Skeena River Lodge Prom Dress FlyHow to Tie the Skeena River Lodge Prom Dress

The “Prom Dress” is a staple pattern for Chinook at Skeena River Lodge. I slightly modified the original pattern, by Scott Howell, to make the pattern more durable and bigger for use for Chinook salmon. I changed the original hook and dumbbell eye to a tube with weighted brass bead and cone head configuration. The tube is more durable, allows you to exchange hooks and places the hook as far back as you like. The cone head with the 3mm hole creates protection for the marabou and makes the pattern almost indestructible.  The pattern is “super-sized” for Chinook and has an almost ridiculous amount of flash incorporated in it. The guides from Skeena River Lodge swear by this pattern, which should be a very good reason to tie some up for your next trip. Here is how I tie the modified “Prom Dress”.

Materials 
– 3mm plastic tube 
– 6.2mm brass bead with 3.2mm hole
– 6mm cone head with 3.2mm hole
– Snow Runner tail
– Arctic Fox under-wing
– Standard Flashabou skirt
– Marabou collar

Note: the pattern here is finished without a 3mm hole cone head. Our production pattern has a cone head.

Figure 1: Melt a flange on a 1.8mm clear tube.SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying

SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying - Figure 2Figure 2: Insert the 1.8mm tube with the flange end into the 3mm tube. Insert 6mm. The bump from the flange will from a stopper for the brass bead that we are going to slide on. Total length of the 3mm tube is 5cm.

SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying - Figure 3Figure 3: Slide the brass bead onto the 3mm tube. It will stop against the flange of the 1.8mm inner tube. If the flange is not big enough to stop the brass bead from sliding over, then a stopper can be created by building up some turns of monofilament.

SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying - Figure 4Figure 4: A close up of the monofilament stopper.

SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying - Figure 5Figure 5: Tie in black thread against the brass bead.

Figure 6: Cut off a clump of yellow-chartruese Arctic Fox tail hair. Comb out the under-fur.SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying-Figure 6

SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying - Figure 7Figure 7: Tie in the Arctic Fox under-wing. Make sure to wrap the thread tight against the brass bead.

SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying - Figure 8Figure 8: Tie in the Flashabou. Distribute 360 degrees around the tube. Use an ample amount of flash.

SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying - Figure 9Figure 9: Tie in a green-chartreuse marabou feather by the tip.

SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying - Figure 10Figure 10: Tie the marabou off and whip-finish.

SRL Prom Dress Fly Tying - Figure 11Figure 11: If desired a flange can be created to finish the fly. Alternatively a large centre hole cone head (3mm) can be added.