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Published Jan 1. 2001 - 23 years ago
Updated or edited Apr 1. 2017
Smelt
The "king of baitfish", the American Smelt is the inspiration for the vast majority of New England Streamer patterns. Though there are a number of smelt species throughout the world, it's the Atlantic Rainbow Smelt that populates New England's waters, and is the one most-commonly immitated.
- Introduction
- American Smelt (Osmerus Mordax)
- Pattern Listing
- Barnes Special
- Big Burnt Lake Smelt
- Blue Smelt #1
- Blue Smelt #2
- Cerise Fire
- Chemquasibamticook Smelt
- Chesuncook Smelt
- Daisey Mae
- Flagg's Smelt
- Golden Red
- Green Beauty
- Helter Smelter
- Ice Out
- Jane Craig
- Jerry's Smelt Variant
- JJ's Smelt
- Lavender And Lace
- Magic Marabou Smelt
- Martinek Golden Smelt
- Memphramagog Smelt
- Moondog Smelt
- Orange Sunshine
- Pheasant Ghost
- Pintail Smelt
- Sandbar Smelt
- Silver Smelt
- Steve's Smelt
- Winnipesaukee Smelt
- Winni Pinni
Introduction
This feature is part of a series of articles being created as a group effort by members of the Streamer List to provide some background information on the species of forage fish we most commonly try to immitate with streamer patterns. Many thanks to the list members who contributed patterns and other information! If you'd like to include one of your favorite smelt patterns to this feature, we'd be pleased to include it.
American Smelt (Osmerus Mordax)
The "king of baitfish", the American Smelt is the inspiration for the vast majority of New England Streamer patterns. Though there are a number of smelt species throughout the world, it's the Atlantic Rainbow Smelt that populates New England's waters, and is the one most-commonly immitated. At some point, I'll write up a more complete description of the smelt, it's range and habitat, and other facts as was done for the other forage fish features in this series, but for now.....On to the patterns!
Pattern Listing
Barnes Special
Bob Skehan
| THREAD | red |
| HOOK | Mustad 94720, size 2-10 |
| TAIL | a pair of jungle cock body feathers |
| BODY | flat silver mylar tinsel |
| RIB | fine oval silver tinsel |
| WING | 2 yellow saddle hackles flanked by a pair of grizzly saddle hackles |
| COLLAR | white saddle hackle, tied back |
Big Burnt Lake Smelt
Scott Daskiewich
| THREAD | black |
| HOOK | Mustad 94720 size 2-4 |
| BODY | White micro-chenille |
| UNDERWING | Brown dyed fox squirrel tail over white bucktail |
| WING | Layers from body upward:
|
| SHOULDER | Natural hen |
| CHEEK | Jungle cock |
Blue Smelt #1
Stan Jakubaszek
| HEAD | black |
| TAIL | Red hackle barbules |
| BODY | Flat silver tinsel |
| THROAT | Red hackle barbules |
| WING | White bucktail w/blue bucktail over |
| TOPPING | 5-6 strands peacock herl |
| CHEEK | Jungle cock |
Blue Smelt #2
Stan Jakubaszek
| HEAD | black |
| TAIL | red hackle fibers |
| BODY | embossed gold tinsel |
| THROAT | white bucktail |
| WING | blue mallard, tied flat |
Cerise Fire
Stan Jakubaszek
| HEAD | Metallic lavender |
| TAIL | Hot pink hackle |
| RIB | Silver twist |
| BODY | Embossed copper |
| THROAT | Fluorescent cerise goose barbs |
| UNDERWING | Peacock herl |
| WING | fl. Cerise, hot pink, purple married strips goose |
| SHOULDER | GP neck feathers |
Chemquasibamticook Smelt
Lindsey Grandison
| TAG | flat silver tinsel |
| BODY | white floss |
| RIB | medium flat silver tinsel |
| THROAT | beneath the shank are a few strand of white bucktail the length ofhook, beneath this are lavender hackle fibers |
| WING | each wing isconstructed of a lavender, a grizzly and a blue dun saddle hackle (frominner to outer wing surface) |
| SHOULDER | gray mallard feather |
| CHEEK | jungle cock |
| COMMENT | Named after the lake in Maine. The lake is also called RossLake. I tied this pattern based on its beauty. It appears subtle andelegant. I was also impressed by the name and can’t wait for the day whensomeone asks me what I am using. Originator and Pattern Source: Originated by Rick Southgate jr. "SmeltFly Patterns" by Donald A. Wilson. Frank Amato Publications, Inc.,Portland Oregon, 1996 |
