Beaverhead Skater

[salmobytes 0]

This is a rare fly. I haven't seen another. There are a lot of Al Troth shadow boxes that have been sold at TU auctions. Al and his son Erik made a lot of them, in Al's Garage in Dillon MT. There may be a few that include this fly but I haven't seen it yet.

This is Al's version of the Ed Hewitt Neversink Skater.

Mostly deer hair for the hackle with a twist of Guinea Fowl up front. Tied on a #8 salmon hook. The hackle diameter is 2-1/2" inches. This was for night fishing on the Beaverhead River in Montana. Cool fly.

[Lesg 0]

As a kid I had one of these tied by my Great Grandfather but i think it was from the backyard chicken coop. It was about 1 1/2 " in dia. if I remember correctly but it has disappeared somewhere in the past.

[vicente 0]

Is the deer hair put in a loop or spun?

[salmobytes 0]

Loop or spun? I think spun but I'm not certain. I have to give the fly back to its owner tomorrow. I'll look tonight.

[niveker 0]

Odd that you post that fly today.

 

Last night I was going through the e-book links posted by flytire and noahguide and came across that pattern, though without the feather, only deer hair.

 

In the recipes I read, It is indeed spun deer hair, two clumps opposing each other. I have heard of Hewitt's Neversink Skater, and tied a few up this past Spring, but they have never made it off my desk. The use of only deer intrigued me. I will try to find the references again.

[niveker 0]

I found it quicker than I expected. It was in Popular Fly Patterns by Terry Hellekson

 

He calls it a Deer Hair Spider, and suggests tying it with a tail of elk hair. He goes on to mention Hewitts Skater Spider the Troth Hair Spider.

[SBPatt 0]

Theres a fly called the Skitterbug, attributed to Dick Stewart back in 1975, thats pretty much the same as Al Troths. I tied this one up in an SBS a few years ago; unfortunately the photos are no longer available, just this blurry one

 

 

I really like the guinea on the front of the OPs version; kind of a Jingler.

 

Regards,

Scott

[salmobytes 0]

I miss Dick Stewart. He was one of the good ones. His son (can't remember his name) ended up being a full time computer nerd I think. Somewhat like myself.

[Lesg 0]

A bit of investigation has shown that the fly from my Great Grandfather was a Neversink skater tied completely with hackle not with deer hair. Different fly same concept.