Don's Fly Tying - The Night Hawk

Let's continue with our series of Atlantic salmon flies, because for one thing, they are fun to tie! If you do not live near waters that contain these magnificent fish, tie some anyway as they often are great steelhead flies! Such is the case with the Night Hawk, a dark salmon fly with just enough attractor colours to provoke steelhead interest. In fact, I plan to visit my grand kids at Cobble Hill next week and will try this fly on steelhead at the nearby famous Cowichan River. I have chosen the Night Hawk as this month's feature fly for just that reason!

Materials

• Hook--Mustad 36890 size 2 to 10
• Tag--Fine oval silver tinsel
• Tip--Yellow floss
• Tail--Golden pheasant crest overlaid with blue hackle fibers 2/3 as long
• Butt--Red fluorescent floss
• Rib--Oval silver tinsel
• Body--Flat silver tinsel
• Throat--Black hackle feathers beard style
• Wing--Black squirrel tail hair overlaid with golden pheasant crest feather, curve down
• Cheeks--None
• Head--Red
• Thread--Invisible mending

Instructions

Start with a short tag of fine oval tinsel at the hook bend followed by the yellow floss tip. A golden pheasant crest feather tail is next with a blue hackle feather overlay about 2/3 the length of the pheasant crest. Then, just above the hook point, tie in a butt of red fluorescent floss which also serves to secure the tail firmly in place. At this spot, attach a piece of oval silver tinsel for later ribbing. Now, wrap a body of silver flat tinsel from the butt to the hook eye, followed by ribbing the complete body with evenly spaced turns of the oval silver tinsel. I then flip the fly in my vice and attach the black hackle beard near the bottom (now upright) of the hook eye. Flip again to work on the wing, first the black squirrel fibers, then an overlay using a golden pheasant crest, with the curve of the feather facing down. Finish the fly with a red tying thread or floss head, cement, tie off and you have finished a classic Atlantic Salmon fly, the Night Hawk!

Your comments are welcome at "dhaaheim at telus dot net"