Bow River Guide Flies with Garnet Clews

Garnet Clews spent the evening showing 17 fly tyers three "guide flies" that he uses on the Bow River regularly! I am sure these flies can be used on your favourite rivers including the Red Deer River. Garnet spent close to 70 days on the Bow River, 50 as a guide. He knows what works and he is glad to teach us how to tie the flies that are his "go tos." I appreciate Garnet's sense of humour and his willingness to share his knowledge of fly fishing the Bow River.  The Pine Squirrel Leech is a very straight forward tie. Garnet also showed the gang how to easily wrap chenille and not getting too tangled up with the rubber legs while tying a Jimmy Legs. We also learned to tie an extended body Jimmy Legs. 

Thanks Garnet for an excellent evening!

Next week Rick Miyauchi is our guest instructor. The theme is scuds. Rick will spend time teaching us all how to set up and fly fish scuds. Bring some olive 8/0 thread. It promises to be an excellent evening!

We started our magazine and book exchange tonight! Bring old fly fishing magazines and share them with others.

Don't forget the evening with Lorne Fitch on January 23rd at the Kerry Wood Nature Centre! I have added a poster at the end of this post!

Pine Squirrel Leech

Hook: Ahrex short shank Jig Hook size 8

Thread: Black 6/0

Bead: tungsten 4 mm, black-slotted

Body: Bloody Black Leech

Wing: Pine squirrel

Jimmy Legs

Hook: 4xl streamer hook size 6 or Jig hook size 6

Thread: Black 6/0

Weight: 0.015 lead replacement or 4mm black slotted tungsten bead

Legs: rubber

Body: verigated chenille

Extended Body Jimmy Legs

Doug and George building their flies!

 

Rusty Nail Chironomid, ...One of my "Go To" Chironomids

John Kent's Rusty Nail is one of my "Go To" chironomids. The reason is simple. I often encounter chironomids similar to the throat sample below. In Central Alberta, these chironomids often show up early in the season and the trout will key in on them for a long period of time.

John has a unique way to tie in the body and micro tubing that is the rib. Because the Mirage Opal tinsel is slippery, John wraps the rib material first and then wraps the mirage tinsel in after. We usually wrap the body, then the rib. I also like the effect that it gives. I have added a step by step below. My favourite size? ...size 14 although Karen loves to tie on a size 12.

Rusty Nail (John Kent)

Hook: Daiichi 1760 sizes 12-16

Bead: White or Black Nickel (add gills)

Thread: UTC Wine 70 Denier

Body: Mirage Opal Tinsel (medium)

Rib: Micro Tubing,  Mahogany

 

Tying Blended Thread Chironomids

Yellow Olive, Red Butt Chironomid

Hook: Daiichi 1760 Sizes 12-16

Bead: 3/32nd black nickel

Gills: Uni-Stretch or Uni-Floss

Rib: Silver wire, small or ASB (anti static bag)

Body: Red and yellow-olive thread

Collar: Rusty brown thread

What an amazing turn out for our first tying session of 2025. Twenty-five fly tyers came out to work on their blended thread chironomid skills. We focussed on 4  chironomids. Everyone was doing a great job flattening their threads by turning their bobbins counter clockwise (right handers) and clockwise (left handers). The overlapping effect of two threads "bleeding" through each other makes for excellent chironomids. I am not sure the fish are THAT particular but aesthetically, these chironomids look great and are definitely fish catchers. We also used ASB (antistatic bag) as a rib that gives a very "gas like" effect to the chironomid imposters.

Next week Garnet Clews is our guest presenter. Be sure to have some 6/0 black thread (UTC 140) and a dubbing twister.

Red Butt, Black and Silver Chironomid

Hook: Daiichi 1760 Sizes 12-16

Bead: 3/32nd black nickel or white

Gills: Uni-Stretch or Uni-Floss

Rib: Silver wire, small

Body: Red and black thread

Red Butt, ASB Black Chironomid

Hook: Daiichi 1760 Sizes 12-16

Bead: 3/32nd black nickel or white

Gills: Uni-Stretch or Uni-Floss

Rib: Silver wire, small

Body: Red and yellow-olive thread

Collar: Rusty brown thread

Anti Static Bag Precut

Major Chironomid Hatch at Dickson Trout Pond

Throat Samples