Hook: |
Daiichi 2546 Size 6 Saltwater Hook |
Thread: |
6/0 color to match fly (orange in this case) |
Eyes |
Stainless Steel Beadchain Eyes: size small |
Tail: |
Orange hackle and Golden Pheasant Back Fibers |
Body: |
Medium Sized Copper and Copper-Brown Ultra Wire Woven |
Collar: |
Orange Chinese Saddle Hackle and Golden Pheasant Chest Feathers |
Notes: |
The hotwire comet has become one of my favorite sparsely tied attractor fly patterns in the saltwater and is the product of a number seasons on the water. It has resulted in some exceptional fish for me and will be a great pattern for coho and cutthroat throughout the winter. The particular color is one of my favorite waiting period coho flies and often draws strikes when nothing else will. I also fish several other colors of this pattern, including a pink and cerise one for pink salmon and resident coho, a red and copper one for resident coho during the winter, and a chartreuse and purple version for waiting period chum and coho salmon. This fly is best fished on an intermediate or floating line using moderate paced short 3-5" strips. |
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Step 1: Preparing the wire - The body on this fly is prepared by first tying two approximately one foot long lengths of both copper wire and copper-brown wire to the hook. Next using a dubbing hook the two wires are spun together. As soon as the wires are spun together cut them off of the hook. This length of the now woven wires should produce three or four flies. |
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Step 2: Start the thread about 10% of a shank length behind the eye of the hook and tie in some bead chain eyes by doing a series of figure-eight wraps. |
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Step 3:After tying the eyes in, wrap the thread back to the bend of the hook and tie in the tail. The tail should be kept relatively sparse and should be about half orange hackle fibers and half pheasant fibers. |
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Step 4: Tie in the woven wire for the body along the length of the shank up to about 10% of a shank length behind the eyes, to provide room for the hackle collar. |
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Step 5: Once the wire is secured wrap it forward, making sure to keep the wire flush with the previous wrap. Tie it over at 10% of a shank length behind the eyes. |
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Step 6: Tie in one orange hackle feather and make one wrap with the feather than tie it off. |
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Step 7: Next tie in the golden pheasant crest in stem end first and wrap the whole feather in front of the orange hackle, then tie it off. |
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Step 8: Wrap the thread in front of the eyes and form a head. Whip finish and head cement the fly. |
Above: The Cerise version
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or comments
California Heritage Trout Challenge
Truchas Mexicanas' - Native Trout of Mexico
Balkan Trout Restoration Group
Trout and Seasons of the Mountain Village - About Japanese Trout
Dave B's Blog: Fly Fishing for Native Trout
The Search for Native Salmonids
Western Native Trout Initiative
Americanfishes.com - Joseph R. Tomelleri
Fish Eye Guy - Underwater Trout and Salmon Pictures