If you are anything like me tying 'buggers and Clousers can get a little monotonous to say the least. When tying flies becomes more of a chore than a pleasure I think it is extremely important to break the mold and experiment with new patterns. One way of doing this is to browse through patterns designed for other species to try to figure out a way to adapt those patterns to your needs.  Recently I have looked through some amazingly beautiful Spey style flies designed for Steelhead and Salmon. With their bright colors and expensive materials they seem more suited for display cases than on the ends of our tippets. I’m sure when you think about actually fishing with these flies you picture yourself somewhere in the Pacific Northwest or the gin clear waters of Canada in pursuit of the majestic Atlantic Salmon. Can you imagine yourself flinging these works of art in the warmwater streams in your own backyard? Well now you should! Materials You Will Need Hook: Daiichi 2161 Salmon Hook Hackle: Burnt Furnace Schlappen Body: Rust Ice Dub Wing: Brown Mallard Flank Step 1: Secure your hook in the vise and wrap thread back to the hook point. Step 2: To get a sparse, flowing look to the hackle, I personally prefer to strip one side of the feather. Tie the hackle in by the tip. If you stripped one side of the hackle be sure to tie it in so that when it is wrapped or palmered, the feather barbs will be angled toward the rear of the fly. Step 3: Make sure the thread is back to the tie in spot for the hackle. For the body it is important to give this fly a “buggy” look. This can be achieved by using a dubbing loop and applying the dubbing so that not all of the fibers will be "spun" into the loop. The fibers inside the loop before being spun or twisted should extend outward on both sides of the loop. This will secure those fibers inside the loop while giving it the “buggy” look we're after. Use a liberal amount of dubbing because the body should give a nice, thick profile. Step 4: Advance the thread toward the front of the hook. Wrap your dubbing up the hook to the thread. As the dubbing is being wrapped, stroke the fibers from the previous wraps backward or out of the way of the continuing wraps, to ensure they are not trapped down. Step 5: Palmer the hackle up the shank to the thread. As the hackle is being wrapped, make sure the fibers are sweeping back toward the rear of the hook. This will give the fly a “fleeing” presentation in the water. Secure the hackle with a few wraps of thread and trim any excess. Step 6: The final step is to apply the wing. Hold the mallard flank feather next to the hook and measure so that it extends from the eye to the rear of the hook. Strip any fibers from the stem that extend past this point. Apply the wing so that it sits flat and directly on top of the shank. Secure it in place; make sure the wing sits flush with the shank as it extends to the rear of the hook and allow the body hackle to fold down underneath the shank. Once the wing is secured, trim any excess, whip finish and apply a drop of cement. Now you have a fully functional spey fly that can be fished for a variety of species! The finished fly Top View If a more traditional streamer is more your style, substitute a 4XL streamer hook for a salmon hook. Use burnt orange marabou for a tail and follow the same instructions. Hatches Magazine Subscription Price: $6.95 for each issue The Premiere issue is ready for shipping & the Fall 2008 issue will be available September 1st.