September Fly Tying Session,

September 18th, 2025

The September Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, September 18th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.  

Session leader and pattern to be announced: we need someone to volunteer to lead this month's tying session, select the fly pattern. Please contact Tom Peck to be this month's leader! More info in next week's fly tying newsletter.

July Fly Tying Session,

July 17th, 2025

The July Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, July 17th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.  

Bob Cusick will lead the fly tying session. The pattern is the HoBo Spey Intruder style steelhead fly. All materials will be provided. More info in next week's fly tying newsletter.

June Fly Tying Session,

June 19th, 2025

The June Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, June 19th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.  

John Sorensen will lead the fly tying session. 

Tim Cammisa’s Jigged Wooly Bugger

Tied in Black or color of choice

 Hook: 8,10 or 12 standard jig hook

Bead: 3.8 mm silver or black slotted tungsten

Thread: 6.0 or 140 denier to match body

Tail: Maribou, color to match

Body: Hareline Medium UV Polar Chenille, color to match

May Fly Tying Session,

May 15th, 2025

The May Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, May 15th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.  

Slumpbuster

Hook: TMC 5252, Daiichi 1710, Mustad 9672 or equivalent 2X long streamer hook, size 6

Cone: 6mm silver

Body: Silver sparkle braid

Wing: Micro pine squirrel zonker strip, natural

Rib: Silver UTC ultra wire, brassie

Collar: Micro pine squirrel Zonker strip, natural

The Slumpbuster is tied Zonker-style with a fur strip that forms the tail and wing, but instead of the original rabbit strip it incorporates a pine squirrel strip for both the wing and the collar.  The squirrel strip creates a slimmer profile, which allows the Slumpbuster to be tied on smaller hooks while maintaining correct proportions.  It can be tied in a variety of color combinations by changing the color of the sparkle braid body and the squirrel strip wing. We will tie the version with a silver body and natural color squirrel strip; other popular color combinations include gold/olive, copper/rust and blue/black.

A key to the Slumpbuster’s effectiveness is the softness of its squirrel strip wing and collar, which give it enticing motion as it swims. It is effective in both lakes and rivers, and can be trolled, cast and stripped, or dead drifted with occasional twitches.

Fly Tying Session,

March 20th

The March Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, March 20th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.  

This month's pattern will be the Elk Hair Caddis, in response to requests from people at last month's tying session. Details will be in next week's newsletter about the fly pattern. Here's some background information about the pattern:

Hook: TMC 100, Daiichi 1170, Mustad 94840 or equivalent standard dry fly hook, in sizes #12, #14, #16, #18

Thread: Rust brown or tan

Body: Cinnamon caddis color super fine, or equivalent dry fly dubbing 

Hackle: Brown or furnace, palmer tied over the body

Rib: Fine gold or copper wire

Wing: Bull elk hair tied as a down wing, over the body

The Elk Hair Caddis was originated by Al Troth, a well known fly tier and guide based in Dillon, Montana. According to Mr. Troth, he first tied the pattern around 1957 when he was living and fishing in Pennsylvania. He stated that he originally intended the pattern to be a wet fly, but found that it floated so well he began using it as a dry fly. The Elk Hair Caddis first gained widespread notoriety in the fly fishing world in 1978 when Mr. Troth wrote a feature article on the pattern for Fly Tyer magazine. It has since become perhaps the most widely tied and fished caddis pattern in fly fishing. It has all the hallmarks of an excellent dry fly: it floats well, it is durable, it's easy to see and, most important, of course, it catches fish. Al Troth's original pattern used Hare's Ear fur for the body, but today it is usually tied with finer-textured dry fly dubbing. It can be tied in a variety of body colors, and generally in sizes 12-18.

We will tie the cinnamon body version that imitates the many species of tan-colored caddis that hatch throughout the summer months on many trout streams, in size 12 or 14, tier's choice. The Elk Hair Caddis is a dry fly every trout angler should have in his or her box.

There is no fly tying on Thursday, Dec. 19th. Happy Holidays!

Fly Tying Session,

Thursday, November 21st

The November Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, November 21st, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.

