Fly Tying Inventory
Blanton's Whistler
Dan Blanton's Whistler, also known as the Flashtail Whistler, is a weighted bucktail streamer. It has a long white tail with flash, grizzly flanks, a red chenille gill and a full red hackle collar behind heavy bead-chain eyes. It was created for striped bass on California's Delta; it rides deep and pulses on the strip, and is now a standby for pike and for smallmouth and largemouth bass too. The big bead-chain eyes are said to whistle through the air on the cast, which gave the fly its name.
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Materials
Mustad C52S, size 4/0 to 4
4/0-4
Lead wire, .030 in, 10-12 wraps
.030
Bead chain eyes, silver, large
Silver · Large
White bucktail
White
Pearl Flash Accent, a few strands
Pearl
Grizzly rooster saddle hackles, one along each side of the tail
Grizzly
Medium chenille, red
Red · Medium
Red schlappen or rooster saddle hackle
Red
How to Tie the Blanton's Whistler
- 1
Step 1
Start the red thread on the front half of the shank and make 10 to 12 turns of .030 lead wire there, leaving room behind the eye. Cover the lead with thread.
The whole fly is built on the front half of the hook; starting the tail at the bend makes the body far too long.
- 2
Step 2
Tie the bead-chain eyes on top of the shank just behind the hook eye with crisscross wraps, and add a drop of glue.
- 3
Step 3
Behind the lead, tie in a clump of white bucktail for the tail, with the tips running well past the bend.
- 4
Step 4
Add silver holographic Flashabou over the bucktail, then a few strands of pearl Flash Accent, trimmed to about the length of the bucktail.
- 5
Step 5
Tie a grizzly saddle hackle flat along each side of the tail as flanks.
Strip the base of each stem and lay it flat against the shank before you tighten down, so the feathers don't twist.
- 6
Step 6
Tie in the red chenille where the tail was tied in and wrap it forward over the lead as a short red body. Stop well behind the eyes to leave room for the collar.
- 7
Step 7
Tie in a red schlappen or saddle feather by its tip and wrap it as a dense collar, stroking the fibres back after each turn. Tie it off behind the eyes.
- 8
Step 8
Make a few figure-eight wraps around the eyes to tidy them, form a small head in front, whip finish and cement.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13D3JK--kaY
Credit: Dressed Irons