This is a pattern  that has been floating around in my mind for some time.  I had originally thought of mixing in a strand of red yarn into the black body, but it just looked too overpowering, so the fly now has an all black wool body. 
 This name of this fly is a play on the ever popular "Lady Caroline."   Think of it as Caroline's hot little sister that's always playing hard to get.

LADY IN RED:
Tag: flat silver
Tail: Golden pheasant breast
Body: Black uniwool
Rib: Flat med. Silver counter ribbed with fine oval silver
Hackle: Black dyed blue eared pheasant
Throat: Red dyed teal or pintail
Wing: Red dyed bronze mallard

If you would like to tie this fly and need any of the materials listed above, please check out our website or call.  I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Today I've actually tied a fly for the "daily".   This lovely pattern is from the mind of my good friend and fellow classic tier Jon Harrang.   Jon has combined some very unusual and rarely used colors and materials into one beautiful, fishy spey pattern.   You can find everything you need to tie this pattern in our shop.  We don't have the import cree necks listed online, but give us a call if you are interested in one.

COPPER AND CLARET:
Tag: Fine copper oval
Tail: Golden Pheasant Breast
Rib: Flat Med. Copper with fine oval counter ribbed
Body: Claret Dubbing
Hackle:  Blue Eared Pheasant
Throat: Golden Pheasant breast
Wing: 4 Cree neck hackles
Cheeks: Jungle cock, drooping
Head: red.

Ok, I'll admit, today's Daily Fly is going to be real weak in the "fly" department.  I even showed up at the shop early today to tie a nice spey fly to post on my blog.  But, phone messages, orders, and walk in customers (thanks for coming in guys!) kept that from happening.  So instead, you get a couple of pretty pictures to look at from my weekend. 
 Yesterday morning, I decided to hit up a couple of coastal beaverponds in search of native cutthroat trout.  I struck out on the first two, but finally found a pond that had some fish.  I love these little cutties.  They are full of spirit, rarely fished, and worth all of the effort it takes to find them. 

I think you could throw just about any fly pattern in your box and catch these little guys.  But the pattern I fished yesterday was just a simple soft hackle.  It doesn't get any easier that that to tie or fish.  I lose a lot of flies in the close quarter game of fishing beaver ponds, so patterns that are easy to tie are a must.

PARTRIDGE AND ORANGE:
Body: Orange silk
Hackle: One turn of partridge.

That's it!! No need to make it more complicated that it needs to be. Tie some up, hike........catch fish.

Today I've tied up some Lilliputian low waters. These guys are tied on some beautiful vintage Veniard #10 low water hooks.  I've photo'd them in the gape of a Allcock 9/0 low water hook for scale.  I've always loved the look of a well tied low water fly.  Setting the duck flank wings can be a bit of a struggle, and finding tiny little toppings is tough, but I hope the Sea run cutthroats will appreciate my efforts.

BLUE CHARM
Tag: Flat silver
Tail: Golden Pheasant crest
Rib: Small oval silver
Body: Black Floss
Throat: Blue
Wing: Bronze mallard
Topping: Golden Pheasant crest

SILVER LILAC (variation of the "Silver Blue")
Tag: Fine oval silver
Tail: Golden Pheasant Crest
Rib: Small oval silver
Body: Flat silver
Throat: Silver Lilac
Wing: Pintail

Todays flies are not going to win any beauty contests compared to spey and dee flies with their flowing, graceful lines.  But, they are an important part of northwest steelhead fly fishing history.  Almost as important as the pattern, is the method in which I've tied these simple, traditional flies.  These flies are tied in the manner that Ed Haas tied his flies.  Ed was a commercial fly tier from northern California, and tied his flies in a manner that makes them practically indestructible, yet clean and beautiful.  When I first saw Ed's flies in the Art of Angling Journal, I became obsessed with them.  I set on the journey of trying to tie these flies with the same result that Ed had.  It was not easy.  I struggled with making small, neat heads.  Especially with a folded calftail wing.  I don't have time to go into the methods used to tie this type of fly today, but I will offer one hint......  The return eye hook is key making a small head. 
  I will close in saying that there is nothing quite as satisfying as swinging a traditional steelhead fly on an autumn evening,( especially on a legendary river )where countless others have gone before you through the years .  Tie up some Haas style flies and go see what I mean.

POLAR SHRIMP:
Tail: Red
Body: Orange Chenille
Hackle: Red
Wing: White Calftail

GREEN BUTT SKUNK
Tail: Red
Butt: Flo. Green Chenille
Body: Black Chenille
Rib: Flat silver
Hackle: Black
Wing: White Calftail

Today's pattern merges two of my favorite pastimes.  Flintknapping and fly tying.  I have always loved dark flies (especially on overcast days), and as I was creating it, the pattern reminded me of a freshly spalled chunk of obsidian.  Black, but often reflecting a subtle rainbow of color from deep within.  

OBSIDIAN:
Hook: Alec Jackson spey
Tag:Flat silver tinsel
Rib: Medium Oval silver
Body: rear half black silk floss, front half black dubbing
Hackle: Mallard flank dyed black
Throat: Teal dyed blue
Wing: Black goose shoulder
Cheeks: Blue dyed J.C. (short and drooping)

 One thing I've been missing since I started the retail shop has been time to tie flies.  I haven't tied more than 3 dozen flies since I have opened the shop, and it has really been  bugging me.  So, in an effort to MAKE time to tie, I will try to tie a fly every morning the retail shop is open and post it to my blog.  I've got some new and prototype materials I will try and use in some flies to get feedback from my customers, and also hopefully I will be able to give everyone some ideas on how our products can be used. 
  Today I've tied two flies.  The first pattern is a fly recently offered for sale by Paul Schmookler on Ebay.  It is a pattern that was tied by Warren Duncan.  The pattern is a fairly simple, attractive tinsel body spey.  I am not sure of it's name, so we'll just call it Dunc's Spey for now.  
  The other pattern is a variation of the first, we'll just call it Dunc's Demon for now.  Hope you like these patterns.  The tying leaves a little bit to be desired, tags are a bit messy, and there are quite a few bumps and lumps...... But hey, I'm a bit rusty!

Here are the pattern listings for the flies:

DUNC'S SPEY:
Tag: oval gold tinsel
Tail: Golden pheasant spade feather
Rib: Small oval gold tinsel
Body: Flat silver tinsel
Hackle: Blue Eared Pheasant
Throat: Teal
Wing: Bronze Mallard
Head: Red GloBrite Floss

DUNC'S DEMON:
Tag: Oval gold Tinsel
Tail: Golden Pheasant Spade feather
Rib: Small oval gold tinsel
Body: Flat gold tinsel
Hackle: UV orange AO Spey hackle
Throat: UV orange Teal flank
Wing: UV orange Bronze Mallard
Head: Light Orange GloBrite floss

Tinsel bodied flies are some of my favorites to fish.  The slim profile and flash are fish catchers for sure.