Fishing a small flesh fly behind spawning salmon for hungry trout, char and grayling can be a super effective way to fish when there is a vast amount of flesh in the water. This fly will likely perform best in the August – September timeframe. Depending on the spawning salmon you are fishing behind, that will determine the bead you should use when tying this fly. If you are fishing behind spawning sockeye, a size 6-8mm bead should do the trick, and behind spawning chum, an 8-10mm size bead. Adding the flash from the Creeper Chenille, the 60 degree shank, and articulation with a tungsten bead will get the action we want. This fly is best fished either under an indicator, or swung through runs.
Materials List
Hook: rear, articulated, Ahrex ‘home run’ trailer, #4
Thread: Veevus 140 denier, orange/pink
Shank: Spawn 60 degree, 20 mm
Weight: Spawn tungsten ‘football’ bead, gold and silver
Bodies: ‘Creeper’ chenille, white and bonefish
Front body: Bunnybou rabbit, flesh, in a dubbing loop
Step 1
Rear hook. Either attach a bead with 0X fluorocarbon or mono. Wrap the Creeper Chenille and tie it off, hitting it with head cement. Alternative is to ‘peg’ a bead in front of a non-slip loop knot of the finished fly.
Step 2
Attach the rear hook to the shank and close the open shank with thread wraps.
Step 3
Add another layer of Creeper Chenille halfway up shank.
Step 4
Place 3” of Bunnybou rabbit in a dubbing loop, trim off hide, spin and wrap to the bead. Should be tight to secure the bead in the right position. Tie it off. Hit it with head cement. Done.
