Trainer's Coho Wet Fly

 Trainer's Coho Wet Fly was invented by John Trainer of Binghampton, NY for Salmon River Coho Salmon. Coho Salmon (known as Silver Salmon in Alaska) ascend Lake Ontario tributaries in October usually peaking around 1-2 weeks after the Chinooks. Although smaller than their bigger cousins (avg. 8-15 lbs.) Cohos are known as strong fighters. Coho have a preference for hot pink flies (such as the Wogs used in Alaska). This fly is most effective swung.

Hook: Daiichi 2441 or MFC 7099bk size 8
Thread: Black 6/0
Body: Pink Diamond Braid
Wing: Pink Finn-Raccoon
Hackle: Pink Guinea

STEP 1. With your Daiichi 2441 in the vice, attach your black thread and wrap back to the hook point. Tie in a length of pink Diamond Braid and advance your thread to 1/4 th. in. behind the hook eye.

STEP 2. Wrap your pink Diamond Braid up to your thread and tie off. Cut a piece of pink Finn Raccoon hair about the diameter of a pencil. Remove the guard hairs and under fur. Tie in the wing using a pinch-wrap.  The wing should be about the length of 1 1/2 hook shanks.

STEP 3: Tie in a pink guinea fowl feather.

STEP 4: Make 3 wrap of the guinea fowl. Tie off the feather. Whip finish and cut the thread.

A Coho Wet Fly tied on a pink MFC Salmon/Steelhead No. 7099 salmon hook.

A couple of flies for Oak Orchard this fall.

 

Tyler Straight

Custom Tied Steelhead Flies

steelheadflies@me.com

CKOF Website Design

countrykidsonthefly@gmail.com 

White Death

 White Death is one of the most effective patterns created for steelhead fishing.  Jeff Blood created White Death is tied to imitate a dead Emerald Shiner.  White Death differs from a regular zonker minnow because the rabbit strip used is smaller than the standard 1/8^th inch rabbit strip. This better imitates the emerald shiners laterally compressed body. Emerald shiners are often found in large schools and have a high natural death rate. White Death is highly effective for steelhead in the fall and spring when they feed heavily on dead Erie Shiners.  White Death is also one of my favorite flies for trout and warmwater fish. It works for everything from Chautauqua Lake to the West Branch Delaware.

Hook: Daiichi 2220 or MFC 9008 size 8-10
Thread: black and orange 6/0
Body: small silver tubing - 1/8th in. diameter
Wing: white zonker strips - 3/16th in. thick (approx. half the thickness of a regular 1/8th in. strip)

Before you begin tieing white death, you should lay out all the materials you will need.  You should pre-cut all the zonker strips and tubing to tie 2 dozen flies.  You will need to wet your fingers to tie this pattern, it is a good idea to have a wet sponge near you so you don't end up with a mouth full of rabbit hair.

You might have some problem acquiring materials, the special zonker strips and silver tubing aren't commonly available in fly shops. You can find some small zonker strips at Feathercraft (Hareline Micro Rabbit Strips).  The silver tubing you can find at craft stores.  We will also have some of the material available for purchase at our fly tying classes (email me me for more information).

STEP 1: Place a Daiichi 2220 or MFC 9008 size 8-10 in your vise. Attach your orange thread at the tie in point with a jam knot.

STEP 2: Slip one of the pre-cut pieces of tubing onto your hook. (Picture 2A)

Picture 2A

Tie in the tubing with your orange thread. Make 3-4 wraps of thread and let your bobbing hang. (Picture 2B)

Picture 2B

STEP 3: Attach your black 6/0 thread behind the hook eye. Secure the silver tubing and tie it down.  Trim any tag ends that may obstruct the hook eye.

