In the autumn in Northern Europe after the long hot summer when the coastal waters begin to cool down again, its at this time of year you dont want to be without a stickleback imitation!

Although the recent tendency for tying and designing sea trout flies has gone more towards imitation patterns, some of which are extremely realistic, I am constantly drawn back to some more traditional styles of tying, that never stop producing fish. This is one of them!  This extremely simple pattern is so effective on autumn sea trout that for the past few years at least a couple of dozen have to be tied for my box.  During the summer months the Mickey Finn, another classic buck-tail streamer, is an outstanding pattern on bright sunny days, but falls short when fished in the autumn. I wanted a pattern that would fish as well in the dark grey autumn months, this was the result.

Stingsild Bucktail streamer pattern recipe

• Hook  Mustad S71SS salt water streamer # 4-6  
• Thread  Dyneema
• Body  Holographic tinsel
• Throat  White bucktail 
• Underwing   Four strands of gold Gliss n Glow 
• Wing Light brown buck-tail with darker brown buck-tail over 
• Topping  Five or six strands of peacock herl
• Eyes  Edson brass eyes  
• Head  Black  

How to tie Stingsild bucktail streamer

1

Insert your salt water streamer hook in the vice with the hook shaft horizontal.

2

Run your tying thread along the hook shank until you come to a place between the hook point and barb.

3

At the tail of the hook tie in a length of holographic flat tinsel. Unlike salmon and exhibition flies this tinsel body should be uneven, I want to achieve the most reflective multi faceted surface as possible. So the foundation of thread doesn’t have to be flat!

4

This is also a fishing fly so strengthen the tinsel body by coating the thread foundation with varnish before you start wrapping the tinsel.

5

Wrap the tinsel over the whole length of the body and wipe off any excess varnish that may flow on to the tinsel. tie off.

6

Turn your fly up side down and tie in a small bunch of prepared white buck-tail. This should extend about one half of the hook length beyond the hook bend.

7

Trim off the excess buck-tail and tie down the butts with a few turns of tying thread.

8

Tie in four short lengths of gold Gliss n Glow on top of the hook shank.

9

Now clean and stack a small bunch of light brown or tan buck-tail and tie in on top of the Gliss n Glow.

10

Repeat stage 9 but with a darker brown buck-tail That extends a little longer than the light brown.

11

Cut five or six lengths of peacock herl from just under the eye on a peacock tail feather. Tie these in in one bunch for the topping, again a little longer than the buck-tail wing.

12

Take two Edson brass eyes, you can substitute these with jungle cock but the effect is not the same.

13

Trim down the brass eyes with wire cutters as shown.

14

Secure the eyes one each side of the head with a few turns of tying thread. Before you continue to tie in the eyes apply a drop of varnish to hold everything in place.

15

Wrap the head with tying thread and whip finish. Coat the head with black varnish.  Now wet your fingers and soak the entire wing and pull it back to give it shape.

16

Once the wing is wet and shaped let it dry, it only takes a few minutes.

17

Once dry the wing will hold its shape.

18

A batch of Stingsild soon ready for the salt!