The pattern will be the March Brown wet fly. Matt Spangler will lead the session. All materials and tools will be supplied.

March Brown

Hook: Tiemco 3761, Daiichi 1560, Mustad 3906B, or equivalent wet fly wet

fly hook, size 12

Thread: 6/0 or 8/0, brown or black

Tail: Partridge or hen saddle fibers

Body: Hare's mask dubbing

Rib: Small oval gold tinsel

Hackle: Partridge, or mottled hen saddle

Wing: India hen saddle feather, folded

This is a classic, centuries old English wet fly that is still very effective during spring hatches of the Western March Brown mayfly, and also works well as an emerging caddis pupa pattern. The version we will tie substitutes India hen saddle for original oak turkey wing. 

Fly Tying Session, September 19th

The September Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, September 19th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.

The pattern will be the Mr. October, an adult caddis pattern created by Matt Spangler. Matt will lead the session. All materials and tools will be supplied.

Hook: Standard dry fly hook (TMC 100, Daiichi 1180, Mustad 94840, or

equivalent), size 10

Thread: Rust or brown 6/0 or 8/0

Body: Orange 2mm foam, segmented and tied extended; color with brown

marker

Wing: Brown poly yarn tied in a loop

Thorax: Orange or rust-colored dubbing

Hackle: Brown, palmered over the thorax

Fly Tying Session, August 15th

The August Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, August 15th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.

The pattern we will tie this month is the Spruce fly. This is a good searun cutthroat fly.

Fly Tying Session, July 18th

The July Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, July 18th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.

The pattern will be the Purple Haze.

Hook: Dry fly, sizes 12-18

Thread: UNI size 6 or 8, purple (Alternative: Black 140 Denier)

Tail: Moose body hair, 6-8 strands (Alternative: Mixed grizzly and brown

dry fly hackle fibers)

Post: Para-Post fibers, white or mixed white and hi-vis colors

Body: Purple Life Flex

Hackle: One grizzly or grizzly variant, sized to hook

Detailed instructions will be available during the tying session, as will tools and materials.

Fly Tying Session, June 20th

Duracell Jig Nymph

Hook: Jig Hook #12 - #16

Bead: Plummeting Tungsten, 3.3mm Silver or Pink

Thread: UNI 8/0, Black or Camel

Tail: Coq De Leon

Body & Thorax: Ice Dub, UV Brown

Ribbing: UTC Ultra Wire, Small, Red

Collar: Nature's Spirit CDC, Brown

Note: This fly can be tied in various colors to adapt to local aquatic conditions.

The June Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, June 20th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.

Fly Tying Session, May 16th

The May Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, May 16th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.

The pattern has not yet been decided, but will be announced in a subsequent newsletter.

Fly Tying Session, April 18th

The April Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, April 18th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.

We will be tying an Improved Charlie Special, which originated in Missoula, Montana. Matt Spangler will lead the session.

Improved Charlie Special

Not to be confused with the Crazy Charlie (a classic bonefish fly), the Improved Charlie Special is a dry fly originated by Wayne Gravatt, a commercial tier from Missoula, Montana. Primarily intended as a stonefly imitation, it can be tied in a variety of colors and sizes. We will be tying the large orange version that imitates the giant salmon fly. Dropping down a size or two and changing up the color scheme to yellow/gold yields an excellent golden stone imitation. This is a good pattern to have in your box, in both orange and gold, if you are heading over to the lower Deschutes for the annual stonefly emergence in late May. The Improved Charlie Special also makes a good all-around attractor in a dry/dropper setup.

Hook:         Daiichi 1280, TMC 5212, Mustad 94831, or equivalent 2x long

dry fly hook, size #4 or #6

Thread:      Orange or black 6/0

Body:      Orange 2mm foam strip 3/16” to ¼” wide, and orange

polypropylene yarn

Hackle:       Brown or furnace saddle

Wing:          Light gray or white polypropylene yarn

Legs:          Medium rubber or sili legs, black-barred orange

Note that the club now has new Peak fly tying vises!

Fly Tying Session, March 21st

The March Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, March 21st, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.

