How to tie a Blue Charm

1. The Blue Charm is one of the favorite flies used to fish Atlantic Salmon in Newfoundland and Labrador. Tied by John Sheppard Click to continue. How to tie a Blue Charm

2. Materials Required • Favorite hook. Style and size selected according to fishing conditions. • Fine, strong tying thread. Preferably white. • Oval Silver Tinsels. • Bright Yellow Unifoss. • Gold Pheasant Crest. • Black 4-strand Danville Floss. • Fluorescent Blue Schlappen. • Black Moose hair • Black Head Cement • Materials available from Straight Line Sports • www.flies4fishing.com

3. The Hook • Use the parts of the hook as a reference and a guide for proportions. • A – Barb • B - Point • C – Gap • D – Shank length • E – Looped Eye A D C E B

4. Where to start • Start at the looped eye of the hook. • Use the smallest white thread you are able to tie with. • Wind back to the point of the hook.

5. The Underbody • Wrap the hook with white thread up to the point of the hook.

6. Start the Tag • Tie in the oval silver tinsel with the white tying thread in line with the point of he hook. • Cut the short end off the tinsel.

7. Wrap the thread to the barb of the hook • Continue to wind the white tying thread over the tinsel until the tying thread hangs in line with the barb of the hook.

8. Wrap the Tag • Wind the tying thread toward the eye of the hook and continue with 3 – 4 turns of the tinsel on top of the tying thread. Trim off the excess tinsel.

9. Tying in the Tip • Tie in the yellow floss for the tip with the thread in line with the point of the hook. • Continue to wind the tying thread on top of the floss until you come up to the tinsel tag.

10. The Tip • Wind the floss for the tip to the point of the hook.

11. The Tail • The Golden Pheasant tail is tied in at the point of the hook. • The length of the tail is 1 – 1 ½ times the hook gap. 1 - 1 ½ x

12. Tying in the Ribs • Tie in the oval tinsel for the ribs at the loop of the eye. • Continue to wind the tying thread over the tinsel to the point of the hook.

13. Tying in the Body • Tie in the black floss for the body starting at the loop of the eye. • Continue to wind the tying thread over the floss to the point of the hook.

14. The Body • Wind the black floss over the shank of the hook, building up the body to the desired shape. • Tie off at the loop of the eye.

15. The Ribs • Wind 5 – 6 turns of tinsel evenly spaced over the floss body and tie off.

16. The Throat Hackle • Tie in Fluorescent Blue Schlappen under the hook on the loop of the eye. • The hackle extends up to the second rib.

17. The Wing • Tie in a number of small bunches of moose hair for the wing. • Cement the cut ends before tying in with flex cement. • For a reduced dressed fly the wing extends to the midpoint of the tail. • Cement the head with black head cement.

18. Blue Charm • Flies and fly tying materials available from: • Straight Line Sports • P.O. Box 172 • Gander Newfoundland • Canada A1V 1W6 • www.flies4fishing.com • mail@flies4fishing.com