From BT’s Fly Tying Friday, 12 November 2021. Mike Kelly shows us two of his favourite streamer patterns – the Corn Buck Streamer and the Mormon Girl.

Be sure to watch to the end of the video – Al Beatty shares a quick dubbing tip that’s crucial for anyone attempting to apply those fuzzy fibres to the thread before wrapping them around the hook. Hint: the direction really does matter.

Corn Buck Streamer

The Corn Buck is a classic Streamer that features an intriguing colour scheme that combines vibrant yellow and orange hues, designed to catch the attention of both trout and smallmouth bass. Its unique pattern and lively appearance make it an effective choice for anglers targeting these species in various water conditions.

Materials

• Hook:Size 2 – 12, 3- or 4-x long streamer
• Thread:Black
• Tail:Red feather tip(s)
• Rib:Oval tinsel, silver
• Body: Flat tinsel, silver
• Hackle: Yellow, as a throat
• Wing: Squirrel tail, fox or grey
• Head: Thread

Tying Instructions

1. Attach the Thread:
   • Start by attaching the black thread to the hook shank. Begin at the eye and wrap backward to create a smooth base for tying in materials.
2. Prepare the Tail:
   • Select two hackle tips and prepare them to the appropriate length.
   • Tie in the hackle tips at the rear of the hook, leaving the quills long. This will provide extra support and help keep them in place.
3. Tie in the Rib:
   • Tie in the oval tinsel at the same point as the hackle tips. Leave the length of the thread-covered body for proper wrapping later.
4. Attach the Tinsel:
   • Tie in the flat tinsel with the silver side facing up. This way, when wrapped, the gold side will be visible. Tie it in at the rear of the hook, covering the length of the thread-wrapped body.
5. Create the Body:
   • Wrap the tinsel forward in touching turns to create a smooth, shiny body. Secure the tinsel with the thread at the front of the hook.
6. Wrap the Rib:
   • Counter-wind the oval tinsel rib forward over the tinsel body. This strengthens the body and adds a segmented appearance. Tie off the wire at the front of the hook and trim the excess.
7. Prepare the Wing:
   • Select a bunch of red squirrel hair for the wing. Tie it in on top of the hook shank, just in front of the body. To prevent the wing from slipping, bring a wrap in between the hairs to start and then bind down securely.
8. Add the Throat:
   • Move the thread to the back of the head. Select yellow saddle hackle fibers for the throat and tie them in underneath the hook shank. Ensure the length is about right; the throat should not be too big on this fly.
9. Finish the Fly:
   • Whip finish the thread to create a neat head.
   • Apply head cement to the thread wraps to secure everything in place and add durability.

Your Corn Buck is now complete and ready to fish. This fly’s bright colours and realistic profile make it an effective pattern for mimicking small minnows and attracting fish. Happy tying and tight lines!

Mormon Girl Wet Fly

The Mormon Girl is a wet fly that delivers excellent results when used properly. This pattern features grizzly hackle throughout the body, enhancing its effectiveness. Use this superb wet fly to easily catch rainbow and brown trout.

Mike Kelly says of the Mormon Girl…

If you like red and yellow, here’s another one for you: the Mormon Girl streamer. It’s another beautiful fly, using a golden pheasant tippet for the tail and badger guard hairs for the wing. Badger hair isn’t very expensive, around two or three bucks for a small patch.

Interestingly, it resembles a fly called the Professor, which also has a yellow body, red tip, and mallard wing. The Mormon Girl is supposed to imitate a little yellow stonefly, or yellow sally. The streamer version was adapted from the wet fly, as many classic streamers are. It doesn’t look much like the wet fly except for the colouring.

Materials

• Hook: Size 2 – 12, 3- or 4-x long streamer
• Thread: Black
• Tail: Gold pheasant tippets
• Abdomen: Red floss
• Rib: Oval tinsel, silver
• Thorax: Yellow chenille
• Throat: Silver badger or grizzly
• Wing: Badger guard hairs
• Head: Thread

Tying Instructions

When tying this fly, you’ll need a good amount of guard hairs from the badger fur. If you can’t find badger hair, grey squirrel tail can work as a substitute. The grey squirrel has similar markings, including the white tip, but it’s stiffer than badger guard hairs. Badger guard hairs are softer and move well in the water.

For this fly, use a white thread instead of black. Black thread can change the colour of the red floss when wet. White thread prevents this issue. Here’s the tying process:

1. Start with White Thread:
   • Use 140 denier white thread. Start in the middle to mark where the red body will go.
2. Tie in the Tail:
   • Use golden pheasant tippets for the tail. Tie them in at the back of the hook, ensuring a tapered end to avoid bumps.
3. Tie in the Rib and Floss:
   • Tie in the rib and floss at the tail. Wrap the floss forward, flattening and gathering the strands together. Reverse-wrap the floss and then wrap the rib in the opposite direction for a secure tie-down.
4. Create the Body:
   • Wrap the floss body forward, ensuring nice coverage with overlapping strands. Then wrap the rib normally, making three or four turns to let the red show through.
5. Add the Chenille:
   • Tease away some chenille to expose the core and tie it down without a lump. Wrap the chenille tightly without crowding the eye of the hook.
6. Prepare the Wing:
   • Use badger guard hairs for the wing. Clip a chunk of badger fur, remove the underfur, and stack the tips. Measure the wing length and tie it in securely.
7. Add the Throat:
   • Measure and tie in the throat with badger hair or a substitute. Ensure it’s the right length and securely tied.
8. Colour the Thread:
   • If using white thread, use a sharpie to colour it black before finishing the fly. This helps blend the thread with the rest of the fly.
9. Whip Finish:
   • Perform a whip finish to secure the thread. Apply head cement to complete the fly.

The Mormon Girl streamer has a dynamic wing that moves well in the water, especially with slow, short twitches during retrieval. The Mormon Girl’s vibrant red and yellow colouring makes it attractive to fish.