The Whychus Canyon Steelhead Fly

The Whychus Canyon Steelhead Fly. Photo: Sherry Steele.

The Whychus Canyon Steelhead Fly was designed by Sherry Steele, a noted fly tyer from Sisters, Oregon, to honor the Deschutes Land Trust’s creation of  Whychus Canyon Preserve. This hand tied steelhead fly is meant to spread the story of returning steelhead and a stronghold on Whychus Creek.

The Fly is part of a collection based on classic salmon flies dating as far back as 1850, tied by George M. Kelson, Francis Francis, and Thomas Pryce-Tannatt. Many of our current day steelhead and salmon flies have been modeled after, or evolved from these wonderful classics. The materials to tie these flies are available in fly shops around the world and none of the feathers are from endangered birds.

Many thanks to Sherry Steele for designing and tying these flies. We’re also grateful to the members of the Oregon Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers and the Central Oregon Fly Tyers Guild for their help in tying the flies. To tie your own Whychus Canyon Steelhead Fly, you'll need:

Hook: TMC 7989 Size 2 or Dai-Riki 899 #4 (Salmon/steelhead)
Thread Under Body: Ultra Thread 70 - Black or UNI-Thread 6/0
Thread Head: Ultra Thread 70 - Black or UNI-Thread 6/1
Tip/Tag: Oval Silver Tinsel -fine, Lagartun Silk - Red or floss
Tail: A Topping (Golden Pheasant Crest)
Butt & Rib: Black Ostrich, Silver Tinsel - Fine Oval
Body: Silk - Light Green ( LAND TRUST LOGO COLOR- Bright)
Hackle: Pheasant Red Tipped Soft Feather
Wing: Argus Pheasant (Optional Natural turkey)
Topping: A Topping (Golden Pheasant Crest)

Watch Sherry tie the fly in parts 1 and 2 of "Tying the Whychus Canyon Steelhead Fly."

Whychus Canyon Preserve, along with other Deschutes Land Trust protected lands along Whychus and Lake Creeks, is part of a campaign to bring the Deschutes River’s most iconic species back to their home waters. We hope you’ll continue to tell the story of steelhead coming home to these lands protected by the Deschutes Land Trust. Thank you.