We will be tying Spawn's jetty worm. John Sorensen will use a synthetic material for the wing, like ep fibers or SF blend.

Spawn’s Jetty Worm

Hook: Ahrex Mini Jig Hook (550 or 551) - Size 4

Eyes: Large (4.8mm) Brass Eyes or Football Tungsten

Additional Weight: 0.03 or 0.035 lead wire

Tail: Mottled Galaxy Mop Chenille; Shrimp Pink or White

Body: Mini Flat Braid; Peach Pearl or Pearl

Wing: Spawn Simi Seal Dubbing; Ghost Shrimp or White

Legs: Chicone’s Crusher Legs - Medium; Fl. Orange or Clear

Collar: Schapen; Spawn Peach or White

This has become a really close second place fly for me. Last time I was on the jetty they only wanted this fly in white or a finesse gamechanger in white/clear. If you use glue throughout the tying of the fly, then it should hold together pretty well. This fly can be fished alone or in tandem with another one of the same color or different. Peach and white produce the most fish, but white/chartreuse, blue, olive, orange, tan, and red all will catch fish.

The whole fly should be 3” long and tied tight. Anything loose will get caught on rocks, teeth, spines, etc. so, if you want it to last, make them bullet proof and don’t be stingy with glue.

Note that the club now has new Peak fly tying vises!

Fly Tying Session, February 15th

The February Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, February 15th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. Materials and tools will be provided.

We will be tying the Stewart fly pattern developed by Marty Sherman:

Stewart

Hook:  Partridge N, sizes 2-8

Thread: Black

Tag: Gold mylar, flat

Tail: Golden pheasant tippets

Rib: Gold mylar, small flat

Body: Black wool or dubbing

Wing: Black squirrel with 4-6 strands of hot orange calf or bucktail

Hackle: Black pheasant rump

Tying Instructions:

Place hook in vise.

Start thread behind eye of hook, wrap thread back to just above the barb.

Tie in medium tinsel and build a small tag.

Tie tail, using golden pheasant tippets.

Tie in rib.

Tie in black wool body

Wrap body forward and tie off.

Wrap rib forward and tie off

Tie in black squirrel wing with thin strip of orange calf over black.

Tie in dyed black pheasant rump feather, by the tip, wrap around two-three times, and tie off.

Apply head cement.

Note that the club now has new Peak fly tying vises!

No Fly Tying in December

Fly Tying Session, November 16th

The November Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, November 16th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd.

Neal is going to lead the November fly tying session. He would like to know whether tyers would like to work on parachute flies or soft hackle flies. 

Tom will take a poll at the regular meeting. If you cannot attend the November General Meeting, please e-mail Tom, tomp345@gmail with your choice.

Central Oregon Fly Tyers' Guild

Zoom Fly Tying Classes

Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild (COFTG) 2023-24 Winter Zoom Fly Tying

classes started Thursday, November 2 at 5PM PST. The 20 weekly classes will continue through March 28th, with the exception of November 28 (Thanksgiving) and March 7 (Fly Fishing Expo). The Zoom Link to class does not change between classes - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7963775593?pwd=c1F0a0JwMHRHR3lydDJMMnNZOWh5dz09

Fly Tying Session, October 19th

The October Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, October 19th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd. All materials will be provided. Fly tiers of all skill levels are welcome. The fly pattern will be the Chernobyl Ant.

Fly Tying Session, September 21st

The September Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, September 21st, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd.

The pattern will be a Red Tail CDC Nymph. John Sorensen will lead the class. All materials will be provided. Fly tiers of all skill levels are welcome.

Fly Tying Session, August 17th

The August Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, August 17th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd.

As noted above, the pattern (one of Rob's favorites for offshore fishing) will be selected by members present during the General Meeting August 10th. All materials will be provided. Fly tiers of all skill levels are welcome.

Fly Tying Session, June 15th

The June Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, June 15th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd.

We will tie the Meathead green drake Euro nymph pattern. This pattern is tied by Josh Linn with Royal Treatment Fly Fishing. See the link below.

All materials will be provided. Fly tiers of all skill levels are welcome.