STEP 4: Tie in a pre-cut zonker strip with your black thread.  Tie the zonker strip down, make sure none of the white shows. (Picture 4A)

Picture 4A

Whip finish off your front black thread.  (Picture 4B)

Photo 4B

 STEP 5: Wet your fingers and stroke the fur forward to expose enough skin so you can tie the zonker strip down.  Make several wraps with your orange thread to secure the strip. Whip finish of your orange thread with a long whip finisher.

STEP 6: Put a drop of head cement on both the black head and orange thread.  Your fly is now complete.

Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides)   . Ohio DNR

 Fishing White Death

White Death is best fished dead drifted near the bottom on a indicator rig or sighter leader (for more information about rigging read Rigging for Steelhead). Since you should be snagging occasionally (“if you’re not hanging up, you’re not fishing deep enough”) it is a good idea to carry one to three dozen patterns with you while you’re fishing.

White Death is the #1 fly for Chautauqua Creek.

Even the educated browns of the West Branch Delaware take White Death. 

Jeff Blood ties White Death

If you have any questions or would like to order this pattern, email me at steelheadflies@me.com

Tyler Straight
Custom Tied Steelhead Flies
steelheadheadflies@me.com
CKOF Website Design
countrykidsonthefly@gmail.com

Estaz Grande Egg

 

This is a chinook salmon pattern for Oak Orchard. John Trainer of Binghampton, NY showed it to me. It is a simple egg pattern that excels at catching big salmon. 

The Chartreuse caught TONS of fish on the Oak the weekend of Oct. 6. Click Here to Read More

Hook: Daiichi 1120 or MFC 7045 Size 8
Weight: Gold Beadhead
Thread: 3/0 color to match estaz
Body: Estaz Grande
Colors: Pink, Chartreuse, Red, Orange, Blue

STEP 1: Slip a large gold beadhead onto your hook and wrap as many wraps of leadwire as you can fit onto the shank. Put the hook in the vice.

STEP 2: With your hook in the vice, secure your thread behind the beadhead and wrap back to the hook point. Tie in a strand of Estaz Grande.

STEP 3: Wrap your thread back to the beadhead. Put a drop of superglue on the leadwire. Wrap the estaz grande up to your thread (3-4 wraps) whip finish off.

There you have it, a simple fly for Oak Orchard salmon. Tie it in several colors, sizes, and weights (unweighted, beadhead) Make sure you carry 10 + of each color and weight and have at least a dozen pink and chartreuse. Remember, if the fishing is non stop (fish on every cast) you will lose MANY (20+) flies a day. Consider having a reservoir box in your car that contains extra flies in case you run out.

For those going to Oak Orchard on the 21st I still have salmon fly selection on my website autumnsirenflies.blogspot.com.





A good selection of Estaz eggs for salmon.

Tyler Straight

Custom Tied Steelhead Flies

steelheadflies@me.com

CKOF Website Design

countrykidsonthefly@gmail.com 

Trainer's Coho Wet Fly

Trainer's Coho Wet Fly was invented by John Trainer of Binghampton, NY for Salmon River Coho Salmon. Coho Salmon (known as Silver Salmon in Alaska) ascend Lake Ontario tributaries in October usually peaking around 1-2 weeks after the Chinooks. Although smaller than their bigger cousins (avg. 8-15 lbs.) Cohos are known as strong fighters. Coho have a preference for hot pink flies (such as the Wogs used in Alaska). This fly is most effective swung.

Hook: Daiichi 2441 or MFC 7099bk size 8
Thread: Black 6/0
Body: Pink Diamond Braid
Wing: Pink Finn-Raccoon
Hackle: Pink Guinea

STEP 1. With your Daiich 2441 in the vice, attach your black thread and wrap back to the hook point.    Tie in a length of pink Diamond Braid and advance your thread to 1/4 th. in. behind the hook eye. 

STEP 2. Wrap your pink Diamond Braid up to uour thread and tie off. Cut a piece of pink Finn Racoon hair anout the diameter of a pencil. Remove the guard hairs. 

STEP 3. Take your