Fly Tying Inventory
Squirrel Damsel
Cheech came up with the Squirrel Damsel after a heavy damsel hatch where big cruising fish looked at thick flies and turned away. This version stays thin, carries a long, wiggly marabou tail, and has buggy pine squirrel in the body. It has no added weight and is meant to be fished near the top of the water column. It can also be tied in darker olive or tan, and it is simple enough to tie by the dozen. Tied here on a size 12 hook.
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Materials
Maxima Chameleon leader material, 30 lb (or Sunset Amnesia line, 20 lb, red)
30 lb
Wooly Bugger Marabou, olive
Olive
Midge Sparkle Braid, Rootbeer
Rootbeer
Whole pine squirrel skin, fluorescent chartreuse, for the dubbing
Fl. Chartreuse
Ice Dub, olive brown
Olive brown
Whiting Red Label hen saddle, grizzly dyed yellow (or Whiting Brahma hen saddle, mottled gray dyed golden olive)
Grizzly dyed yellow
How to Tie the Squirrel Damsel
- 1
Step 1
Mount the hook in the vise, start the thread and trim the tag.
- 2
Step 2
Cut a short piece of the heavy mono and melt each end into a small ball to form a pair of eyes.
- 3
Step 3
Tie the mono eyes across the top of the shank just behind the hook eye with crossing thread wraps.
- 4
Step 4
Wrap the thread back to the bend. Tie in a clump of olive marabou for a long tail, then trim the butts.
- 5
Step 5
Tie in the Midge Sparkle Braid at the base of the tail and let it hang behind the hook.
- 6
Step 6
Pull fur from the pine squirrel skin and comb out a small amount.
- 7
Step 7
Form a dubbing loop, spin the fur in it, and wrap the strand forward to form a thin, buggy body, stopping short of the eyes.
- 8
Step 8
Spiral the braid forward over the body in open turns. Tie it off and trim the excess.
- 9
Step 9
Prepare a hen saddle feather and tie it in near the front of the body.
- 10
Step 10
Wrap the feather forward in a few sparse turns so the fibers sit out from the body. Tie it off and trim the excess.
- 11
Step 11
Dub the olive brown Ice Dub onto the thread and wrap it in front of the hackle up to the eyes.
- 12
Step 12
Whip finish at the head and trim the thread, then brush out the body so the fibers stand away from it.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7Jc84DYUj8
Credit: Cheech / Fly Fish Food