Top 5 Collared Flies to Add to Your Fly Kit
Jamie Pike discusses a collection of his favourite Collared Flies and provides recipes to add them to your fly kit.
There are many styles of artificial fly that have kissed the water in an effort to entice the King of the Fishes to lash out and strike. Spey, Wuff, Steamer, Feather wing, Hair wing… the list goes on. Regional nuances further add to the ever-growing arsenal of flies that the complete angler will carry in their arsenal. As a Fly tyer and angler myself, I am constantly adding to my personal kit of flies, tweaking patterns with varieties of flash and flare; however one particular style of fly remains ever constant in my wetfly repertoire.
The Cosseboom style fly has greatly evolved over the years. John C. Cosseboom; a poet, newspaper writer, insurance agent, and master fly caster from Woonsocket, Rhode Island created this style of fly on a whim while on a twenty-four hour ferry crossing from Quebec to Anticosti Scotia Island in 1935. The style proved to be immensley productive for Atlantic Salmon in Nova Scotia on numerous rivers, and has spread in popularity across other Maritime provinces and to my home in Newfoundland.
Since taking a serious leap into the commercial tying life, I have tied tens of thousands of flies for customers spanning the globe. Often times, the customer has a specific list of patterns, each with a unique recipe. Some customers have their own personal requests for flash and flare, colour combinations, body size and shape; however; when given nothing but a budget and the request of “flies that work”, my customer is guaranteed to receive some collared flies.
Bellow are some of my favourite collared flies to fish and tie:
The Green Cosseboom
A minature version of Winstons Green Cosseboom. Believe it or not, this fly tied VERY small has proven to be one of the best producing flies on one of the largest rivers in Newfoundland. The Humber river houses Salmon in great quantity, and for the lcky angler, oftentimes in immense size, Fish in exess of 30lbs are hooked in lower sections of the river, and in the upper Humber, you can sit and watch hundered of fish per hour leap the falls when the “main run” is on . The fly has proven success in high water, low water, warm water, cold water, early morning, afternoon and evening.
Recipe
| Hook: | Partridge BMS Wide Mouth (#10) |
| Tag: | Silver Mylar |
| Butt: | Red Unistretch |
| Tail: | Golden Pheasant Crest |
| Body: | Green Unistretch |
| Rib: | Oval Silver French |
| Wing: | Natural Grey Squirrel |
| Collar: | 2 wraps of Hen Saddle Dyed Yellow |
The Collared Undertaker
The Collared Undertaker. A mild twist on a Warren Duncan classic that has evolved in Newfoundland to reflect the availability of local materials. A “Newfoundland Style” wetfly will often acail of wing material of Moose body, Calf tail and Goat. Shown here using black Calf tail for the wing, and three wraps of dyed black Hen saddle for the collar.
Recipe
| Hook: | Partridge M2 |
| Tag: | Gold Mylar |
| Butt: | Green and Red Unistretch |
| Rib: | Gold Oval French |
| Wing: | Black Calf Tail |
| Collar: | 3 wraps of Hen Saddle Dyed Black |
The Irritator
This Pattern was handed to me by an angler fishing on Newfoundland’s Northern Peninsula. He called it a “Snowball”, however it is not the pattern most are familiar with. It is more resembling The Irritator. A pattern popular in Quebec. On this trip I fished this pattern almost exclusively and with great success. Since then, it’s held a special place in my collared fly kit.
Recipe
| Hook: | Partridge M2 Heavy |
| Tag: | Silver Mylar |
| Body: | Black Floss |
| Rib: | Oval Silver French |
| Wing: | Moose Body |
| Collar: | 3 Turns of White Hen Saddle |
The Corrigan (var.)
The Corrigan is a pattern I first saw a number of years back in a Paul Marriner book. It immediately caught my eye with it’s streamer style, and orange collar. I tyed a slight variation of the original (created by Bill Baker). I added a gold butt, hares mask dubbing body, and an orange head. I prefer this pattern in larger sizes for late-season fishing.
Recipe
| Hook: | Sprite S1200 Deep Water Nymph |
| Tag: | Gold Mylar |
| Butt: | Globrite Shade 6 |
| Body: | Hare’s Mark Dubbing |
| Rib: | Oval Gold French |
| Wing: | White Calf Tail |
| Collar: | Hen Saddle Dyed Orange |
| Head: | Globrite Shade 6 |
The Besure
The Besure. A pattern Created by renowned guild angler, and fly tyer Rober Chaisson. A patter that has been a staple in Atlantic Salmon rivers throught the season.
Recipe
| Hook: | Partridge CS11 Saltwater Streamer |
| Tag: | Silver Mylar |
| Butt: | Hot Pink Unistretch |
| Body: | Green Highlander Uniyarn |
| Rib: | Oval Silver French |
| Wing: | Natural Grey Squirrel |
| Head: | Globrite Shade 3 |
| Head: | 2 turns of Hen Saddle Dyed Highlander Green |
All of these collared flies have proven successful in a wide range of conditions, an on many rivers. Often times I will select a collared variety of a pattern over the more popular style with a typical throat. I for one do not feel I am out-fished by those angers that fish the standard variety. In fact, I have convinced many stubborn fish to savagely snap at a collared version of a pattern, while the standard hasn’t so much as had the same fish move at all.
Take a look through your own fly kit. Pick your top producers and try a collared version for yourself! You just might find that they are your new go-to.
Jamie Pike
Partridge of Redditch Ambassador
Whether chasing sea-run brown and brook trout, or Atlantic Salmon in one of the many rivers in Newfoundland and Labrador; Jamie Pike has a fly in his kit that’ll be sure to tighten the line.
Jamie has been tying flies since 2007 while stationed in a small Newfoundland community as a Paramedic – 14 years later, his competence is proven to be among the elite fly tyers in Newfoundland. Specializing in Salmon flies (Classic singles, Shrimps, Bombers and Bugs) and a variety of Sea Trout and inland Trout patterns.
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Excellent evening on Thursday night tying for Ludlow flytying club.
Many thanks Jamie , much appreciated from all of us from over the pond. Derek
It was very fun! Looking forward to another session again soon with some new patterns!