Sorry for the image quality. Had to use the scanner but you get the idea. With all the talk of Blue and Purple flies (and the fine fly silverdoc just posted) I thought I would try a Sauk River Shrimp in those colors. This is my first ever attempt at Alec Jacksons great fly and I think this will get some use this winter
Hook: Alec Jackson 1.5
Thread: Purple
Tail: Mix of Blue dyed squirrel and Sea Blue Fluoro Fiber
Body Segments: Ostrich spun with oval tinsel
Hackle: Whiting American Grizzly Cape Dyed Kingfisher blue
You're killing me! I remember when I used to tie this time of year, dreaming of the early chromer, getting the winter technique together for the upcoming late winter nates...
Having dressed a few Sauk River Grubs/Shrimps myself (in the style of Alec Jackson) I know how labor intensive they are. Just tying the ostrich segments on in equal sections and getting the individual hackles to 'graduate' from small to large is sure painstaking work...but well worth it. The SRG/S is one of the best Steelhead patterns to ever grace iron IMO.
Now, that being said, I'd like to place my order for five dozen - and I need them in two days. LOL
Igor
BTW - the Fluorofibre in the tail was a lovely touch.
This is a very underutilized color combo that is very effective in the glacial rivers. The same fly tied with red body instead of purple would also be effective in gin clear waters. As would one with black body and the rest purple.
Your tying has come a long way in the last year. This is a very lovey fly that is tied every bit as well as Alec ties them.:smokin:
Sean-
For the first time, this summer I spent a good deal of time fishing blue. It proved to be very effective, especially when fished with a touch of chartreuse/bright green somewhere in the fly.
The day that we ran across one another on the river, I was following Juro through the water and stung a fish on that very combination (chartreuse butt, blue body, black wing). In fact, I can account for half a dozen or so fish that rose to that very fly (a couple of which took while following very good steelheaders through the run).
As Alec would say, "It depends on the size of the fly and the number of body segments". Usually Alec uses 3-4 Ostrich herls per segment. Don't forget to tie in a piece of oval (not wire) tinsel (use gold with red, yellow, or orange, silver with everything else)along with the ostrich at each body segment.
Put a Thompson style hackle plier (the kind with the rubber pads on each side) over the ostrich and oval tinsel, then spin the hackle plier clockwise until you have a nice herl-chenile (it will look like chenile when it is spun the correct amount). Wrap the ostrich chenile body segment and tie it off on the bottom of the fly. Tie a hackle in by the tip, double it as you wrap it by using the finger and thumb of your left hand (right hand if a left-handed tyer) to pull the hackle barbs back toward the bend, and after 5 to 7 wraps of hackle tie it off on the bottom of the hook. You have to do this for each body and hackle segment, which is why it can take a while to do it on large hooks. And the number of segments varies with the size of the hook; but should never be fewer than 3 (which is what an Alec Jackson #7 Spey (#6 or #8 for regular or low water salmon irons) hook would use. An Alec Jackson #1.5 hook would use 5 segments and an Alec Jackson #3/0 would use 6 segments.
Hope this helps all who wish to tie Alec's Sauk River Grub style flies.
flytyer - thanks for the instruction. I have used the technique successfully with peachock hearl, but the ostrich was new and it wasn't coming out as well as I would like. Also, a front hackle of guines looks nice to me. What do you think?
Thanks Russ for posted the mehtod. I am just using 4 segments for the 1.5 hooks. They seem to look OK but will tie some 5 segment ones and do some field testing.
Ted there are no hard and fast rules for this fly (unless you talk to Alec:chuckle: ). A Guinea collar would look nice. I was going to try one with all the segments using guinea to see how it looks.
Sean - post some pictures when you get them done. I too thought of trying the all Guinea fly. I have taken to using guinea a lot for hackle on my flies and like the result.
The key to tying a good ostrich chenile is making sure you twist it sufficienty so that the ostrich fibers stand up at right angles to the oval tinsel. You'll know when it is right because it will look just like chenile. And when it looks like chenile, it doesn't have to be wrapped over itself to get the bulk (actually illusion of bulk, as Alec would say) needed. I've seen Alec tie it with dyed guinea for a face hackle, although he rarely ties it that way.
Sean,
Tying one with guinea (dyed or natural) between the body segments instead of hackle would work just fine. Remember that Alec simply took the old Atlantic Salmon grub style of the 1800's (also known as the classic era of salmon flies) and tied it in modern steelhead colors with ostrich chenile instead of dubbing or regular chenile as the body. Alec will tell you this if you ask him where he got his insiration for the Sauk River Grub.
A lovely Sauk River Shrimp with Guinea Fowl Tail and Hackles (tied by Alec himself) is actually on page #87 in Kent Helvie's, "Steelhead Fly Tying Guide".
Igor
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