Suave

@surfflyguy It's tied on a #6 Partridge Bartleet hook. This hook (as the heavier and shorter Bartleet Supreme) is not produced anymore. From what I see on the Partridge of Redditch website (salmon/steelhead hooks) the closest would be their up-eye single Patriot (model CS 16/1).

@surfflyguy posting of a variation of the Black Bear Green Butt made me remember this well-known and popular (at least when I was regularly on salmon streams) fly. It was really not among my favorites but I always carried a few and, when Spey-like flies became favorites of mine, I decided to tie a few Green Butt in that style and one of these was good for a 20lb+ salmon on the Grand Cascapédia (mind you, not a "big" fish for that river). So here's one (maybe the one for that fish!), a Green Butt to which I added a black heron feather wound on the rear third of the body. Spey-like Black Bear Green Butt

I've fished the three Gaspé salmon rivers (Dartmouth, York and Saint-Jean) a lot in the 80's and early 90's. The Bonaventure only a few times as a lot of its pools are not easily fished by wading even in normal water conditions. The Black Bear Green Butt is of course a well-known and popular (at least in my times) Atlantic salmon fly although its original dressing makes for a much more subdued fly than your variation. It must be said that for a long time (and maybe even now) salmon fly patterns did not really call for flash (and most of the flash material we now have was not even around then). And that fly was not among my favorites (that I posted pictures of on the "Remembering years past...Atlantic salmon flies" thread on this Forum) but your posting reminded me of a 20lb+ salmon I caught on a Green Butt variation I tied (making it a Spey-like fly by adding black heron to it). So I'll be posting one of these on that thread.

By the way will you be using this fly for Atlantic salmon and, if so, on which river(s)?

Sorry, my aim was bad and hit the thumb down. Nice tie.

So you're actually casting as with a TH rod with your off hand on the butt of the rod. Is that hand as active (as can be with short butt) as if you were casting a "real" TH rod ?

Mike, nice tool to have if one ties a lot of articulated flies. As to the loop opening up, the FishSkull Next Generation shanks (that I have not tried yet) shouldn't have that issue.

Curious: where do you grip the rod with your off hand?

I played a lot of tennis for about 30 years and had a few "bouts" with tennis elbow albeit not acute enough to have to stop playing for awhile. I just wore an elbow brace for the time it took for the tendonitis to go away. I know wearing a brace doesn't work for every tennis player who have this problem but I wonder ifhave you tried it for fishing? If not, maybe it's worth a try.

I just couldn't resist. This brings back a lot of memories.

I know the feeling. I had a hunting buddy English springer spaniel for 10 years.

Mike Reels after my own heart and... beautiful cat!

That's what happens when tying flies becomes a hobby more than just to fulfill fishing needs.

There is a well-known Scottish Spey-type Atlantic salmon fly called "Lady Caroline". Here's a picture of it as tied by Bob Veverka, a renowned tyer in his time (he passed away a few years ago) both for saltwater flies and Spey-type salmon flies for which he authored two fly-tying books. This picture is taken from the Joseph D. Bates, Jr and Pamela Bates Richards' book "Fishing Atlantic Salmon, The Flies and the Patterns". I wonder if your fly is "related to this one". Bob Veverka's Lady Caroline

After two years of hard work including countless hours of practice and regular coaching by his mentor Jim Fearn, our friend Mike has successfully passed his AAPGAI (Association of Advanced Professional Game Angling Instructors, a prestigious UK association similar to the Fly Fishers International) qualification as an Advanced Instructor in single-handed fly casting. Quite an achievement (have a look at the AAPGAI website to see what that qualification entails) and a dream realised for Mike. Congratulations.