How to Tie a Green Butt Skunk Fly

The green butt skunk is a well-known steelhead fly pattern. Originated by Dan Callahan, the fly is versatile and productive in various water temperatures and river conditions. The fly is easy to make and cast with a 5 to 7 weight 9-foot rod, along with a long fine leader. Use wet-fly swing and streamer swing fishing techniques to entice steelhead when using this pattern.

Things You'll Need

  • Hook, size 2 to 6
  • Black thread
  • Red hackle fibers
  • White calf tail
  • Green chenille
  • Fine oval silver tinsel
  • Black chenille
  • Black hackle
  • Head cement
  • Scissors
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Place the hook on the vise. Tie the thread behind the eye of the hook and make wraps up to the hook bend. Allow the thread to hang.

    • 2

      Tie 10 to 15 red hackle fibers as the tail of the fly, to a length as long as the hook gap. Trim off excess.

    • 3

      Cut a short piece of green chenille and strip the end to expose a short core. Tie the green chenille by this core at the same spot where you attached the red hackle fibers. Wrap the thread forward at one-fifth mark of the hook shank. Wrap the green chenille to the same spot and tie off. Cut off excess and allow the thread to hang.

    • 4

      Tie 3 inches of tinsel at the end of the green chenille as the rib. Leave the tinsel and thread hanging.

    • 5

      Tie 5-inch black chenille against the end of green chenille. Wrap the thread up to 1/8-inch behind the eye of the hook. Wrap the black chenille up to the same spot and tie. Trim off excess black chenille and leave the thread hanging.

    • 6

      Wrap the oval silver tinsel over the black chenille in five evenly spaced turns, and then tie off. Snip off extra tinsel and leave the thread hanging.

    • 7

      Take a black hackle feather and cut off the fluff. Tie the tip at the end of the black chenille. Make three hackle wraps, and then remove excess. Fluff the hackle fibers down. Use black thread to wrap over the butt end. This pushes the hackle down as a collar throat. Leave the thread hanging.

    • 8

      Cut a small piece of calf tail and take off loose fibers. Tie the calf tail into a wing, making two soft loops on top of the shank. Extend the wing slightly past the end of the body, but not longer than the tail. Tie the wing down with tight thread turns. Cut off excess hair behind the eye of the hook. Cover with black thread to create a head. Do not wrap over the hook eye.

    • 9

      Whip finish, and then snip off the thread. Apply head cement to secure.