One of the most usable flies that I have ever placed on the end of a line is the pattern you are going to tie in this lesson. The fly was perfected in 1940, with the help of a very avid fishing associate of mine, a forest ranger in the central high Sierra country. We developed this pattern through trial and error, trying a pattern and then making slight changes. The entire summer season passed before we settled down to this one pattern. Still not being satisfied, the fly was given three more years of experimental use. During this time it was used with success by four groups packing into the high country and by twenty-two groups of fishermen in lower areas. Since that time the fly has been an even greater success than was expected. This fly has had nine years of use in fishing for migratory rainbow or steelhead, doing a better job than most any of the other patterns. It has now been classed as one of the best all-around rainbow flies for every area on the Pacific Coast. In 1955 it was taken to the Chilean lakes and proved to be a fish-getter there. It has also proved itself in the streams and lakes of British Columbia, on the mainland as well as on Vancouver Island. The fly comes by the name "Pacific King" honestly. In time it will be classed as one of the best flies used anywhere.

In this lesson the Pacific King will demonstrate two other steps in the tying of flies. The fly is successful in sizes No. 1/0 through No. 6 for steelhead. The larger sizes to No. 4 are for winter steel-head. Sizes No. 4 and No. 6 are very good for summer steelhead. The sizes from No. 6 through No. 14 are best in lakes or streams for rainbow trout. Use a No. 4 hook for this lesson.

Wrap the tying silk to the bend of the hook and attach it there with a half-hitch.

Use 8 or 10 black hackle fibres for the tail. The length of the tail should be from ½ to 2/3rds the length of the shank of the hook. Tie the tail fibres on with 4 or 5 turns of the tying silk and a half-hitch.

For the body cut off about 18 inches of double strand insect green floss. Double this over, making one piece, consisting of four strands, 9 inches long. Place this on the table while you cut off about 12 inches of double strand brown floss. Use the rich chocolate-reddish brown that is used for the "March Brown" fly. Fold the double strand of brown floss twice. The first time will give 4 strands about 6 inches in length; the second fold will give 8 strands of brown floss about 3 inches in length.

Cut from the spool about 8 or 10 inches of your heaviest black tying silk; do not use a size larger than "A", however.

Place the brown floss and the strand of heavy tying silk, which will be used for ribbing on the fly, at the bend of the hook and tie the two materials on with 3 or 4 turns of the tying silk and a half-hitch.

After the brown floss and tying silk have been tied on at the bend of the hook, take the tying silk that is used for tying the materials on the fly (not the heavy silk that will be used for ribbing), and spiral it ½ of the way up the shank of the hook and attach it there, at the middle of the body space, with a half-hitch. Tie on the insect green floss at this spot with 2 or 3 turns of the tying silk and a half-hitch. Then, spiral the tying silk to the point 1/4 of an inch from the eye of the hook and attach it there with a half-hitch.

Wrap the green floss from the center of the shank of the hook, in spirals, 3 or 4 turns toward the eye of the hook; then wrap it back over the floss you have just wrapped on, toward the bend of the hook, making 5 or 6 turns around the shank of the hook. Then wrap it forward again, over the green floss body that has been wrapped on, and continue to spiral the floss back and forth until the body is the proper size and shape. In making the body of this fly on hooks larger than No. 8, I prefer to build them up in the shape of a zeppelin or a cigar. When the center of the body is large and it tapers to a small size at both the bend of the hook and at the front of the hook, it gives the effect of a large body; but with the body tapered the floss does not slip and being small at the head of the fly it is easier to wrap on the hackle. The wing, also, lays more flat than it does when the body is bulky at the front. When you have built the body in this shape, not too large, spiral the green floss to the front of the fly where the tying silk is attached. Cross over the floss with the tying silk, make 3 or 4 turns around it and a half-hitch. Cut off the unused portion of the floss.

Upon completing the insect green body, place the brown floss, which is attached at the bend of the hook, lengthwise over the top of the body. Pull the strands of brown floss forward over the top of the body to the point where the tying silk is attached near the eye of the hook. With the tying silk cross over the strands of brown floss 3 or 4 turns and make a half-hitch. Cut off unused portion of brown floss.

Now go back to the bend of the hook and grasp the tying silk that is attached there. To insure that the brown floss will stay in place on top of the body wrap this piece of tying silk, in spirals, around the body and the brown floss lying on top of it. Make only 4 turns of the black tying silk ribbing in wrapping it from the bend of the hook to the front of the body. After spiraling 4 turns evenly to the point where the tying silk is attached, cross over the ribbing with the tying silk, take 4 or 5 turns around the ribbing and the body and finish with a half-hitch. Cut off the unused portion of the black silk that was used for ribbing.