Latest Fly Fishing News and Reports - Meathead Green Drake Nymph - Royal Treatment Fly Fishing 

Fly Tying Session, May 18th

The regular monthly fly tying session will be Thursday, May 18th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport, 1211 SE Bay Blvd. This month's tying session will be led by Tom Peck. Tom is planning to tie a Sparkle Dun. Tiers can decide on the size and exact pattern they want to tie. Tom will tie Green Drake Sparkle Duns in sizes 10-12 as the showcase fly. There will be materials and colors for other versions of the Sparkle Dun. There will be a copy of Dave Hughes' Trout Flies for reference.

The basic materials are:

Hook: dry fly, size 10 - 18

Thread: 6/0 or 8/0. Color depends on fly pattern.

Wing: Natural gray Comparadun deer hair.

Tail: Z-lon. Color depends on the fly pattern.

Body: Fur or Superfine dubbing. Color depends on the fly pattern.

There will be tying instructions at the meeting

Fly Tying Session April 20th

The April Fly Tying Session will be Thursday, April 20th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport. The address for the OSU Extension office is 1211 SE Bay Blvd.

The monthly tying session will be led by Matt Spangler. He will tie the Improved Charlie Special, a stonefly pattern.

Improved Charlie Special

The Improved Charlie Special is a dry fly originated by Wayne Gravatt, a commercial tier from Missoula, Montana. Primarily intended as a stonefly imitation, it is tied in several colors and sizes.  We will be tying the large orange version that imitates the giant salmon fly. Changing up the color scheme to yellow/gold and dropping down a couple of sizes yields an excellent golden stone imitation. This is a good pattern to have in your box, in both orange and gold, if you are heading over to the lower Deschutes for the annual stonefly emergence in May. The Improved Charlie also makes a good all-around attractor in a dry/dropper setup.

Hook:        Daiichi 1280, TMC 5212, Mustad 94831, or equivalent 2X

long dry fly hook, size 4 or 6

Thread:     Orange or black 6/0

Body:         Orange 2mm foam strip 3/16” to ¼” wide, and dark red

polypropylene yarn

Hackle:      Brown or furnace saddle, one or two sizes smaller than hook

size

Wing:         Light gray or white polypropylene yarn

Legs:         Medium rubber or Sili legs, black barred orange

Tom will provide the hooks and materials.

February Fly Tying

The regular monthly fly tying session will be Thursday, February 16th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport, 1211 SE Bay Blvd. This month's tying session will be led by Neal Rea. He'll tie parachute flies--no specific pattern, but a good learning experience with posts and parachute hackle.

Parachute Flies

These flies are easier to see on the water than ordinary dry flies. Their white "parachute" makes them stand out so that they can be seen even in riffles. The trick to tying them is learning how to prepare a post and tie the parachute hackle. The same tying method works for all parachute flies, so this month's tying session will make it possible for you to tie any dry fly parachute style.

November Fly Tying

The regular monthly fly tying session will be Thursday, November 17th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport, 1211 SE Bay Blvd. This month's tying session will be led by Doug Canfield; the fly pattern will be an especially easy-to-tie one, the Thor

Thor

The Thor was developed in 1936 by C. Jim Pray. Walter Thoresen caught an 18-pound steelhead with the fly, and the steelhead won first place in that year’s Field and Stream contest. The fly was then named "Thor" for Walter Thoresen.

Materials:

Hook: Steelhead/salmon, sizes 4, 2, or 1

Thread: Black or orange, 8/0

Tail: Orange saddle hackle

Body: Red chenille

Hackle: Brown saddle hackle

Wing: White calf tail, bucktail, or Arctic fox

Tying Instructions:

1. Wrap thread forward to the hook eye, then backward to the bend, forming a solid base for the body.

2. Select fibers from an orange saddle hackle and tie in above the hook point.

3. Cut about six inches of red chenille. Strip red fuzz off about a eighth inch of the chenille and tie the core in right in front of the tail. 

