How to Make Sockeye Lures

Sockeye salmon inhabit rivers, oceans and lakes and are especially abundant in the Klamath and Kuskokwim rivers in western Alaska. Sockeye are anadromous, meaning they typically require freshwater as part of their life-cycle. Sockeye adults migrate from the saltwater environment where they live, to the freshwater where they were born, to spawn or mate. Attract sockeye by making your own artificial lures such as flies and customize colors and patterns to suit your local fishing grounds.

Things You'll Need

  • Vise
  • Hook, size 2 to 4
  • Flat gold tinsel
  • Red squirrel tail
  • Gold Mylar tinsel
  • Orange hackle
  • Red squirrel tail
  • Orange chenille
  • Gold bead eyes
  • Orange Danville thread, 6/0
  • Whip finisher tool
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Instructions

    • 1

      Secure the hook onto the vise. Tie in the flat gold tinsel along the shank: start near the hook eye and make wraps up to the hook bend. This makes the tag of the fly. Take a small bunch of the red squirrel and tie it in with the thread along the middle of the shank as a tail.

    • 2

      Apply a drop of cement to secure the tail and tag. Remove the core of the gold Mylar tinsel and tie in a length along the shank. Leave about 1/4-inch of space near the hook eye for the head, collar, wing and bead eyes.

    • 3

      Wrap three turns of the orange saddle hackle next to the hook eye. Make the wing by tying in a small bunch of red squirrel.

    • 4

      Tie a piece of the medium gold bead above the point where the wing is attached. Secure by tying figure eights with the thread.

    • 5

      Cut a short length of orange chenille and tie under the bead eyes. Make four wraps behind and under the bead eyes and tighten.

    • 6

      Wrap the thread four times in front of the bead eyes and whip finish using a whip finisher tool. Apply a few drops of head cement. A whip finish is type of knot typically used to secure a finished fly. It's a slip knot formed around the head of a fly with wraps that go forward toward the hook eye. By tying a whip finish knot, the standing thread of your fly is secured under the knot once the thread is tightened. This reduces the chance of the knot coming loose or apart. (See Resources 1.)