The Espresso Fly

If someone were to open my backpack during a days fishing, they'd find as many fly boxes as can fit! I love to tie, fish, or just look at flies. I'll probably use only a dozen flies or so during a day, but I like to have the choice of which, close at hand for when the right fly for the right moment is needed.

If you dig past the boxes, you'll find another essential item...an espresso maker! Nothing like the smell of brewing espresso when on a wild river! Those who fish with me, will know there'll be a break or two for a shot. Lavazza Cremosa is the Italian espresso of choice and some homemade biscotti to dunk of course!

Greg dropped the canoe 50 feet from our last drop. Close to the spot where he had landed a nice spring salmon the evening prior. It took a large tube fly we call "the Pork Shoulder Sangwich". More about that fly in a future blog.....

I asked what fly he had on as he stripped line out to start his drop. "PORK SHOULDER SANGWICH...TABLE 2. GET YOUR PORK SHOULDER SANGWICH!!", he yelled out in hopes of tempting another salmon!

The Pork Shoulder Sangwich

I laughed and said it was time for a coffee first! Greg fished on as the coffee brewed. He reeled up when he heard the espresso maker start to sputter its last drops. We enjoyed our coffee with a Nutella filled croissant appreciating the beautiful surroundings and feeling full of life as the river flowed beneath us.

We dropped another 40 feet. My turn! I tied on a very big tube fly almost 10 inches in length. Spring fish are few and far between and covering lots of water to find one is the name of the game. I wanted to make sure a salmon could see my fly coming from far away and hope to get it to react to the big intruder. In a high and stained river, my goal is to find a fish and then work it with smaller flies if the big tube fly doesn't hook it first.

Halfway through a swing, I feel a half tug and a nip. "He's got it Greg...!" I was patient to not set knowing that it might not have the hook in its mouth. It continued to bite and nip at it for a couple ofseconds, but I could not feel the weight of the fish so I did not set the hook. "HE LET GO!!!"

Adding wings to tube hooks will extend the overall length of your tube fly. The hooks can also be used as a comeback fly for short takers.

I stripped in the fly and Greg checked the hook. I contemplated changing to a smaller fly while we rested the fish or removing the tube and just fish the hook that has a long hair wing tied to it, but my usual routine is to keep fishing what got its attention until it loses interest.

We rested the fish for 5 minutes. I cast a few feet short to where I got the take and worked my way out every 2 feet. Nothing came of it when the line was fully extended so I pulled out another 2 feet and cast.

The fly's swing hesitated ever so slightly as I felt a tiny nip/pluck. It could've been the fish or maybe I wanted it too much, but I treated it as a grab and rested the fish for another 5 minutes.

I checked the fly and cast out, but the loose line at the bottom of the canoe and the gusting wind made a bird's nest of my running line! Worst timing ever! As I untangle, Greg and I talked about giving the fly a name. "PISTACHIO ICE CREAM", Greg exclaimed! Our flies always seem to be named after food!

I don't really hold stock in creating new flies. They all seem to be a variation of another fly. I tie what pleases me and we name them for the fun of it!

"How bout, the Espresso Fly? Since we just had one before!", I replied. I cast out and repeated the process. This time I felt the weight of a fish turn on my fly and I set the hook! "GOT IT!"

Greg steered the boat toward shore but the strong wind gusts kept pushing us toward the opposite bank. He masterfully captained the boat while I fought the big springer and got me to shore despite losing his hat to the wind and river! Luckily Peter, one of the best guides on the river, motored down to retrieve it. Greg placed the net in the water and I swung the fish in.

We took a couple of photos and as I released it, Neil, another good friend asked which fly it took. Not having a proper name, I blurted out," the Espresso fly".

Tying the Espresso fly

I prefer a balanced fly when fishing subsurface so I tend to use a small metal tube attached to a plastic tube (see photo below). I tie my wing on the metal tube. It will leave a bulky finished head, but it it will add to the fly's movement. Metal cones and discs are not legal where I fish.

You can tie your wing on the smaller diameter inner tube before the metal tube to achieve a smaller head, but I have found that the fly is not as durable.

I will use different lengths or types of metal tubes to achieve desired weight. I also consider the length of plastic tube that will hold the hook. I like to have the hook placed close to the center of the fly.

Matched with the proper lines, these will swim at the precise depth I want them to. The clearer the water, the closer to the surface. The darker or colder the water, the deeper I go.

The Espresso fly

Tag: pearl mylar

But: red wool

Body: Frodin SSS Glitz Sealice

Wing: long tapered black hair over Frodin SSS mikkeli blue angel hair over fiery brown hair. (I really have no preference in type of hair. I don't believe it matters. I will use whatever I have available be it goat, snowrunner, TD, or arctic fox)

Side flash: 1 strand on each side of fly of mirage pearl flash.(optional)

Collar: 1 to 2 turns of grey ostrich plume feather.

Jungle cock eyes to finish

Tube fly hook

An example of the many variations of wings that can be tied on tube fly hooks.

There are no rules here. I tie hair or hackles as a wing. Sometimes long, sometimes short, and in different colors. The beauty is that you can mix and match tubes and hooks and create a whole new fly.

Two things that are important is to leave enough space on the hook to fit into the plastic tube and second is to wrap a stiff barbed hackle around the shank. This helps in keeping the long hair wings from fouling around the hook.

Espresso fly spinoffs