4. Wrap thread forward to hook eye, followed by the chenille, leaving room for hackle and head. Tie off, trim.

5. Select brown saddle hackle and tie in the tip. Fold the hackle barbs back, pinching against the quill.

6. Wrap hackle 2-4 times with hackle pliers, smoothing barbs back. Tie off, trim.

7. Select white wing material. Cut a small pinch and stack it in a stacker. Tie the wing in, the length of the hook. Wing should be about the same length as the tail. Trim.

8. Form head, whip finish. Add head cement.

This pattern is often tied with a brown saddle hackle throat instead of hackle wrapped around the hook.

October Fly Tying

The regular monthly fly tying session will be Thursday, October 20th, 5:30 p.m., at the OSU Extension Office in Newport, 1211 SE Bay Blvd. This month's pattern is the Carey Special. The tying session will be led by Doug Canfield.

Carey Special

Hook: 3X-long nymph hook (here a Dai-Riki #710), size 10.

          Thread: Black, 6/0 or 140-denier.

                Rib: Gold Ultra Wire, small.

               Tail: Speckled Golden Olive Coq de Leon feather.

             Body: Brown-olive rabbit-fur dubbing.

          Thorax: Brown-olive SLF dubbing.

          Hackle: Speckled Golden Olive Coq de Leon feather.

            Head: Tying thread.

       Adhesive: Head cement or UV-cure resin.

Note: Try this pattern with different materials, colors, and sizes.

The history of the original Carey Special is a bit fuzzy, and it depends on your source material. The pattern was developed in the 1920s or 30s in Quesnel, British Columbia. According to one story, the fly was invented by Dr. Lloyd A. Day, who called it Monkey-Faced Louise; it was eventually renamed for Col. Tho Carey, who popularized it. Alternately, Colonel Carey created the pattern for Doctor Day, or they both played a part in the process. However it came to be, the Carey Special was intended for the lakes and ponds of central BC, and served as a general attractor pattern that could imitate dragonfly nymphs, small fishes, or even crayfish.

Step-by-step Tying Instructions

1. Start to wrap thread, leaving an eye-length space behind the eye. Snip off the tag.

2. A 10” length of the wire is enough to make several flies. Anchor the end of the wire to the hook shank behind the eye with tight wraps. Continue taking wraps rearward, binding the wire down as you go. Wrap all the way to the start of the bend of the hook.

3. Once the wire is in place, wrap forward with spiral wraps to two eye lengths behind the eye.

4. Select a Coq de Leon feather, from the edge of the skin side. Strip off the lower fuzzy fibers. Now, hold the feather’s tip and pull down the lower feathers to isolate the tip. Snip the tip off to create a “V” shape. Snip the butt end of the feather off, leaving a small stem handle. Moisten the fibers to make them easier to handle.

5. Measure the feather against the hook shank and move it back so that the tail will be the length of the hook shank. Secure the feather to the top of the hook shank. After a few wraps, pull up and snip off the butt end of the feather. Continue to wrap all the way back to the the bend of the hook.  Advance thread forward to above the hook point.

6. Pull the bobbin down to expose 4-5 inches of thread. Use dubbing to form a 4-inch dubbing noodle. Wrap back to the base of the tail to begin forming the body, wrapping the dubbing forward, leaving ample space behind the eye.

7. Grasp the wire and begin making open spiral wraps over the dubbing. When you reach the tying thread, use it to anchor the wire. Cut the wire.



8. For thorax, use a small amount of dubbing to form about an inch  long dubbing noodle. Take wraps to form the thorax, ending about an eye length behind the eye.

9. To form hackle, select a feather with the fibers as long as the hook. Strip the lower feathers off the stem, leaving the tip. With the shiny side of the feather facing you, use a few thread wraps to secure it. Trim off the stem and take a few more wraps to lock things down, ending at the hook eye.

10. Use hackle pliers to grasp the tip of the feather. Make only two wraps of the hackle.

11. Whip finish. 

Sherry Steele with Central Oregon Fly Tying Guild host Zoom fly tying presentations. Sherry recorded many of the presentations and has them available on YouTube. Click on the link below to watch them.

Subscribe to my channel to receive notice of new videos as I post them.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCr3stjmeFhmvvppxIhxZwGQ