In addition to the remarkable amounts of achievements in sea fishing, Billy Pate frequently visited the waters of Patagonia and in particular the Chimehuín river in search of a world record brown trout. During his time prospecting these waters he caught a number of trophy fish however did not manag View more...In addition to the remarkable amounts of achievements in sea fishing, Billy Pate frequently visited the waters of Patagonia and in particular the Chimehuín river in search of a world record brown trout. During his time prospecting these waters he caught a number of trophy fish however did not managed to break the record at the time. The funny thing was that Billy only used one fly which was a streamer with a muddler head that was very popular in the seventies called the Sportsman Muddler. Always using one fly allowed him to concentrate on the cast and fishing technique, and on reflection this approach of a single fly strategy worked very well. The Sportsman Muddler sold at that time was a pattern that originated from the Spuddler, a very popular streamer with a muddler head used by Joe Brooks. In the waters of Patagonia the Sportsman Muddler’s colour and size looked a lot like the Pancora (A small fish) and over the years has produced flawless results as it is easy to cast, doesn't tangle and moves a lot of water. Billy fished with a short but strong leader and a shooting sinking line as in those days the water was more coloured. As did Eliseo, Billy also used nylon as the running line and we began to learn that integrating the lines together allowed for more comfortable casting as it was like going from a Lada to a Ferrari. The articulated flies added a more modern movement in the fly and stimulated predators much more making it hard to resist. So keeping the original colours of the Sportsman Muddler that served me so well in the past, I have integrated materials to shape an articulated streamer that will not fail if fished with good technique and erratic movements. This is not really a streamer to swing but to strip and tease with with the rod tip and hand. The name Billy Pate Special came to me from a friend back in those interesting times in Junin when everyday ended in a different way sharing an epic experience together at the lodge on the Chimehuín.
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List of materials
REAR HOOK: Daiichi 1750 #4
FRONT SHANK: Waddington Senyo's articulated shank 40mm in green
THREAD: 8/0 White and hot orange.
TAIL: Golden pheasant neck.
BODY: Whitlock's SLF Dubbing minnow belly.
RIBBING: Thick copper wire.
BOTTOM WING: Calf yellow tail.
WING: Two feathers from Whiting Hen Cape, grizzly dyed brown coachman.
BACK: Peacock Fibers.
PECTORALS: Barred duck feathers
BACK HEAD: Golden olive rabbit on a dubbing loop wire, Golden dumbbell with red View more...REAR HOOK: Daiichi 1750 #4
FRONT SHANK: Waddington Senyo's articulated shank 40mm in green
THREAD: 8/0 White and hot orange.
TAIL: Golden pheasant neck.
BODY: Whitlock's SLF Dubbing minnow belly.
RIBBING: Thick copper wire.
BOTTOM WING: Calf yellow tail.
WING: Two feathers from Whiting Hen Cape, grizzly dyed brown coachman.
BACK: Peacock Fibers.
PECTORALS: Barred duck feathers
BACK HEAD: Golden olive rabbit on a dubbing loop wire, Golden dumbbell with red 3D holographic eyes.
FRONT HEAD: Senyo's hot Orange Laser dubbing.
Steps
Step 1
We tie a full golden pheasant neck feather in, making sure the fibres do not extend past the bend of the hook, using white thread.
Step 2
We return the thread to the tail and tie in a section of thick copper wire to create the ribbing of the fly. The wire should be around 35mm in diameter.
Step 3
Using the dubbing create a tapered body to the eye of the hook and wrap the copper wire up the body of the fly. Tie off the thread with a whip finish and add a touch of cyanoacrylate cement to secure it. The SLF dubbing contains some glitter so there is no need to add any more glitter in the rest of the fly.
Step 4
Connect the hook to the front shank and make sure it is secured. We copy the same technique used in the back section of the fly by first tying in some copper wire and create a tapered body with the dubbing. Make sure you have left enough space for the eyes and head of the fly. In order to create the cigar like taper add three layers of dubbing at different lengths and cover with a final layer to make a smooth taper.
View more...Connect the hook to the front shank and make sure it is secured. We copy the same technique used in the back section of the fly by first tying in some copper wire and create a tapered body with the dubbing. Make sure you have left enough space for the eyes and head of the fly. In order to create the cigar like taper add three layers of dubbing at different lengths and cover with a final layer to make a smooth taper.
Step 5
We add a bunch of fibers on top to form a yellow wing to hold the feathers on. Do not shape it so it is pointed.
Step 6
We take two long Whiting feathers and crush the quills flat with some pliers to make them easier to tie in and prevents them moving to one side. The hen feathers are broader and have a flatter quill making them easier to tie in.
Step 7
Take 8-10 Peacock fibers and tie them down on top of the hen feathers making sure they curve across the body. Make sure the fibres are all of equal length finishing where the tail does.
Step 8
Tie in the dumbbell eyes below the shank and stick on the 3D holographic eyes. Add cyanoacrylate cement to secure the dumbbell and 3D Holographic eyes. Then tie in a duck feather or something similar on each side to create pectoral fins. I take duck feather from my friends that hunt as the quill is very flat which prevents the feather from rotating round the shank.
Step 9
We tie a dubbing loop of copper or stainless steel wire behind the eyes and add 4cm rabbit hairs making sure it is equal length all the way down. Use the rabbit brush the form the back part of the head.
Step 10
As we wrap the brush round the shank, continue to comb the fibers back and cut away any excess. Pass the wire round the eyes to secure the brush and eyes better to the shank.
Step 11
Change threads from white to hot orange. In front of the eyes tie in a bunch of Senyo’s Dubbing as shown in the photo.
Step 12
Repeat the previous step on the bottom of the head and comb the fibers back. With the thread form a tapered head of the fly before tying it off with a whip finish. Add some cyanoacrylate cement and cut away the thread as well as any excess fibers. Using a wire brush remove any lose dubbing that may be left over and our Billy Pate Special is complete ready for a monster brown.