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October 2001
by Rich Johnson
Purple Performer
Notes: This pattern was created by one of our local experts, "Pudge" Kleinkauf. Pudge is active in fly-fishing at a local, national, and international level. One of her most enduring traits is her no nonsense approach to fly selection. Keep it simple, and if it works don't mess with it. The Purple Performer was developed in the early 90's for Sockeyes in the Karluk River on Kodiak Island; it has since become a favorite among local salmon fishers. Being relatively easy to tie, this pattern is a regular at our monthly fly tying clinics that run October through May to demonstrate basic salmon fly construction. Bob Fairchild featured it in this past August Newsletter in his regular column and I thought it appropriate to close the fishing season with a local salmon/steelhead pattern.
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Hook: UTE Salmon
Thread: Danville 6/0, black
Weight: .030
Tail: (none)
Body: Purple Diamond Braid, or similar
Wing: Purple Squirrel Tail, or Bucktail
Hackle: Purple Saddle Hackle, collared
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1) Hook size should depend on the water and personal preferences. Most often this fly is tied on a #6 or #4 hook.
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2) Lead the shank from above the point to the wire loop back.
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3) Use the thread to lock down the lead while building tapered bases at either end of the lead. (Because I'm going to use bucktail for the wing and I wanted to build my tapers faster, I am using Danville Plus. You must be very conscious of your wraps when using a heavy thread on a smaller fly.) Attach the Diamond Braid at the rear of the fly making sure the attachment point is above the barb.
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4) Wrap the Diamond Braid forward and tie off. (Make sure to leave most of the double wire loop back for the wing and hackle.) Clip the material and saturate with head cement, or my favorite, top coat nail polish.
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5) Even up the tips of your wing material. Squirrel will stack fairly easily, however bucktail will require more care when evening the tips. I hand stack first, cut off most of the excess butts, and then use a hair stacker. Tie in the wing on top with very firm wraps. Leave the thread at the rear of the wing tie in area.
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6) Prepare the base section of a saddle hackle and tie in with wraps forward to the eye.
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7) Wrap the hackle forward while folding the fibers on the leading edge. When you reach the stripped base tie down with your thread, and as you hold the fibers rearward wrap the thread over the hackles to "collar" them. Half hitch and whip finish forward.
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8) Finish the head with your favorite sealer and you're off to the next one.
(An interesting variation of this pattern that I've seen around has a black wing. Perhaps it's the natural modification of seeing flies with very dark purple wing and substituting black, which is more common. Both seem to work well.)
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