The first swap of the winter tying season, the Arctic Fox Pattern Swap Page hilights the latest creations/conversions by Streamer List members. All of the patterns in this swap utilize Arctic Fox as a major component.
Always on the lookout for fine, highly mobile hairs for use in tying small bucktails, I began experimenting with Arctic Fox tail. Not exactly a secret material, it has long been in use by atlantic salmon fly tyers in lieu of polar bear for traditional hairwing atlantic salmon patterns. It was new to me, however.
As with most critters from norther latitudes, the arctic fox has a dense, crinkly underfur combined with fine, long, straight guard hairs. The underfur is easily removed, if desired, or some or all of it can be left in place when tying in, providing a fuller "body" to the fly. Flies constructed with this material have wonderful movement when fished, and I fooled a number of Maine brookies this summer using small Mickey Finn and Black Ghost patterns tied with arctic fox.
I wanted to see what some of the members of the Streamer List use arctic fox hair for, and a swap was born!
Thanks to those who participated in this swap, and enjoy the patterns!
Arctic Fox Royal Coachman - Don Sturzenacker
| TAIL | SHORT RED ARCTIC FOX UNDERFUR |
| BODY | PEACOCK HERL AND SCARLET FLOSS |
| THROAT | BROWN ARCTIC FOX FUR |
| WING | WHITE ARCTIC FOX FUR WITH THE GUARD HAIRS AND UNDERFUR REMOVED. |
Arctic Leemans Smelt - Bob Skehan
| HEAD | BLACK |
| BODY | FLAT SILVER TINSEL |
| THROAT | SPARSE WHITE ARCTIC FOX TAIL |
| WING | PALE LAVENDER ARCTIC FOX TAIL, OVER WHICH IS BRIGHT GREEN ARCTIC FOX TAIL |
| TOPPING | FOUR STRANDS OF PEACOCK HERL |
| EYES | PAINTED YELLOW WITH BLACK PUPIL (I USED WHITE WITH BLACK PUPIL) |
| SOURCE | TROLLING FLIES FOR TROUT & SALAMON (STEWART AND LEEMAN) |
| COMMENT | LEEMANS SMELT WAS ORIGINATED BY BOB LEEMAN, OF BANGOR, MAINE. THE ORIGINAL PATTERN UTILIZES BUCKTAIL INSTEAD OF ARCTIC FOX. A VERY GOOD PATTERN BOTH IN THE SMALLER CASTING SIZES, AND IN TROLLING SIZES WITH LONG SHANKED HOOKS OR TIED TANDEM. |
Black & White - Lindsey Grandison
| THREAD | WHITE |
| TAIL | WHITE ARCTIC FOX |
| BODY | BRAIDED PEARL MYLAR TUBING |
| THROAT | A SMALL AMOUNT OF PEARL FISHAIR NEXT TO BODY, THEN WHITE ARCTIC FOX HAIR. |
| WING | WHITE ARCTIC FOX HAIR, THEN A SMALL AMOUNT OF PEARL FISHAIR, OVER WHICH IS BLACK ARCTIC FOX HAIR, OVER WHICH 5-6 STRANDS OF OLIVE OSTRICH HERL |
| TOPPING | 4-5 STRANDS OF PEACOCK HERL |
| EYES | LARGE PRISMATIC STICK ON WITH BLACK PUPIL |
| HEAD | FORMED WITH EPOXY TO A BEAD-SHAPE. |
Dr. Breck - Scott Daskiewich
| HEAD | BLACK |
| TAIL | A PAIR OF MARRIED BLACK/YELLOW/BLACKQUILL STRIP SECTIONS |
| BODY | FLAT SILVER TINSEL |
| THROAT | MIXED RED AND WHITE HACKLE BARBULES |
| WING | EQUAL BUNCHES OF WHITE, THEN RED,THEN WHITE ARCTIC FOX TAIL |
Emilie's Shiner - Ron McKusick
| THREAD | WHITE |
| HOOK | MUSTAD 3665A |
| BODY | GREEN HOLOGRAPHIC TINSEL |
| THROAT | WHITE ARCTIC FOX |
| WING | LIME GREEN ARCTIC FOX |
Foxcicle - Bryant Freeman
| HOOK | TMC300 SIZE 10 |
| TAIL | KRYSTAL FLASH |
| UNDERWING | TEAL FLANK DYED CHARTREUSE |
| BELLY/WING | THREE DIFFERENT COLORS OF FOX FUR - LIGHTEST ON BELLY, GRADUATING TO DARK SHADE ON TOP. |
| HEAD | CLARET THREAD WITH CLEAR CELLIRE OVER. |
Foxee Missouri Minnow - Bruce Whittle
| HOOK | TIEMCO 300 OR STRAIGHT-EYE HOOK(I LIKE THE LOOK OF THE 300 SLIGHTLY TURNED DOWN EYE.) |
| THREAD | WHITE, RED |
| BODY | FLAT SILVER TINSEL |
| RIB | EXTRA-SMALL OVAL SILVER TINSEL (JUSTTO GIVE A LITTLE MORE TEXTURE) |
| WING | VENTRAL- TAN ARCTIC FOX HAIR / DORSAL-OLIVE ARCTIC FOX HAIR |
| HEAD | BUILT UP OF NEUTRAL COLORED DUBBING,IF DESIRED |
Tying Instructions:
