Dave’s fleximent.
2 – Attach the 6/0 working thread above the hook barb. Now take a bunch of the tailing fibers, even up the tips, and tie them in, making the length of the tail 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the hook shank. Snip off the excess fibers, and tie a half hitch.
3 – Tie in a piece of medium tinsel for the rib. Tie a half hitch.
4 – Above the barb, form a dubbing loop, then bring the working thread forward, and tie a half hitch. Spread some wool evenly in the thread loop. The dubbing will be less likely to snag on the hook if you can rotate the point of the hook somewhat away from you.
5 – Continue to rotate the hook until the point is on the opposite side from you. This will make spinning the loop easier. Now spin the loop containing the wool to form a tight dubbing rope.
6 –Palmer the completed dubbing rope forward, forming a tight body. Stop the space of several hook eyes back, so there will be room for the wing. Secure the dubbing rope with several wraps of the thread, and cut off the excess dubbing rope. Trim off any excess stray fibers on the completed dubbing rope body. Tie a half hitch.
7 – Counter wrap the ribbing so it will not slide between the wraps of the dubbing rope. Secure the rib, and cut off the excess. Tie a half hitch.
8 – Cut a bunch of the black bear hair, and stack it so the tips are even. Tie it in so the length of the under wing is a little longer than the body of the fly. Snip off the excess hair, and secure with several more wraps of thread. Tie a half hitch. n wraps of thread. Tie a half hitch or two.
9 – Now cut a bunch of the polar bear hair. ( If you don’t have polar bear hair, use a substitute, such as buck tail, calf tail, etc.) The polar bear hair is a real ‘bear’ to work with. Comb out the underfur, and even up the tips of the hair the best way you can. I wound up stacking several hairs at a time to get enough. Lay the polar bear hair over the black bear hair, and tie in. This hair is so bulky, you will wind up with a chunky head. Snip off the excess, and cover the butts with eve
10 – Select a bunch of the feather fibers for the beard, and even up the tips. Hold on the underside of the fly, and tie in. Snip off the excess ends. Even out the head, and tie a half hitch. Then tie a whip finish, and snip off the working thread. Coat the head with head cement. To make the head more durable, you could coat the thread with ‘Hard Head

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