Fly Tying Inventory
Golden Demon
A classic Pacific Northwest steelhead fly that Zane Grey brought back from New Zealand in the 1930s and adapted, trying it on the Rogue and Umpqua rivers. Its success led to the Copper, Silver and Black Demon variations. This simplified version has a golden pheasant crest tail, a gold tinsel body, an orange hackle collar and a red squirrel wing. The first versions used brown bucktail, but red squirrel became the standard, and bear hair or bronze mallard wings are also used. Tied here on a size 2 hook.
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Materials
Superfly Salmon/Steelhead HW hook, size 2
2
6/0 thread (140 denier), black
Black · 6/0
Flat gold tinsel (or oval or embossed gold tinsel)
Gold
Orange hackle
Orange
Red squirrel tail (or brown bucktail)
Red Brown
Jungle cock nails
How to Tie the Golden Demon
- 1
Step 1
Clamp the hook in the vise and start the black thread behind the eye. Wrap a smooth base back to the bend.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in a golden pheasant crest feather at the bend so it curves upward for the tail. Bind the stem along the shank and trim it.
- 3
Step 3
Tie in the gold tinsel and wrap it in tight, touching turns to form a smooth body. Tie it off well short of the eye to leave room for the collar and wing, and trim.
For a fuller body, wrap a single strand of floss as an underbody first. A coat of varnish or cement over the tinsel makes it more durable.
- 4
Step 4
Tie in an orange hackle by the tip in front of the body and wind a few turns for the collar. Tie it off and trim.
- 5
Step 5
Stroke the hackle fibers back and down and take a few thread wraps to hold them sweeping back under the hook.
- 6
Step 6
Cut a bunch of red squirrel tail, clean out the underfur and even the tips. Measure it against the hook and tie it in on top for the wing.
- 7
Step 7
Trim the wing butts and wrap over them to make a smooth base for the head.
- 8
Step 8
If you like, tie a jungle cock nail on each side of the wing at the head.
- 9
Step 9
Build a neat, tapered head, whip finish and cut the thread.
A tag and a rib can be added to dress the fly up.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcCG0QbqFnc
Credit: Piscator Flies