Tying the Pine Special

I tied the Pine Special some time within the past two years, didn't name it, and left it sitting in the bottom of a drawer. This November I found it as I packed up to move. I stuck in my box. The next time I fished a small stream it was the first and only fly I tied on. It took some awesome pre-spawn natives. It has earned a permanent place in my box and does deserve an actual name.

The materials used are any color 600 thread, a size 8-12 streamer hook, grizzly saddles, mallard flank wood duck, orange marabou, and red and yellow saddles.

Tie in the thread at the eye of the hook. You will not be going much farther back the hook shank.

Tie two grizzly saddles twice the length of the hook, one on each side and tilted slightly upwards.

For the cheek use the mallard flank wood duck, half the length of the hook shank.

 Between the hackles tie in orange marabou tips (least webby and tightly grouped) noticeably longer than the cheeks.

The red hackle fibers should be the same length as the marabou. Two wraps is all that is needed. Pull the fibers back and put a couple wraps of thread to angle them away from the eye.

Do the same with one turn of yellow, whip finish and cement.

I like to fish these flies by casting them upstream and retrieving them back to me at a fast pace, particularly n the fall when fish are aggressive against potential egg eaters. This fly can represent small brookies, salmon par, and red shiner with reasonable accuracy and is therefore also useful on bigger streams for brown and rainbow trout that feed heavily on these species.