For the hackle on this fly select a dyed or natural black saddle hackle. Remove all of the web on the hackle, stripping it off with your fingers. Tie the butt end of the hackle on the hook with the shiny side of the hackle facing you. Take a few turns with the tying silk to attach the hackle to the hook, and then a half-hitch. Cut off the butt, or base end, of the quill.

When I advised you to bring the tying silk up to the point which is just 1/4 inch from the eye of the hook I did it for a reason. This means that the hackle must be tied very close to the eye of the hook. In this way it will still be possible to keep the balance of the fly. But with the hackle wrapped on at this point, the space between the hackle and the eye would be too narrow to tie on the wing and make a good tapered head. Furthermore, on this fly the hackle is tied down, as a beard. These two differences in the structure of this fly, consequently, call for a somewhat different method of tying, which I shall now give you.

Take hold of the tip of the hackle and wrap it around the hook, making the usual 5 turns. Wrap it on at the point 1/4 inch from the eye of the hook, making each wrap on top of the preceding one. Upon completing the 5th turn, cross over the quill with the tying silk, make 3 or 4 turns and a half-hitch to tie the hackle firmly to the hook. Snip off the unused portion of the hackle feather. Now, spread the hackle fibres on the top of the hook, dividing them at the top of the hook and spreading them to each side. Then, place the thumb and forefinger of your left hand over the hackle and very carefully draw them, with the forefinger on the far side and the thumb on the near side of the hook, down and slightly back along the body of the fly, holding your thumb and forefinger close to the shank of the hook and together. When you have brought your fingers down to the underside of the body of the fly you will see that all of the hackle fibres are held between the thumb and forefinger underneath the fly. Holding the fibres this way, take hold of the tying silk in the fingers of your right hand and wrap it around the hook over the base of the hackle fibres, wrapping until you have the tying silk back 3/l6ths of an inch from the eye of the hook. This puts the tying silk back in the normal position, 3/l6ths of an inch from the eye, and at the same time holds the hackle fibres underneath the body so that it looks similar to a beard. Make 4 or 5 turns of the tying silk at the point 3/l6ths of an inch from the eye, and complete the wrap with a half-hitch. For the hair wing on this fly use hairs from the tail of a black squirrel. Grasp about 35 to 40 hairs of the tail between the thumb an forefinger of your left hand and with your scissors cut off these hairs at their base, next to the skin of the squirrel tail. Hold the hairs which you have cut off by their tips between the fingers of your left hand. Take hold of the base of the bunch of hairs with the thumb and forefinger of your right hand and pull away from your left hand. In this way you will pull out, between the fingers of your right hand, all of the short hair fibres and the fuzz, and leave just the long hairs that you will use in making the wing of this fly, in your left hand. Throw away the short hairs and fuzz, or fur, that you have pulled out with your right hand. Take hold of the long hair fibres between the thumb and forefinger of your right hand, place them on top of the fly and measure them for length. The wing should not extend beyond the bend of the hook. After checking for length, grasp the bunch of hair fibres between the thumb and forefinger of your left hand and rub or roll the hairs between your thumb and forefinger, just a little so the line of hair will be quite thin. This is to prevent a bulky or flaring wing. Place the hair fibres in the proper position over the top of the fly and hold them firmly in position between the fingers of your left hand. Tie the hair fibres on with the tying silk, wrapping up between your thumb and the shank of the hook on one side and down between your forefinger and the shank of the hook on the other side. Make 3 or 4 turns around the wing fibres with the tying silk and a half-hitch. Check the wing to make sure that it is firmly attached and will not slip; then, cut off the base of the fibres of hair that are sticking out over the eye of the hook. Taper the head of the fly and put on the whip finish.

Complete by applying lacquer to the head of the fly. Whenever you tie a hair wing fly you should be particularly careful in applying the lacquer to the head of the fly. Use enough lacquer so that it will sink through the wrappings of tying silk and penetrate into the base of the wing. So applied the lacquer seals the hair fibres together and prevents slippage of the wing.

In this lesson you have learned how to tie a fly that has a body and a case of two different colors, and learned how to place the hackle beneath the fly as a beard. There are a number of patterns, used in Canada as well as in many parts of the United States, that have bodies of more than one color. Flies of the right color will take almost any of the various species of fish. Many nymphs, beetles and insects in your own locality have two, or even more, colors on them. Try making imitations of them for your own use. The fish will enjoy them.

The bearded type of hackle, which is used on this fly, is placed on many different flies. One of the advantages of this type of hackle is that it helps to make the fly a weedless one.

PACIFIC KING (Wet)

Hook: No. 1/0 - No. 14
Tail:                  Black hackle fibres, 8-10
Body:               Insect green floss for body; dark brown
                        floss tied over top of body, lengthwise
Ribbing:            Black tying silk, 4 turns only
Hackle:             Black saddle hackle, tied wet;
                        hackle fibres tied down, as beard
Wing:               German black squirrel tail, length of body.

Are You Ready To Move Onto The Next Lesson? Click Here...