1. Tie in white thread. Make a body of flat silver tinsel with oval silver tinsel ribbing.
2. Tie in ventral and dorsal wing portions facing forward over the eye of the hook.
3. I dub a small amount of neutral colored dubbing over the head region to give the head a little more size.
4. tie the red thread in at the tie back point (approximately 1/4 to 1/3 shank back from eye depending upon desired appearance.)
5. Smoothly pull back wing portions, being careful not to mix colors. Tie down with red thread to simulate gills.
6. Coat with your choice of head cement - several thin coats allowing time in between to dry.
7. Form eyes with acrylic paint - yellow then a black pupil
8. Coat with several more coats of head cement.
Notes:
This fly is tied in the style of Keith Fulsher's Thunder Creek series. The name is not meant to detract from Keith Fulsher but I did not think it appropriate to give it a Thunder Creek name. I have seen some variations tied with marabou which is where the idea came from to use the arctic fox. The colors better imitate the "minners" seen in Missouri streams than other variations I have seen.
Hope to try them out next spring.
Foxy Lady - Glenn Seibert
| HOOK | MUSTAD 9575 6X LONG |
| THREAD | 8/0 WHITE FOR BODY - 8/0 BLACK FORHEAD |
| TAIL | PEARL DIAMOND BRAID |
| BODY | CHARTREUSE WOOL |
| RIB | PEACOCK HERL |
| WING | PINK BUCKTAIL, OVER WHICH IS SPARSEBLACK BUCKTAIL, OVER WHICH IS SPARSE CHARTREUSE BUCKTAIL, OVERWHICH IS ARCTIC FOX BODY HAIR, TOPPED WITH A SPARSE AMOUNT OFARCTIC FOX TAIL HAIR. |
| BEARD | PEARL DIAMOND BRAID |
Governor Aiken - Stack Scoville
| HEAD | BLACK |
| TAIL | WHITE-TIPPED BARRED WOODDUCK FLANK |
| BODY | FLAT SILVER TINSEL |
| RIB | OVAL SILVER TINSEL |
| THROAT | WHITE FOXTAIL TO BEND OF HOOK, THENRED FOXTAIL TIED SHORT, BEARD-STYLE |
| WING | LAVENDER FOXTAIL TO TIP OF TAIL |
| TOPPING | PEACOCK HERL |
| CHEEKS | JUNGLE COCK |
Great White Hope - Aaron Hirschhorn
| THREAD | WHITE |
| TAIL | WHITE ARCTIC FOX, TIED WOOLY BUGGERSTYLE |
| BODY | WHITE CHENILLE |
| EYES | GOLD DUMBELLS |
| COMMENTS | I'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN THE SPRINGAND FALL WITH THIS PATTERN. HAVEN'T TRIED IT OVER THE SUMMER. |
Integration Fox Tail - Robb Nicewonger
| HOOK | MUSTAD 9575 #4 |
| THREAD | UNI 8/0 - BLACK |
| TAIL | RED YARN (OPTIONAL) |
| BODY | SILVER TINSEL |
| RIB | SILVER WIRE |
| WING | BLACK OVER WHITE ARCTIC FOX TAIL |
P.F. Fox - Kelvin Hartley
| HOOK | MUSTAD 3665A #6 |
| TAG | RED THREAD |
| THREAD | BLACK |
| BODY | GOLD HOLOGRAPHIC CORD |
| WING | WHITE AND OLIVE ARCTIC FOX |
Yellow Foxabou - Bob Petti
| HOOK | MUSTAD 3665A #6 |
| THREAD | BLACK |
| BODY | FLAT GOLD TINSEL |
| RIB | OVAL GOLD TINSEL |
| WING | GOLD FLASHABOU (SPARSE) AND YELLOWARCTIC FOX |
| TOPPING | PEACOCK HERL |
| THROAT | RED HACKLE BARBS |
| HEAD | BLACK WITH PAINTED EYES |
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beauteful pattern ..
beauteful pattern ......I' m interested to ty myself ...because am beleving on this pattern and I ' am sûr...you are a good fisherman and good Flytyer.....excuse my poor english language...remerber who ' s guy speaking right now....Yes it 's me Laval.....and I no, you prefer a CANADIAN '' STUF ''