Rusty Rat
The Rusty Rat is one of the best-known hairwing flies for Atlantic salmon. The pattern originated on New Brunswick’s Restigouche River in 1949, when Joseph Pulitzer II continued fishing a heavily damaged Black Rat tied by Clovis Arseneault. As the fly became worn, rusty-colored underbody floss showed through, and Pulitzer reportedly landed a large salmon on it. The resulting Rusty Rat is normally cast across and downstream and fished on a controlled swing through pools and likely holding water. It can be tied in many sizes, with larger versions used in high or cold water and smaller, sparsely dressed flies favored during low, clear conditions. Forming a smooth floss body, reinforcing the peacock herl, and keeping the fox-hair wing sparse and properly aligned are the main considerations when tying the pattern.
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Recipe
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Hook · standard salmon streamer hook sizes 2 - 10
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Thread · red 6/0 or 140-denier
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Tag · fine oval gold tinsel
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Tail · 4–6 peacock sword fibers
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Rib · oval gold tinsel
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Body · rear - 1/2 yellow floss, front 1/2 - peacock herl
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Veil · yellow floss at body joint back to tail
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Wings · grey fox guard hair
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Cheeks · jungle cock eyes (optional)
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Hackle · soft grizzly - collar style
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Tag and rib · small oval gold French tinsel
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Rear body · rusty orange Uni-Floss
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Front body · peacock herl
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Veil or underwing · rusty orange Uni-Floss extending rearward from the body joint
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Wing · sparse gray fox guard hair with the underfur removed
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Head · red tying thread
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Finish · UV-cure resin or head cement
Tying Instructions
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1
Secure the hook in the vise, start the red thread behind the eye, and cover the shank with a smooth thread base to approximately the hook point.
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2
Tie in the oval gold tinsel near the rear of the shank. Wrap a short gold tag, secure it, and leave the remaining tinsel positioned for ribbing the body.
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3
Select 4–6 peacock sword fibers and tie them in as a short, slightly upward-curving tail.
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4
Tie in the rusty orange floss and wrap a smooth, even rear body covering approximately half of the hook shank.
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5
At the body midpoint, leave a length of the floss extending forward so it can later be folded back to form the veil or underwing.
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6
Tie in several strands of peacock herl at the midpoint and wrap them forward to form the front half of the body. Secure and trim the excess.
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7
Wind the gold tinsel forward in evenly spaced open turns over both sections of the body, taking care not to crush the peacock herl. Tie off and trim.
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8
Fold the reserved floss rearward over the top of the body to form the veil or underwing. Trim it so it extends approximately halfway along the tail.
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9
Remove the soft underfur from a sparse bunch of gray fox guard hair, align the tips, and tie in the wing so it extends to approximately the end of the veil or just short of the tail.
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10
Add optional jungle cock cheeks along the sides of the wing and secure them with controlled thread wraps.
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11
Tie in a soft grizzly hackle by its tip immediately in front of the wing. Sweep the fibers rearward and make several collar-style wraps before securing and trimming the stem.
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12
Form a neat red thread head, whip finish, and coat the head with UV-cure resin or head cement.