Deschutes Steelhead Flies, Edge Bright, Boot Studs, Star Cleats, Ambush Lines

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 Clearwater.

  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.

Purple Peril

The best flies become classics simply because they work.  The Purple Peril is one of those flies that seems to take steelhead from varying watersheds and under a wide range of water conditions. First tied by legendary Northwest Washington angler Ken McLeod in the mid '60's it has taken steelhead from California to British Columbia. This somber colored fly is particularly reliable for Redband Steelhead in the Columbia River tributaries east of the Cascade Mountains. As fly tiers turn more  to the glitz and glitter of synthetic materials to create their

"magic-bullets", the Purple Peril remains as proof that bright colors and lots of flash aren't always the ingredients for success.  Many takes on the Purple Peril are very soft. The fish is just there with no perceptible shock. This leads me to believe that many of these fish would have been too timid to respond as favorably to a brighter fly. 

Purple Peril
Hook: TMC 7999
Thread: Black 8/0
Tail: Dark Purple Hackle Fibers
Body: Purple Chenille
Rib: Flat Silver Mylar
Hackle:  Dark Purple Saddle
Wing:  Natural Red Squirrel Tail
Head:  Black
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, although anglers use Purple Perils as large as

2/0 in the Clear Water and in some British Columbia Rivers.  My experience concludes that dark purple materials tie more successful Purple Perils than bright purple materials.  I choose purple hackles that are died over brown rather than white feathers.  This give the fly a deep, dark purple shade.  A plump silhouette achieved with a medium fat chenille body is proven.  Size #4 and #6 flies are dressed with #14 tinsel. Size #2 flies are dressed with #12 tinsel and larger flies are dressed with #10 tinsel.  This gives a pronounced segmentation and contrasting flash to the body. 

Edge Bright
Popularized by Idaho fly tier, LeRoy Hyatt, in the Dean River Lantern series, Edge Bright is a stretchy plastic material that gathers light through its broad side and magnifies it through its narrow edge. It is sold in 10" X 3" sheets that are about 1/64th inch thick. The sheet is cut into narrow strips. It is wrapped on the fly so that the rear edge of every wrap is exposed.  Viewed from the rear, this butt literally glows. It gives the same effect as a fiber optic cable when viewed from an exposed end.  There is little doubt that a fly tied in this manner becomes easier for fish to see when they are viewing it from the rear.
The easiest way to prepare Edge Bright is to lay the sheet on a clean pane of glass. Smooth it out and it will tend to stick to the glass.  Use a metal straight-edge and slice with a fresh razor blade.  Width of strips vary with the size of the fly and the whim of the tier.  Most common sizes are about 1/8" to 3/16".  Narrower strips will take more wraps to cover a distance on the hook shank, so they build a larger diameter, quicker tapered body.  If you stretch the material as you wrap it, the strip will become thinner.  This may be undesirable as the thicker strips transmit more light.
The light gathering ability of Edge Bright is enhanced when it is under-wrapped with silver tinsel.  Trim the end of your strip like the one just below center of the picture at left.  Tie it to the hook as you see it in the picture.  The end of the strip is narrowed to just slightly larger than the wire in the hook it will be tied to.  8/0 Uni Thread works best.  The narrow end of the strip should form the foundation under the finished Edge Bright butt or body, so its length should be adjusted accordingly.  Attach #14 silver Mylar in front of this foundation and wrap smoothly all the way back and then all of the way forward.  Wrap the Edge Bright over this foundation so that each wrap over laps the one under it with the rear edge of each wrap exposed. 
Tying off Edge Bright can be tricky.  However thread tends to dig into it and stay in place. 

Moderate (A System For Moderate Flows).