Some Harry Lemire Steelhead Flies AJL FB Post February 8, 2016

Some Harry Lemire Steelhead Flies
AJL FB Post February 8, 2016
Last week on January 27th,
the Vancouver Museum
people were at my house
for a photo shoot and for
the designer of the display
to look at some of the
items that will be featured.
We looked at my big fly
box. I have some flies
labeled so I know where
they came from and I
noticed the Fall Caddis
and Thompson River
Caddis that Harry gave me
about 20 years ago. The
other two flies featured
here Black Diamond and
Golden Edge Orange were
part of Harry`s contribution
to my Contemporary Fly
Patterns of British
Columbia book. Harry put
the Black Daimond and Golden Edge Orange in a
plastic case and wrote the names ot the flies on a
sticker and I added the H. Lemire. Most of the other
flies he gave me have gone to fundraisers. The
information on the flies is from my book, published in
2006.
Washington State’s Harry Lemire is one of the Pacific
Northwest’s premier steelhead fly fishers. For nearly
50 years Harry has influenced steelhead fly fishers
with his innovative ideas on flies and fly presentation.
He has spent parts of five decades fly fishing British
Columbia’s running and stillwaters and has tested his
flies on many of our waters. No book on British
Columbia flies would be complete without some of his
patterns.
Black Diamond
Originated and contributed by Harry Lemire
Hook: Size 2 to 8, Partridge single
salmon
Thread: Black
Tip: Fine silver tinsel
Body: Black dubbing
Rib: Flat, silver tinsel
Throat: Guinea hen tied as a beard
Wing: Guinea hen and gray
squirrel mixed over four peacock
sword fibres
Cheeks: Jungle cock
Intended Use: Floating-line, wet
fly for summer-run steelhead
Comments: Originated in 1963
and named after the town in which
I lived for 30 plus years, the Black
Diamond has filled the bill for
those times when I felt I needed a
little blackish bug. This fly is
generally used as a change-up
pattern but I sometimes use it all
day. The Black Diamond has been
a very reliable fly and I have
caught many steelhead with it. It is
used extensively in B.C., as well
as Washington and Idaho.
Golden Edge Orange
Originated and contributed by Harry Lemire
Hook: Size 2 to 6, Partridge
salmon
Thread: Orange
Tip & Tail: Fine flat silver
tinsel and Golden pheasant
crest feather
Body: Orange dubbing
Rib: Flat silver tinsel
Throat: Guinea hen beard
Wing: Mixed, bronze
mallard and gray squirrel tail
with a Golden pheasant crest
topping
Intended Use: Steelhead wet
fly
Comments: Both flies were
developed in the very early
1970s. The Golden Edge
Orange is identical to the
Yellow except it is dressed
with orange thread and has
an orange head and body. I
have always preferred the
more natural or buggier
looking patterns and there
aren’t very many bright flies
in my boxes. However, I
realize that bright flies are
needed from time to time
and I have settled on the
Golden Edge Yellow and
Orange. I also find them
very aesthetically pleasing to
the eye and I’ve used this
pattern extensively in B.C.,
as well as Washington and
Idaho.
Fall Caddis
Originated and contributed by Harry Lemire
Hook: Size 4 to 8, Partridge Wilson
salmon dry fly or 3 to 9, Alec
Jackson
Thread: Black Nymo or Kevlar
Body: Burnt orange or light orange
dubbing
Rib: Bronze mylar or fine bronze
wire
Hackle: Moose hair spun to form
head and hackles
Wing: Under wing of gray squirrel
and an over wing of tented game
hen hackle
Intended Use: A low riding, waking
fly (Caddis pattern) for summer-run
steelhead
Comments: Developed in 1984
and used extensively in many B.C.,
Washington and Idaho rivers, this
fly was my number two grease
lining fly for steelhead. It produced
a lot of fish in the fall of the year
when the Fall Caddis is on the river.
However, it moved into number
three spot after I developed the
Thompson River Caddis and that fly
sometime pushes on the Grease
Liner for my number one spot.
To successfully tie this fly’s head
and legs, spin moose body hair in a
dubbing loop, trim 80% like
chenille, leaving a dozen or so hairs
at the neck to represent legs. Then
wrap and trim head shovel-shaped,
flat on top and bottom.
Fish with a floating line, and dress
leader and fly with floatant. For
more information see Steelhead Fly
Fishing (1991) by Trey Combs.
Thompson River Caddis
Originated and contributed by Harry Lemire
Hook: Size 4 to 8, Partridge
Wilson salmon dry fly or 3 to 7,
Alec Jackson
Thread: Size A, black, Nymo or
Kevlar
Body: Insect green, black, gray,
golden yellow or orange
dubbing
Rib: Black, tying thread
Hackle: Moose body hair spun
to form head and hackle
Wing: Two green phase ringnecked pheasant back feathers,
one shorter than the other
Intended Use: A low riding,
waking fly (Caddis pattern) for
summer-run steelhead
Comments: Follow the
instructions to spin the moose
hair head and legs and trim as
per the Fall Caddis. Developed
in 1986, this is one of my
favourite skating patterns.
Originally I dressed this fly with
the insect green body but I have
found that other colours work
just as well. The fly has a great
silhouette, suggesting a fleeting
prey when skated across the
surface. Fish with a floating line
and dress leader and fly with
floatant. Like my other steelhead
patterns this fly has seen
extensive use on B.C.,
Washington and Idaho rivers.