Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2017 - 12

Teaching Children to Tie Steelhead Patterns
by Christian A. Shane

photos by the author

"The steelhead's careless penchant for eggs of any type,
be they orange, pink, or chartreuse, is firmly implanted
in the fish's DNA." Matt Supinski, Selectivity: The Theory
& Method for Fly Fishing for Fussy Trout, Salmon, &
Steelhead, (2014).
As the sun came up over an Erie tributary, the chilly
November morning slowly defrosted. The cloudy water
from last evening quickly cleared, so I tied on a go-to
chartreuse pattern called the Cactus Fly. I knew I was
fishing over fish, but the fish ignored my offerings cast
after cast.
Thirty minutes later, the frigid waters warmed, the light
switch turned on and the steelhead did too. Sometimes,
being at the right place at the right time, with the correct
presentation and fly, pays off, especially when steelhead are
aggressively feeding on egg patterns.
I tie a version of the Cactus Fly with my students when
they have advanced from egg patterns. Tiers enjoy creating
new versions of it by mixing and matching materials. I

12

prefer fishing the pattern on Erie tributaries since it has
flash, movement and color contrast.

Recycle and reuse

What do you do with your feathers, hackles and leftover
fluff from your patterns? Usually, most of these materials
end up on the tying bench or floor. Then, the materials are
thrown away. When tying with children, young tiers find
some amazing ways to incorporate colors and materials
into a fly tying pattern. With what I have considered scraps
from my flies, they've woven into pattern names and tying
stories. Sometimes by setting traditional tying patterns
aside, we can allow for the young tier to create their own
works of art.
During our tying sessions, we save scraps using a
gallon-sized plastic bag. In it, we store leftover materials
that are large enough to use again. Of course, we can't
save everything, but you'd be surprised at how much
material is wasted when tying. Consider it recycling for fly
tiers. The "Extras Bag" is certainly a mishmash of color,

Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2017	

www.gonefishingpa.com


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