Sculpins Attack! Fly-tying 101: #7 Robinton's Sculpin

So we've taken a short hiatus fro the blog here at Creekside this past week due to people running all over the place preparing for things like Christmas, Festivus, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa (does anyone actually celebrate Kwanzaa? I don't even know), birthdays (two of us here at Creekside have December birthdays) and flying across the country to visit friends, loved ones and relatives. I will take this time to apologize  for our lack of posting on the blog but we've been....fishing and busy...ok you got me...it's just fishing. Fine, fine. It's plain laziness. Happy now?! Sheesh.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way, today we are happy to present another fly-tying 101 course with our first full length fly-tying video produced via an iPhone and featuring our very own Shop Pro Charlie Robinton. This week we will feature a custom fly created by Charlie using a new product by Fish Skulls called Sculpin Helmets. The video is a bit long but we are slowly working out the details on how to create a video so bear with us as we progress. So without further adieu. Fly-Tying victim #7 Robinton's Sculpin.

Supply List

Hook: B10S #2, Fish Skull Articulated Shank

Thread: UTC 140, Black or Olive

Body: Olive Barred Variant Crosscut Rabbit

Wings: Barred Olive Grizzly Marabou Tips

Legs: Barred Rubber Legs

Collar: Olive Deer Hair

Throat: Red Angel Hair

Head: Sculpin Helmet

Step 1: Tie your thread on the B10S hook wrap. Zap-a-gap and wrap the cross cut from the bed towards the head, leaving enough room to tie the fur off near the eye.

Step 2: Strip off the Marabou at the base of the post off two feathers. Tie in the feathers on each side of the trailing hook. The we are going to tie in some rubber legs in a fashion that allows them triangulate back behind the hook. Cut them so they are not longer then the trailing hook. Whip Finish.

Step 3: Now we are going to slide the trailing hook on the Fish Skull Articulated Shank. Place the shank into the vice and tie on your thread, wrapping it tightly over the area where you slide the trailing hook on.

Step 4: Zap-a-gap and begin wrapping some more crosscut forward about 3/4 of the way. Cut excess and tie down.

Step 5: Strip off the marabou at the base of two more feathers. Tie to each side again. Then tie more rubber legs in the same way you tied the ones on the trailing hook. Tie off. The rubber legs shouldn't be longer then the shank.

Step 6: Tie in angel hair on the underside of the fly. Cut it short of the shank, so that it gives the appearance of a colored throat area.

Step 8: Cut deer hair, clean out excess fibers, and stack in a hair stacker.  Tie to front of shank tightly. You may need to do several clumps or just one. This is up to you. Cut the deer hair down in a tapered manner. Wrap in front of the hair tapering down. Whip Finish.

Step 9: Zap-a-gap the front of the deer hair and the thread. Slide the Sculpin Helmet over the hair and hold it there for a few seconds allowing the glue to set. We like to take red thread and tie it in in front of the helmet to create a block in case the glue fails. (It most likely will not but better to be safe then sorry) Whip finish that....and viola!

Ok so. Here we go. If my instructions weren't clear enough or you need a visual reference. Here is our first featured fly-tying video with many more to come we hope.



If you have any questions feel free to contact us via email, phone or simply leave a comment here and we will respond as quickly as possible.

On another note I have been informed that our Class Page has been updated with a multitude of new beginner and advanced classes. So peruse that and if something strikes your fancy or there is something you would like to learn that isn't listed you can tell us and we can probably set it up for you.  Stay tuned for some more upcoming classes, videos and events at Creekside.

Feed Fish Flies, Not Toxins
-RB