Baitfish flies are incredibly effective for Puget Sound sea-run cutthroat. While these flies are productive, our Puget Sound conditions can make fishing them challenging. Between wind, weeds, and surf, there are many variables on the water that love to foul the materials on long, flowing baitfish flies.
I designed this fly for a few key reasons:
- Spend less time untangling or unfouling the materials.
- Place the hook point in the most optimal position based on how I’ve observed cutthroat eating flies. Sea-run cutthroat almost always attack the fly or baitfish from below and head-first, and this design positions the hook point right at the target, which has significantly increased hookup ratios on the Sound.
Variations of this pattern have been in my fly box for a few years, but the design really came together in April 2025 as the “final” version with the addition of craft fur for color and extra movement in the body, and voodoo fibers down the sides. I also tie an olive version which is a beast when the chum fry are out in the Sound and the cutthroat are focused on them, and a chartreuse one that works well on beaches with less-than-perfect visibility or when fishing shallow sections that can get murky on an incoming tide. This orange and grey version is my favorite and all-around go-to. Cutthroat really seem to respond to that orange color.
I fish these flies on a fast 6-weight rod with a full intermediate line and a short 4–6 ft fluorocarbon leader.
Red Eye Fry Tying Instructions
Tools Needed:
- Scissors
- Bobbin
- Bodkin
- Whip Finish Tool
- Hair Stacker
- UV Light Materials
Tying Materials:
- Thread: 70D White UTC or 8/0 Veevus White
- Hook: Ahrex NS172 Sz 10 or Gamakatsu SC15 Sz 4
- Belly: Just Add H20 Steve Farrar Blend – White
- Body: Craft Fur – Bright Orange
- Wing: Gray Squirrel Tail - Natural, Stacked
- Flash: 2 strands of 1/69" Lateral Scale, 1 strand of black/white Micro Barred VooDoo Fiber
- Eyes: 1/8in Flat Stick On Eyes – Red
- Head: Medium Thick UV Resin – Solarez Medium Clear
Tying Steps:
Step 2: Rotate Vise/Turn hook so shank is facing down.
Step 3: Remove a sparse section of the SF blend fibers from the package and tie it in so it extends roughly 1 inch behind the hook, evenly split on either side of the hook.
Step 4: Wrap thread back towards the hook bend while slightly pulling the material upward to help shape the belly.
Step 5: Tie in a piece of craft fur on top of the shank, so the tips extend just beyond the end of the belly material.
Step 6: Remove a clump of squirrel hair from the tail, comb out any underfur, and stack in a hair stacker. Tie in squirrel to be just short of the craft fur tips but not shorter than the belly material. After cutting away excess, add a small drop of super glue to base and add a few more thread wraps to secure those ends.
Step 7: Tie in 2 strands of small lateral scale down each side of the fly, extending beyond the body materials.
Step 8: Then do the same with a single strand of black/white voodoo fibers.
Step 9: Cover any exposed fibers and shape up the head, then whip finish.
Step 10: Add a dab of super glue to the back of the stick-on eyes and place them on either side of the head of the fly before sticking them on for extra durability. Finally, use medium thickness UV Resin to form, finish, and round-out the head of the fly.