Sauk River Shrimp/Grub

[Rob Blomquist]

Ok, I just made a mess of my first attempt at this one. Then thank the gods, I cut my thread, and it ended the mess.

I am familar with the Ostrich Herl Chenille/Rope, so that is not the issue. The deal is the alternating bands in tight order. I'm gonna guess that the Chenille is 8-10 strands, and its just one good wrap. Then the hackle comes in, and I assume that it is one big cock feather tied in by the tip.

Now, should I cut off the hackle or carry it along under the herl band? And should the herl carry under the hackle?

Or is there something that I am not seeing in how to do this one?

Rob

[guest]

Hey Robb,

Having tied a couple of Sauk River Grubs I hope I can answer your questions or offer a little advice.

First, I'd back off on the number of Ostrich plumes you're using - 4 to 6 will more than suffice for the Body segments. The operative word is 'segment' - in other words, the body is not 'one long wrap' of Ostrich "chenille" but rather a series of individual sections.

The same applies to the hackle. It is not a long Hen hackle (palmered the length of the body) but a series of individual 'collars' (generally 3 to 4 turns) tied in after each segment of the Ostrich chenille. Ideally, you want the hackle(s) to have a gradual small-to-large 'profile' from the beginning of the body to your final collar at the end - so hackle selection is extra important.

Last bit of advice; Invest is a copy of Alec Jackson's intructional video, "Popular NW Steelhead Patterns" - it's more than worth the $19.95 you'll spend just to watch Alec himself teach you the technique(s) for properly tying the Sauk River Grub/Shrimp.

Sure, the fly is a little 'labor intensive'...but well worth it. It's very effective in the water, and a joy to look at on your vise.

Scotty Howell