New Deschutes Steelhead Flies

Paul Franklin with a wild Deschutes steelhead

Few rivers stir up steelhead fly fishing fantasy like Oregon's Deschutes. Big, brawly, wind swept and hard to wade, it tests the metal of "out-of-staters", and locals as well. Being the first deep, cold tributary east of the ancient Cascades of The Columbia, the Deschutes gets supercharged runs of Redband Steelhead. Many steelhead from upper Columbia tributaries summer-over in the Deschutes' to escape the Columbia's warm flows. These grabby steelhead come aggressively to the surface for flies presented with floating lines in the classic fashion.

Prism Fly

Tilda Runner with a nice steelhead landed on a Prism...

The Prism was first tied by Mark Bachmann in the early eighties. He designed it to be an unobtrusive pattern for low, clear water. The Prism works any time of year, but is especially effective during the late season after the steelhead have been pressured. Several very large

steelhead have been tricked by the Prism. In October, many summer steelhead have been away from the Ocean feeding-grounds for several months. They start to forget about the brightly colored marine organisms that nurtured them there, and begin to turn "trouty" in their behavior, looking for things with more freshwater coloration. The Prism turned the trick. Several very large steelhead have been taken on this pattern. It has proven itself very useful as a come-back fly, after steelhead have risen to, but have refused a brighter colored fly.
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
20150-04	Prism	4	3 for $7.49
20150-06	Prism	6	3 for $7.49

Fly du Jour
Hook: TMC 7999
Thread: Red 8/0
Tag: Flat Silver Tinsel
Butt: Fluorescent Pink Edge Bright
Body: Purple Synthetic Dubbing
Rib: Flat Silver Mylar
Hackle: Purple Saddle
Wing: White Calf Tail,
Pearl Pink Krystal Flash
Head: Red
Common Sizes: This fly is most often used in sizes four and six in rivers like The Deschutes, John Day, Grand Rhonde and Clear Water.

The "Fly du Jour" is proven on all sizes of rivers and a wide range of water temperatures and conditions. It is one of the have-to-have flies no matter where you fish steelhead along the Pacific Rim. The Fly du Jour may be the best of all Deschutes summer steelhead flies for floating line fishing the majority of the season. Ninety percent of the season it is my point fly of choice. Just another purple and pink fly? Maybe. There are many. Purple and pink is a popular theme on the Deschutes with such patterns as Rick's Revenge and the Freight Train being the most popular examples. The Fly du Jour is different because it uses a revolutionary material called Edge Bright for the pink butt. Edge Bright is a material that gathers light through its broad side and magnifies it through its narrow edge. It is wrapped on the fly so that the rear edge of every wrap is exposed. Viewed from the rear this butt literally glows. The effect is further enhanced with the butt surrounded by a halo of dark purple materials. The pattern was an instant success when it was introduced in 1990. In the space of a couple of weeks two different groups of clients that didn't know each other called it the Fly du Jour (fly of the day), and that is how it got it's name.

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Fly du Jour	Green Butt Purple	Prism
Green Ant		Surgeon General

Surgeon General Listed as Surgeon General Dark in Trey Combs book, Steelhead Fly fishing and Flies, this pattern has caught Deschutes steelhead for us for at least 30-years. t is believed to be originated by Dr. Robert P. Terrill of Gleneden Beach, in Oregon in honor of Dr. Herbert Bently, a highly regarded neurosurgeon. There are three other Surgeon General patterns in this series that were
listed in this book, that have disappeared from most fly boxes. This pattern was listed in Trey's book as one of the hottest new flies in 1976. It has stood the test of time by being one of the most reliable steelhead wet flies ever tied. We have modernized this classic fly by having it tied with the latest materials on Alec Jackson Steelhead Iron hooks. Don't worry, this version is thoroughly proven. Super Premium Quality!
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
ST00105	Surgeon General	5	3 for $8.55
ST00107	Surgeon General	7	3 for $8.55

Green Ant
This somber fly has proven itself as a top producer of Deschutes steelhead for at least the past fifteen seasons. It is extremely effective on early season A-run fish and always a good bet for a come-back fly after you've moved a steelhead with a brighter fly. We have modernized this classic fly by having it tied with the latest materials on Alec Jackson Steelhead Iron hooks. Super Premium Quality!
Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
ST00205	Green Ant	5	3 for $8.55
ST00207	Green Ant	7	3 for $8.55

Green Butt Purple This is my version of what I feel is the most productive floating line summer steelhead pattern. I have landed steelhead from the West Coast to the Great lakes on this searching pattern. Obviously, I didn’t reinvent the wheel with this one. I simply gave a pattern I’ve been using for fifteen years a face lift. I love the Purple Green Butt because it offers everything summer steelhead desire... Purple and chartreuse with a little flash. I believe this fly is so effective because steelhead can see it coming from a long ways off. Basically, it just catches their attention.When I tied this version, I wanted a fly that was had a slim profile for greased line fishing in warm water, yet wasn’t dressed so low water it wouldn’t be effective in colder water temperatures. As it comes dressed from Solitude, it’s a perfect silhouette for average water temperatures in the 46 to 65 degree range. Like all of my patterns, I will remove both wing and hackle material with my nippers if I need a slimmer profile in warmer water temps. If the water drops below 46 degrees, I’ll switch to a sink-tip and a larger fly like my Loop Leech.


Item	Description	Size	Price	To Top
ST20905	Green Butt Purple	5	3 for $7.49