Chesuncook Smelt
Lindsey Grandison
| BODY | Yellow floss |
| RIB | Flat silver tinsel |
| THROAT | beneath the shank are a few strand of yellow bucktail the lengthof hook, beneath this are a few strand of white bucktail the length of thehook |
| UNDERWING | four or five strands of peacock herl |
| WING | each wing isconstructed of two green saddle hackles |
| CHEEK | mallard flank feather dyedyellow |
| COMMENTS | Named after Chesuncook Lake in Maine. In the reference bookthere is a typographical error in the description of the throat. I havegiven the construction derived from the picture of the fly. Originator and Pattern Source: Originator unidentified. "Smelt FlyPatterns" by Donald A. Wilson. Frank Amato Publications, Inc., PortlandOregon, 1996 |
Daisey Mae
Lindsey Grandison
| THREAD | black |
| TAIL | red wool tied short |
| BODY | flat silver tinsel |
| WING | 2 light green saddle hackles flanked by two brown saddle hackles, over which are 4 strands of peacock herl |
| THROAT | long white bucktail, then a shorter bunch of yellow calftail |
| SHOULDERS | brown-edged black and tan feathers from the back neck of a cock ringneck pheasant |
| COMMENT | originated by G. Alden MacDonald for Moosehead Lake |
Flagg's Smelt
Stan Jakubaszek
| HEAD | white |
| TAIL | red calf tail |
| BODY | braided mylar tubing |
| THROAT | sparse white bucktail |
| WING | blue bucktail, peacock herl, mallard flannk feather tied flat |
| CHEEKS | jungle cock |
Golden Red
Lindsey Grandison
| BODY | embossed green tinsel |
| RIB | medium oval silver tinsel |
| THROAT | beneath the shank are a few strand of white bucktail the length ofhook, beneath this are a few strand of orange bucktail |
| UNDERWING | orange bucktail - sparse |
| WING | each wing is constructed of a red grizzlyand a gray saddle hackle (from inner to outer wing surface) |
| TOPPING | golden pheasant crest feather over entire wing |
| CHEEK | jungle cock |
| COMMENT | As noted by Wilson this fly was originally designed as adisplay fly but was subsequently found to be a good fish catcher. |
Green Beauty
Stan Jakubaszek
| BODY | Orange floss |
| TAG | flat silver tinsel |
| RIB | flat silver tinsel |
| THROAT | white bucktail |
| WING | olive green saddle hackles over peacock herl |
| SHOULDER | green mallard flank |
| CHEEK | jungle cock |
Helter Smelter
Emmett Johnson
| TAIL | Teal feather |
| TAG & RIB | Small silver oval tinsel |
| BODY | Large flat silver tinsel |
| THROAT | Red schlappen |
| UNDERWING | Peacock herl |
| WING(3 PARTS) | Goat hair, black saltwater bucktail, and Pintail (center) feather. |
| EYES | Prizm eye |
Ice Out
Lindsey Grandison
| BODY | Embossed copper tinsel |
| RIB | Copper wire |
| THROAT | White bucktail |
| UNDERWING | Pink bucktail - sparse |
| WING | Native grizzly ginger saddle hackle |
| SHOULDER | Wood duck flank feather |
| CHEEK | Jungle cock |
| COMMENT | An early season pattern as its name suggests. |
Jane Craig
Chris DelPlato
| HEAD | Black |
| BODY | Medium flat silver tinsel |
| THROAT | Small bunch of white hackle fibers |
| WING | Six white saddle hackles |
| TOPPING | Seven or eight strands of bright green peacock herl, as long asthe wing |
| CHEEKS | Jungle cock |
| COMMENTS | Originated by Herb Welch around 1923. Named after a popular Vaudevilleactress of the era. Like many of Welch's flies, it has a simple, yetelegant look with all the necessary ingredients required for effectiveness- white hackle, silver flash, dark back and prominent eye. A yellowversion (Yellow Jane Craig) was also created for increased visibility onovercast days or in off-colored water. In smaller, casting sizes of thisfly, I prefer to take the thin herl that is often attached to peacockswords due to its vivid coloration and slimmer width. |
Jerry's Smelt Variant
Bob Skehan
| HOOK | Mustad 94720, size 6 |
