Orange Heron Spey Salmon/Steelhead Fly Step-by-Step Instructions

Written by: Jerry Coviello 
Photographed By: Jerry Coviello 
Creator: Syd Glass 

The Orange Heron Spey Fly is one of the most famous patterns Syd Glasso used, especially for winter Steelhead in the  Pacific Northwest. Since the 1950s, Syd Glasso has fished for steelhead in the Pacific Northwest. He adapted classic Spey flies to fish his favorite rivers, and people are still fishing this pattern today.  

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MATERIAL LIST

Hook: Alec Jackson Spey Fly Hook Daiichi 2051 (fly shown size 1/5) 
Thread: Red 8/0 
Tag: Flat Silver Tinsel 
Rib: Oval and flat silver tinsel 
Body: First half orange Floss and orange Seal fur or substitute SLF Fibers for the rest Body hackle: Grey Heron (substitute with Blue Eared Pheasant or similar) 
Hackle: Teal 
Wing: 2-3 pairs of orange hackle tips.

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STEP ONE:
Place the hook in your vise. Bring your thread to
​where the point of the hook is.

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STEP TWO: 
Tie in the silver tinsel tag. The tag is from the middle
of the barb of the hook to the point of the hook.

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STEP THREE: 
Tie in the oval tinsel where the eye loop ends.
​Tie the tinsel along the hook shank and stop mid-shank.

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​STEP FOUR: 
​Tie in the flat silver tinsel at mid-shank. 

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STEP FIVE:
Tie in the Orange Floss. 

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STEP SIX:
​ Secure all the materials in front of the tag.
​Then bring the thread to mid-shank.

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STEP SEVEN: ​
Wrap the orange floss for half the body.

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STEP EIGHT: 
Tie in the Blue Ear Pheasant Body feather by the tip.

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STEP NINE:
Dub the second half of the body with the Seal Fur substitute.

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STEP TEN:
Fold over the body hackle feather and one wrap of the bobbin
holder to help keep the feather out of the way for the ribbing step.

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​STEP ELEVEN:
Rib the fly with the flat silver tinsel with even spacing. 

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​STEP TWELVE:
Wrap the body hackle in the  opposite direction
through the fur part of the body.

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STEP THIRTEEN:
Wrap the oval tinsel along side the silver tinsel.
Touching the silver tinsel and cross wrapping the body
hackle to strength the hackle so it doesn’t break from the teeth of the fish.

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STEP FOURTEEN:
Tie in the teal hackle by the tip.
Fold the feather as your wrap it two or three times around. 

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STEP FIFTEEN:
Tie in 2 pairs of orange hen hackle tips.
The tip should be to the barb of the hook. 

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 STEP SIXTEEN:
Whip finish forming the head and head cement.

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Jerry Coviello is an accomplished fly tier and an FFI Buz Buszek Fly Tying Award Recipient.

​He serves as the Fly Fishers International Fly Tying Group Chairperson, Fly Tying Column Editor for Fly Fisher Magazine, a columnist for Fly Tyer Magazine, the President and newsletter editor for Delaware Valley Fly Fishers, and a Norvise Ambassador. Jerry also serves on the FFI Education Committee, developing Fly Tying Workshops to help members learn how to tie flies; he created a YouTube Channel, “Jerry’s Fly Tying Tips,” with over 100 fly-tying videos to teach how to tie flies.

Jerry teaches workshops at the FFI Fly Fishing Expo and many Online Fly Tying Workshops and Presentations. He is a demonstration fly tier at the International Fly Tying Symposium, the FFI Fly Fishing Expo, The Maryland Fly Fishing Show, and The New Jersey Fly Fishing Show.

Pro Team Member for the following:
Solarez UV Resin
Ewing Feathers

Life Member of Fly Fishers International and Trout Unlimited

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