Hoh Bo Spey

Easy to tie, and easier to cast, the Hoh Bo Spey has become a must-have fly for winter steelheaders.

By Charles St Pierre

I wanted to create a fly that could be fished on the swing for steelhead and salmon year round using a sinking or full floating line. Named after two of my favorite Northwest Rivers (Bogachiel, Hoh) and influenced by numerous Northwest fly variations, this is the fly I designed to fill that somewhat tall order. The long and limp natural guinea, marabou, and lady Amherst fibers create incredible lifelike action and are dressed lightly to allow maximum depth penetration quickly and efficiently. The variations of UV dubbed body create contrast and brightness inside the fly silhouette while the body hackle supports the longer fibers for a broader silhouette and additional action. Because this fly uses few materials and is lightly dressed to create its profile and amazing action, it casts easily and efficiently with both single and double handed rods.

Fly Recipe

Thread: black or red UTC Ultra Thread 140
Shank/Tube: 25 mm Partridge Waddington Shank
Tail/Butt: Hairline UV ice dubbing blue
Body: Hairline UV ice dubbing black
Hackle: Natural Jumbo Guinea
Collar: Spey Marabou and 6 Lady Amherst quill strands
Flash: UV Krinkle Mirror Flash
Trailer Hook: Gamakatsu Octopus size 1 (salmon) or 2 (steelhead)
Misc.: Dress lightly; 2 to 3 turns of marabou only!

Tying instructions

STEP 1: Tie fire wire loop to shank leaving enough room to attach hook or change hooks later. Apply two drops of super glue to secure.

STEP 2: Twist up butt material and dub forward.

STEP 3: Tie in hackle. Strip left side of feather.

STEP 4: Twist up body dubbing and wrap forward. Wrap the hackle forward through the dubbing. Pick out dubbing material slightly to extend fibers.

STEP 5: Tie in marabou and make two to three wraps while stroking fibers back.

STEP 6: Tie six strands of flash on top of the marabou.

STEP 7: Tie in Amherst strands: two on top, one on each side, two on bottom. Tie off and add head cement.

Tying Tips
The marabou fibers should be long enough to extend to the point of the hook. The Amherst fibers should be long enough to extend past the hook point and at least an inch longer than the marabou fibers. The strands of flash should extend slightly (1”) past tips of the Amherst fibers. The tips of the Amherst fibers should be pointing toward each other and parallel with the profile of the fly when set correctly.

How to fish it
Cast slightly up and across or down and across and swing through using either a sinking or floating line anywhere 365 days a year (wouldn’t that be a dream come true!).

Author’s Bio
A lifetime resident of Washington State Charles began fishing for steelhead and salmon at the age of eight years old on many of Western Washington’s most productive anadromous rivers. Charles is a part-time fishing guide, founder of Northwest Speycasting fly casting schools, contract fly tyer for Solitude Fly Co., and competition fly caster. Other signature Solitude flies by Charles include The Foxee Dog, The Foxee Prawn, and GP Spey.