| THREAD | red |
| TAIL | red hackle fibers |
| BODY | pearl EZ-Body braid, secured front and back with red thread |
| THROAT | red hackle fibers |
| WING | sparse red bucktail, over which is a pintail feather tied flat |
| EYES | Prismatic Stick-ons |
| COMMENTS | Jerry's Smelt is actually a variation of Joe's smelt, the only difference being the use of pearl myar tubing as the body instead of silver mylar tubing as Joe's smelt originally called for. My version uses pearl EZ-Body braid, includes a sparse underwing of red bucktail, and uses red thread for the head. Both of the patterns mentioned earlier have black heads. To secure the prismatic stick on eyes and fill the gaps caused by using these eyes, the head was finished with 5 minute epoxy to a nice round shape. |
JJ's Smelt
Emmett Johnson
| TAIL | Mandarin wood duck |
| TAG & RIB | Small oval silver tinsel |
| BODY | Large flat silver tinsel |
| WING (3 PARTS) | Goat hair, Black saltwater bucktail, and Peacock herl |
| CHEEK | Jungle cock |
Lavender And Lace
Stan Jakubaszek
| HOOK | Alcott |
| TAG | Silver holographic tinsel |
| TAIL | Claret GP w/ Fl. Cerise goose veiling |
| BUTT | Gold holographic tinsel |
| RIB | Embossed and silver holographic tinsel |
| BODY | purple floss |
| BELLY | Pearl Krystal Flash and Pink bucktail |
| UNDERWING | Lavender Krystal Flash w/ Pink ostrich herl over |
| WING | White and Lavender hackle |
| SHOULDER | Fl. Cerise mallard |
| CHEEK | JC |
| TOPPING | Silver holographic tinsel |
| GILL | Ht. Pink goose |
Magic Marabou Smelt
Stephen Delaney
| HOOK | Mustad 3665A size 2 |
| THREAD | 8/0 white Uni-Thread |
| BODY | Medium silver holographic tinsel |
| WING | White marabou, pearlescent flashabou, sparse silver krystal flash, and peacock herl |
| SHOULDERS | Teal flank |
| THROAT | Red marabou |
| EYES | Small holographic stick-on eyes |
Martinek Golden Smelt
Robb Nicewonger
| HOOK | Mike Martinek, 6XL #1 |
| TAIL | Grizzly hackle tips |
| UNDERBODY | Silver tinsel |
| BODY | Pearlescent EZ-Body braid secured front and back with red thread. |
| THROAT | Red calf tail |
| WING | Black Bear over yellow/tan bucktail, over white bucktail |
| HEAD | Black with mylar eye |
Memphramagog Smelt
Lindsey Grandison
| TAIL | a section of barred wood duck or mandarin duck body feather |
| BODY | medium flat silver tinsel |
| RIB | narrow oval silver tinsel |
| THROAT | beneath the shank are a few strand of white bucktail extendingbeyond the length of hook, beneath this is a small section of red swan orgoose wing feather nearly as long as the bucktail |
| WING | a small bunch ofwhite bucktail over which is a small bunch of yellow bucktail over whichis a small bunch of lavender bucktail |
| TOPPING | five or six strands ofpeacock herl as long as the wing |
| SHOULDER | gray mallard feather |
| COMMENT | Named after Memphramagog Lake in Quebec, Canada. From thecomments in Bates it is suggested that this fly originated as the GovernorAiken, a former governor and senator from Vermont. Although not widelyused in Vermont it became popular in the lake region of Canada that borderon Vermont. The Governor Aiken evolved into this current version whichincludes yellow in the wing and a mallard feather as a shoulder. Bothare considered to very accurately imitate the coloration of smelt. |
Moondog Smelt
Emmett Johnson
| TAIL | Silver monkey |
| TAG A& RIB | Small oval copper tinsel |
| BODY | Medium flat copper tinsel |
| THROAT | White saltwater bucktail |
| UNDERWING | Peacock herl |
| WING | 2 yellow rooster hackles flanked by 2 Hoffman Red Dyed Variant hackles |
| SHOULDER | Wood duck |
| CHEEK | Jungle cock |
Orange Sunshine
Lindsey Grandison
| HEAD | orange tying thread |
| BODY | flat gold tinsel |
| RIB | fine oval gold tinsel |
| THROAT | beneath the shank are a few strand of white bucktail the length ofhook, beneath this are a few strand of yellow bucktail shorter in length |
| UNDERWING | two strands of peacock herl |
