Westcoast Flyfishers Association (WFA) - Sooke BC

The Steelhead Silver Doctor

by Robin Pike

As fly tiers, most of us strive to improve upon the patterns we create. This is one of the pleasures many of us pursue as fly fishers. However, in this process, many of us fall into the trap of getting too far into the intricacies of making a fly look as realistic as possible. Perhaps it is an irresistible demonstration of our skill as fly tiers. Whatever the reason, we often end up comprising the principle of movement in order to create stiff 'life-like' flies.

 

Pattern Design

If you take a look at some of the most popular patterns, a big component of their success can be linked to colour and movement. Take the Woolly Bugger for example; a medium to large, nondescript fly that could represent a number of different insects depending upon how it is fished. The versatility of the fly comes from angling skill that makes the pattern act like whatever it is made to represent. Stiff look alikes can rarely achieve this sort of versatility and, subsequently, fishing taking power (except chironomids...which is another article!). My point is that flies do not have to be complex, to be highly effective. Thus, no matter what your level of tying skill, you can create very successful patterns if you incorporate effective colours and movement into your flies.

In terms of steelhead flies, Bill McMillan is one angler who has taken careful note of the conditions he fishes and has created flies that fish well under these circumstances. His flies are beautiful, functional and highly effective. In the early 70's, Bill McMillan set out to design flies, that while appearing to have bulk, were sparsely dressed in order to sink fast. This was largely a result of his backlash to using heavy sinking lines to fish for winter steelhead in the Pacific Northwest. In his patterns, he also used materials that provided movement in the water in a range of colours to cover the full spectrum of light; blue and purples to cover the short end of the spectrum and red and oranges, which were proven Steelhead takers. The Winter's Hope and the Steelhead Silver Doctor were two fantastic end results.

The Steelhead Silver Doctor is one of my favorite patterns for summer steelhead. Having a similar colour scheme to the Winter's Hope, it covers a smaller spectrum of sizes and is a subtler fly to present during low water conditions. Yet, due to it's original design, larger sizes of it can be used quite successfully for winter runs.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

ORIGINATOR: Bill McMillan
HOOK: Partridge 2/0 - 2 or equivalent Mustad
THREAD:Red 6/0
BODY: Flat Silver Tinsel
WING: Red and Yellow Calf Tail
THROAT: Silver Doctor Blue Hackle Fibers
TOPPING: Pintail Flank

Tying Instructions for the Steelhead Silver Doctor

 

Step 1: Attach the silver mylar tinsel (gold side out) about one quarter of an inch in front of the hook point. Once secure, wind your tying thread to the hook eye. Next, lightly coat the hook shank with fly cement and wind the tinsel clockwise to the hook eye and secure. Wipe off any extra cement that oozes out between the wraps.

 

 

 

Step 2: Select a small amount of yellow calf tail and remove the under-fur. Remember sparseness is key to this fly. The length of the wing should be slightly shorter than the hook shank. Trim the butt ends of the calf tail to the proper length and attach near the hook eye (as shown). Next, add a drop of fly cement to the wraps to give the fly added strength. Repeat this process for the red calf tail. >

 

 

 

Step 3

 

 

 

 

 

Step 4: Select a medium to long pintail (or substitute) flank fiber. I use the tip portion of the feather and tie it over the body using the natural concave shape of the feather. To do so, strip the bottom 1/2 to 1/3 of the feather off. Next, cup the feather over the calf tail and attach it to the fly near the head with 2-3 wraps of thread. The feather should envelope the calf tail and run the length of the body. Once happy with the topping, further secure the feather, build a neat head, whip finish and apply head cement.

 

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Copyright 1999 - 2003.