Free Atlantic Salmon Flies (The Blue Charm)

One of the most enjoyable aspects of fly tying for me is tying with my kids. It has shown me to look through their eyes as new tiers. The way they hold tools, wrap thread & manipulate materials is fascinating! & they learn so quickly!!! They do make a helluva mess of my desk though!  

      


I also enjoy teaching others to fish. The giving back part is something that, ironically,  I selfishly need.
Through the 20 years of tying, one can accumulate lots of feathered irons. Every year, I try to send some to friends or give a few to some kind strangers I meet on the river.
 I find it to be an honor that someone would think my ties are worthy of them tying it on to their leaders & showing them to our finned friends. They were tied to be fished so I can only hope most will get a dunk.
One of the reasons for starting a blog was to start posts about specific flies & giving them away to some kids, beginners, or whomever might be kind enough to give it a swim. All I would want in return would be for that person to send back a photo of them fishing the fly with a few words that I can share on this blog.
So with that, here is the first free Atlantic Salmon fly, The Blue Charm. First to contact me with their information & address receives the fly!


The Blue Charm



One of the most popular of all Atlantic Salmon flies the world over. It has a long & storied history mostly made famous by Mr. Arthur H.Wood, the father of the grease line or floating line. He always began with a Blue charm & fished them in all sizes before switching to a different fly if the salmon showed no interest. Between 1913 & his death in 1934, Mr. Woods caught over 3500 salmon on the blue charm.
The original strip wing was tied with a turkey or mallard wing topped with strips of teal. Later, an Irish variation introduced the yellow silk tag & ostrich butt..The North American variation uses a wing of squirrel tail. This version is now the most widely used at least here on the east coast of the Atlantic.
If there was only one fly for Atlantic salmon that should be in you box, or tied to your leader, it should be the Blue charm!
Here is the fly I will be sending....


Blue Charm (hairwing)

Hook: size 6 Partridge code N low water
Tag: oval silver tinsel & yellow silk floss
Tail: golden pheasant crest
Butt: black ostrich herl
Rib: oval silver tinsel
Body: black silk floss
Throat: blue hackle
Wing: Squirrel & 2 strips of teal





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