Chinese White

A bright tube fly for salmon in clear water created by Danish Ken Bonde Larsen. Tied in the Scandinavian style with a large and soft hair wing made of several layers. Easy to tie and impressive both in and out of the water.

Published on Oct 26. 2008 - 17 years ago
Updated or edited 5 years ago

Two White Chinese - the front one with a rubber cone for use in water where metal cones are banned. Tied by Ken Bonde Larsen

Martin Joergensen

This salmon fly is tied in the Scandinavian tradition by Danish fly tier Ken Bonde Larsen. It's tied on a tube, which makes it light and easy to cast, still voluminous and good looking. And tying it on a tube makes it quite easy to get the wing both wide and good looking.

Tubes are a perfect foundation for hair wing flies, and making the with look good on a tube is mainly a question of tying it in in sections and making sure that it spreads over the upper half of the tube - in a controlled manner of course.

Many Scandinavian tube flies are tied with cone heads. This both finishes the fly in a harmonic and easy way, and at the same time adds a bit of weight, which can be crucial to the seducing movement of the fly. The metal cones are banned in some water - referred to as "weighted flies" - and for use in such water you will have to tie the fly with a traditional head or use the rubber or plastic cones, which are available. The "Chinese hat" cones seen here will spread the water over the wing and add turbulence, which again will make the wing move more.

This fly may seem bright, but in clear, greenish waters it will blend in, and not apprear nearly as luminescent as it looks on these pictures shot against a dark background.

The materials

Martin Joergensen

The Chinese White

Fly pattern, materials and tying steps

Pattern type

Tube fly

Originator

Ken Bonde Larsen

Species

atlantic salmon (sea run)

steelhead (sea run)

Materials
Tube	1 inch green plastic with inner tube (FITS-system)
Thread	White
Tail	Yellow Antron
Tag	Bright chartreuse Antron
Rib	Medium silver
Body	White pearlescent Angel Hair
Body hackle	One badger and one chartreuse
Flash	Yellow Twinkle
Wing	White Arctic fox - two sections separated by a little Angel Hair
Front hackle	Yellow ostrich
Cone	Flat metal or rubber cone - chartreuse

Tying instructions

See picture series below

Skill level/difficulty

Medium

Step 1 - the tube	Step 2 - the tail	Step 3 - folded tail
Step 4 - trim the tail	Step 5 - rib and butt material	Step 6 - the butt
Step 7 - the dubbing	Step 8 - form the body	Step 9 - the body

Martin Joergensen

Step 10 - velcro	Step 11 - body ready	Step 12 - hackle feathers
Step 13 - prepare the hackle	Steo 14 - wind the hackle	Step 15 - ribbing

Martin Joergensen

Step 16 - flash	Step 17 - wing preparation	Step 18 - first wing section
Step 19 - wing shape	Step 20 - flash	Step 21 - trim
Step 22 - second wing section	Step 23 - pinching	Step 24 - ostrich hackle
Step 25 - hackling	Step 26 - finishing the hackle	Step 27 - cut inner tube
Step 28 - ready for the cone	Step 29 - cone	Step 30 - cone