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Apr 09 2015

The Predator – Tying Instructions

 How to Tie The Predator Fly for Steelhead
Highly addictive. Photos: Stuart Foxall.

Steelhead flies can range from surprisingly simple to extremely complex. However, one feature that most effective steelhead flies have in common is their ability to suggest life as they swing through the water column. In other words, they have great movement in the water.

So, today we’re coming at you with a relatively simple pattern to tie that’s sure to come alive in the water, courtesy of Stuart Foxall.

The Predator – Tying Instructions

The predator fly is an important pattern as it was one of the first designs of fly that utilized rhea. Not only did this give us a design that gave us a big profile with minimal weight, it also remained incredibly full of movement. For that reason, aggressive fish find this style of fly highly addictive. I take my cap off to you Mr. Paul Miller!

How to Tie the Predator Steelhead Fly
Step 1: Tie in a length of wire to produce a loop only large enough to change your stinger hook. We don’t want this loop to be too large as this can result in deeply hooked fish.
How to Tie the Predator Steelhead Fly
Step 2: Fold over the wire tags (so they are doubled over) and apply some super super glue. This will be very secure.
How to Tie the Predator Steelhead Fly
Step 3: Tie in some long rhea fibers all the way around the shank to provide a tail.
How to Tie the Predator Steelhead Fly
Step 4: Add some long lengths of different colors of Flashabou. This will be highly mobile with the rhea fibers.
How to Tie the Predator Steelhead Fly
Step 5: Tie in a peeled length of rhea, a length of  oval tinsel (to be used as a rib), followed by a length of Fritz Chenille (also known as Estaz) for the body. Always tie your materials in the reverse order that you will be using them.
How to Tie the Predator Steelhead Fly
Step 6: Wrap your body of Fritz Chenille (Estaz) in tidy turns. Then wrap your rhea strip to create a palmered hackle.
How to Tie the Predator Steelhead Fly
Step 7: Counter wrap your palmered rhea hackle with the oval tinsel and tie off at the front. This will help protect the fragile stem of the rhea. Slowly wiggling the oval tinsel while wrapping will help to avoid trapping any rhea fibers.
How to Tie the Predator Steelhead Fly
Step 8: Add lots of strands of Flashabou all the way around the shank.
How to Tie the Predator Steelhead Fly
Step 9: Catch in and give a few wraps of decent mobile marabou.
 How to Tie The Predator Fly for Steelhead
Step 10: Add a few wraps of hot colored chenille to create a hot spot ball.
How to Tie the Predator Steelhead Fly
Just choose the colors that work well for you. This is a pretty easy fly to tie and is extremely mobile. For this reason it is an effective fly to have in your box!

More on Salmon/Steelhead Flies

  • Tying Steelhead Skaters
  • Dean River Steelhead Flies Roundup
  • Classic Flies Work Too

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brodie says

    April 16, 2015 at 5:35 am

    do you ever tie this in a tube fly? if so do you ad weight?

  2. Kyle Shea says

    April 16, 2015 at 11:28 am

    You certainly could Brodie. You could either tie it unweighted as is on a tube, or another great option would be to tie it on a tube but replace the hot colored chenille at the front of the fly with a hot colored cone head. Happy tying!

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