CINDER FLY 

Published by Bob Bates
Federation of Fly Fishers - Washington Council

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Opening Comments

Carl Sanders tied this pattern at the 2013 North Idaho Fly Fishing Expo, in Lewiston, Idaho.  He uses it in a variety of places around Enterprise, Oregon where he lives.

In stillwater (lakes and ponds) floating or sinking fly lines may be used depending on the depth.  One technique is to let the fly sink a bit in hope that a fish sees it and gets aggressive.  Then retrieve it with a variety of speeds until the fish tell you what they like.  If nothing happens let the fly and line sink a little more.  Many anglers use a count-down method to control the depth.  They will start with 5 or 10 seconds, and if nothing happens they let everything sink a little more.  When they dredge up weeds they shorten the count.

This fly, to me, looks like the idea and name came from the Cinder Worm Fly in the salt water world.  Always keep your eyes open for ideas (patterns) that might help you be more successful.

Materials list

Hook: Wet fly hook, heavy, 12-14

Thread: Pearsall, 14/0, black

Hackle: Partridge, dyed blue dun

Rib: Silver tinsel, small flat

Body: Synthetic Living Fiber (SLF) orange and black

Tying steps

Step 1

Put thread on hook at about thorax location, wrap back a couple of times and then forward as shown.

Step 2

Pull off fuzzy fibers, and put hackle on hook with dull (concave) side up.  Wrap backward over the stem.

Step 3
 
Trim stem and continue wrapping thread rearward.  Attach rib at bend of hook.

Step 4

Wax the thread a little to help hold the dubbing.  Put some of the orange SLF dubbing on the thread.  Put it on thread by rolling dubbing between thumb and first finger.  Make dubbing noodle tight on the thread.

Step 5

Wrap the orange dubbing to about mid-shank.  Put black dubbing on the thread, not as tightly as the orange.  Overlap the orange with the black so you get a nice transition. 

Step 6

Spiral the rib forward, secure it and trim.

Step 7

Pick the hackle up 90 degrees to the hook.  Park the thread about two wraps of hackle behind where the hackle is tied in.  Make two to three wraps of hackle back to the thread.  Tie down the hackle; wiggle the thread through the hackle to the front.  This strengthened the hackle.  Then whip finish the thread in front of the hackle.  Before the whip finish there was a little empty hook shank between the hackle and the hook eye.  Normally Carl does not put head cement on the thread winds.

Closing Comments

This fly is easy to tie and the materials are available in most fly shops.  Tie a few and try them out in your favorite waters.

 Please Credit FFF Website or FFF Clubwire with any use of the pattern.

You can direct any questions or comments to FOM at flyofthemonth@fedflyfishers.org.