| WING | each wing is constructed of anorange and a wide grizzly saddle hackle (from inner to outer wingsurface) |
| SHOULDER | wooduck or mandarin duck breast feather |
| CHEEKS | junglecock |
| COMMENT | Recommended as an excellent fall pattern. |
Pheasant Ghost
Stan Jakubaszek
| TAIL | GP crest w/ scarlet goose fibers over |
| BODY | scarlet floss |
| RIB | flat gold tinsel |
| BELLY | sparse white bucktail w/ pearl Krystal flash |
| THROAT | red hackle |
| UNDERWING | GP crest w/ pearl Krystal flash |
| WING | lt gray and olive hackles |
| SHOULDER | ringneck pheasant rump feather |
Pintail Smelt
Bob Petti
| HOOK | Daiichi 2370 DickTalleur, #2 |
| BODY | Flat Silver Tinsel |
| BELLY | White bucktail then red hackle barbules |
| WING | Holographic Silver Angel Hair, Pink Bucktail and Peacock Krystal Flash |
| TOPPING | Pintail "spear"feather |
| HEAD | Black with painted eyes |
Sandbar Smelt
Lindsey Grandison
| TAG | three turns of flat silver tinsel |
| BODY | orange floss |
| RIB | medium flat silver tinsel |
| UNDERWING | beneath the shank are a few strand of pale yellow impala(calftail) extending beyond the hook point, beneath this are a few strandof white bucktail equal in length |
| THROAT | white schlappen with lightyellow hackle outside. The light yellow hackle is also added to the top of the hook shank. |
| UNDERWING | four to six bronze strands of peacock herlthat extend one-half inch beyond the hook |
| WING | each wing is constructed of two white and one golden green saddle hackle (from inner to outer wing surface) |
| SHOULDER | lemon woodduck flank feather |
| CHEEKS | jungle cock |
| COMMENT | Named for the sandbar at Newfound Lake, New Hampshire. Originator and Pattern Source: Originator unidentified. "Streamer FlyTying and Fishing" by Joseph D. Bates Jr. The Stackpole Company, Harrisburg, PA. 1966. Also given in "Smelt Fly Patterns" by Donald A.Wilson. Frank Amato Publications, Inc., Portland Oregon, 1996 |
Silver Smelt
Chris DelPlato
| BODY | Silver tinsel (original tied with oval tinsel) |
| WING | 4 light grey saddle hackles |
| THROAT | Red hackle barbules |
| HEAD | Silver |
| EYE | Black with white pupil and red center |
| COMMENTS | Originated by Ora Smith, a regional commercial tyer from Keene, NH. |
Steve's Smelt
Stephen Delaney
| HOOK | Mustad 3665A size 2 |
| THREAD | 8/0 Black Uni-Thread |
| BODY | Medium flat silver tinsel |
| RIB | Small oval silver tinsel |
| WING | Two purple fl. pink hackles, with a light blue saddle hackle on each side |
| SHOULDERS | Blue-dyed guinea fowl |
| THROAT | White bucktail and a short bit of red hackle barbules |
Winnipesaukee Smelt
Chris DelPlato
| BODY | Flat silver tinsel, double wrapped |
| WING | First Layer - sparse white bucktail Second Layer - 3 or 4 strands of thin peacock herl Third Layer - sparse orchid bucktail Fourth Layer - A single white marabou plume, tied in flat aslong as the bucktail. Top Layer - 2 or 3 natural black silver pheasant crest curving down over and as long wing. |
| HEAD | Pearlescent lacquer with black pupil. |
| COMMENTS | Originated by Jim Warner in 1957 when he owned his Sportsmen's Center in Wolfboro, NH. According to Jim, it should be tied with a marabou plume having little or no center quill and the eyes should be built up withclear and pearlescent lacquer to give a 'bulging' look. |
Winni Pinni
Bob Skehan
| HOOK | size 6 or 8 XL |
| HEAD | black |
| TAIL | two golden pheasant crest feathers, curving upwardq |
| BODY | flat silver tinsel with pearl tinsel over it. |
| THROAT | red impala (I used calf tail) 1/3 length of hook |
| WING | Small bunch of bright pink bucktail with four blue-gray badger hackles over it |
| COMMENT | Originated by Mike Martinek for use in the Merrymeeting River and Lake Winnipesaukee waters of New Hampshire in the late 1960's. |
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hi,i am looking to g
hi,i am looking to gett the pattern for a fly called 88.....does any one know it?if so please let me know...tyvm e1......