This popular Dustin Kovacvich designed steelhead and salmon fly pattern is particularly effective in the slightly murky, glacial green colour of the Skeena River or during high water conditions when visibility is reduced. Combining these vibrant colours with materials that impart strike triggering movement in the water resulted in a fly that has been the key to connecting with many large British Columbia steelhead.

Materials
Hook: Mustad SL53UNP-BL or Tiemco TMC 7999; Size 4 and 2
Thread: UTC 140 fl. fire orange
Tail: Fluorescent chartreuse rabbit strip 
Flash: Fluorescent orange rabbit strip; cross-cut
Hackle: Fluorescent cerise marabou
Topping: Pearl flashabou
Adhesive: Premium head cement (available at Pieroway Rod Company)

Step 1. Pinch down the barb and insert the hook in the vise.

Step 2. Attach the thread behind the hook eye and wrap back to the location opposite the hook point, laying down a solid thread base.

Step 3. Select a 2” piece of rabbit strip and tie it in so that it extends approximately one hook shank length from the bend of the hook. Bind down the rabbit strip securely making sure your final thread wrap stops at the location opposite the barb of the hook. Trim the end of the rabbit strip hide into a point.

Step 4. Tie in a piece of cross-cut rabbit strip at the location opposite the barb of the hook. Palmer the rabbit strip back up the hook shank towards the eye; approximately 4-6 wraps. Overlap each wrap slightly and make sure to leave enough room for the flash, hackle, and head of the fly.

Step 5.Select 3 pieces of pearl flashabou, cut in half and then bind down on both sides of the hook shank so that three strands extend along either side of the tail. Trim the flashabou so that it is 1/8” longer than the rabbit strip tail.

Step 6. Tie in a marabou feather by the tip and palmer it forward to the eye of the hook, making sure not to trap any fibers. Remember, the collar imparts a lot of the fish enticing action and the number of hackle wraps will determine whether you have a sparse or dense marabou collar. Therefore, you will need to experiment until the collar breaths and pulses just right.

Step 7. With your scissors, carefully trim any excess marabou fibers and then back wrap the thread slightly and proceed to build up a nicely finished head.