The FlashBack Bug Steelhead Wake Fly

Juvenile Steelhead and Atlantic salmon parr are skilled surface hunters that have their attention fixed to the surface as soon as insects start swarming at the river bank.

Millions of years of training have made them what they are, and it is when conditions are perfect they take full advantage of the food on the surface…The temperature in the river and the air is a critical element of their surface activity – something we, as anglers, will experience when we target the adult fish entering the river.

Traditionally anglers target steelhead on the river’s surface during summer and into late autumn. Many different wake fly patterns have been designed for this highly specialized sport that draws anglers deep into the wilderness of Oregon and British Columbia. Many fly patterns are designed to wake subtly. Others are made to be fished more actively.

Rivers are turbulent, and the light is low – Spotting the fly on the river surface can be challenging, so we decided to make some visible wake flies.

Anglers have been fishing this new steelhead wake fly pattern on different rivers in British Columbia and Oregon season 2014 – 15 –  and the results have been great. We call this tube fly The FlashBack Bug.

We have tied the fly in 3 sizes similar to flies tied on # 1 – 4 – 8 hooks
It features our Riffling Hitch tube system, and the fly wakes perfectly in the rough and calm water.

Photo: Mr Loren Irving

We have combined some of the favoured steelhead wake fly patterns in the design of the FlashBack Bug and used some of the best fly tying material available to create a wake fly that would perform perfectly.

The iridescent foam used as back on the fly reflects the light and makes the fly glow upon the river even in poor light conditions.

Photo © of iridescent snake Mr Marc A. Spataro

Iridescent: Opalescent, shimmering, luminous, glittering, sparkling, dazzling, shining, gleaming, kaleidoscopic, rainbow-coloured –

We have many words for this highly attractive-looking material that we find with animals on land and in water –

Iridescence (also known as goniochromism) is the property of certain surfaces that appear to change colour as the angle of view or illumination changes. It is often created by structural colouration.

We have combined the iridescent colors with soft 2-millimeter sheets of black EVA foam to create this great looking fly tying material