Tying a Batwing and a Coast Orange

[Ringlee]

I was Looking through my Steelhead River Journal for the Sauk/Skagit and these two patterns look awesome.

I was wondering if anyone has tied or Knows the recipe for these two flies? I found a picture on the web of the flies. I would love to be able to tie up a few.

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/greatrivers/skagitsauk/ssflies.html

Thanks in advance,
Chris

[Will Atlas]

Havent heard of the batwing. Certinaly a unique pattern. The coast orange is in Dec Hogans new book. I believe he ties it on a 1.5 Alec Jackson mostly. The tail is the red fibers of a Golden Pheasant tied classic Atlantic Salmon shrimp stlye. The Collar is the same material tied in like any hackle. I'm not sure what he uses for the wing, some sort of hen hackle. The body is orange seal dubbing with a gold tinsle. Maybe someone else will post the exact wing material.
Will

[Ringlee]

Cool,
I have the new Dec hogan book back in Wa. I will take a look when I get back at Xmas.

[Kevin Giusti]

I am going to try out the coastal orange this winter also. Will has the recipe correct. I believe in Decs book he says he used a random cree hen hackle he had laying around for the wing. I am not at home so I dont have my copy close but I beliveve he tied in the wing over an underwing of orange polar bear hair, which I doubt many of us have. I just used a sparse orange bucktail underwing on mine and was lucky enough to find some random neck at a fly shop that had the coloration I was happy with for the wing. If you look at my post under coastal river flies my version is in the second row from the top second from the left. I think if you click on the picture it will zoom in after it loads. Right above that is two more I got from Decs book the jungle cock rock and the usk grub, the usk grub being a classic grub pattern. anyway hope this helps and the picture helps. Let me know how the pattern works for you. Oh yeah not familiar with the batwing. Kevin

[Ringlee]

I see the Usk Grub and The coastal orange. I will be using the materials I have and tying some up. I think that a Grizzly hackile could sub fo the cree hackle. I will post some pictures.
Chris

[Les Johnson]

We are blessed with an enormous variety of coastal fishing flies from California to British Columbia. The modern history of these flies goes back to the 1920s. The wet versions were all designed to swim as they swung through the water. The tiers designed these flies with action in mind and an overall balance of material. To be concise, our early coastal flies were beautiful and effective. They remain so today.
I don't subscribe to sticking only with the "oldies" but I surely do believe that we should maintain a place for several of them in our "go-to" coastal fly box because they still work.
As for modifying the old patterns, my contention is to leave them as the originator dressed them. Rather than "modifying or improving" a classic coastal fly, just design a new one that retains the dimension and style of the old ones. That is exactly what Dec Hogan has done with his fly designs. If you check out Dec's patterns you really woudn't know if they were designed in 1940 or last week. They are classically styled and timeless.
As for some of those old Del Nort County classics used on the Smith, Eel, Garcia, etc., They are perfectly designed for working the deep clear pools of those rivers and still rate a place in the box. And....one of the largest coho salmon I ever landed in freshwater on a fly was taken from the Satsop River on a #8 Silver Comet.
If nothing more, it is fun to look through them and recall fondly past days on coastal rivers whilst having a dram of Fundador.
Good Fishing,
Les Johnson