Lindsey's Comments On This Pattern
This pattern was orginated by Bob Veverka, a noted Vermont tier of
saltwater and classic salmon patterns. This fly is described in Eric
Leiser's "The Book of Fly Patterns" and in Don Wilson's "Smelt Fly
Patterns". Wilson's book also includes a good color photo of the
pattern; however the the example pictured is a slight variation on the
pattern. The depiction shows a Counterfeiter with a white bucktail belly
which is as long as the shank.
The considerations I had in tying this pattern are similar to
those for most streamers. One variable was the hook size. While a 6 to 8
XL hook in sizes 8 to perhaps 4 would be suitable for casting, larger
hooks (8 to 10 XL and sizes 4 and above) would be better suited for
trolling. While it is possible to cast these larger flies, they do create
some wind resistance. For the example tied, a 6 XL in a size 6 hook was
used. The other consideration was the wing length. Most commercial
strung saddle hackle is a little long for the smaller, casting styles of
streamers. If the wing is too long, it can foul around the hook bend when
cast. Thus it is necessary to not extend the wing far beyond the bend.
One must either strip off the base of feather when using strung saddle
hackle or select appropriated sized feathers from saddles.
The examples submitted do not adhere strictly to the pattern as
originally described. I liked the white bucktail belly and so included
that variation. I didn't have a supply of pintail feathers and instead
used the lighter colored feathers of some teal flank feathers. Lastly I
used a golden pheasant crest feather (yellow) instead of the silver
pheasant crest feather (black) or the peacock herl.
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