Fly Tying Inventory
Yak Streamer
Yak Streamer is Cheech's big synthetic baitfish, tied after seeing some large flies made for lake trout. Synthetic yak hair flows well in the water and keeps its bulk, so the fly builds a tall profile from very little material and stays easy to cast. White under brown gives a pale belly and dark back, and a composite loop of Ripple Ice Fiber and opossum fills the head. Colors, hook and eyes are all open to change, and the same fly works well on a tube. Tied here on a size 5/0 hook.
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Materials
Hemingway's Jungle Cock Substitute, red (or UV-3D Imitation Jungle Cock, orange)
Red
Raidzap UV Resin Medium, for the head
How to Tie the Yak Streamer
- 1
Step 1
Start the white thread behind the eye and lay a base back along the shank to the start of the bend.
- 2
Step 2
Tie in a sparse bunch of Polar Flash at the rear of the shank for the tail. Bind the butts along the shank and trim any excess.
- 3
Step 3
Pull a length of white synthetic yak hair from the hank and draw the fibers apart by hand so both ends taper instead of finishing blunt.
Tapered bunches are what keep this fly slim at the tail and full at the head.
- 4
Step 4
Tie the white bunch on near its middle at the rear of the shank, fold the forward half back and bind it down so the fibers stream past the tail.
- 5
Step 5
Taper a bunch of brown yak hair the same way and tie it in on top of the white, folding it back to form the dark back of the fly.
- 6
Step 6
Keep adding white below and brown above, working forward along the shank to build a tall, tapered profile. Stop short of the eye so there is room for the head.
- 7
Step 7
Away from the vise, cut Ripple Ice Fiber in shrimp pink and UV pearl into short lengths and spread them on a flat pad. Cut opossum hair from the hide and layer it over the fibers.
- 8
Step 8
Pick the stack up with a dubbing loop tweezer so the fibers stay evenly spread along its length.
- 9
Step 9
Form a thread loop at the front of the body, set the stack into the loop and spin it into a tight strand.
- 10
Step 10
Wrap the strand forward as a collar, stroking the fibers back with each turn. Tie it off and trim the excess.
- 11
Step 11
Brush and stroke the collar back so it blends into the sides of the body and fills out the head.
- 12
Step 12
Tie a little Ripple Ice Dub, mother of pearl, in front of the collar as a filler for extra head bulk.
- 13
Step 13
Turn the fly over, tie one more bunch of white yak hair on the underside ahead of the collar and fold it back over the belly. Turn the fly upright and do the same with brown on top, so it covers the top of the head.
- 14
Step 14
Fix a Hemingway's Jungle Cock Substitute on each side of the head. Whip finish, coat the thread head with Raidzap UV Resin Medium and cure it.
Watch Tying Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aol6Bq4jMXg
Credit: Cheech / Fly Fish Food