Fly of the Month

April 2000

by Rich Johnson

Dahlberg Diver Pike Fly

Notes: Breakup in Alaska is the chance for larger
pike on a fly. As the ice pulls away from the
shore and the waters warm, Northern Pike move into
the shallows to spawn. This fly is a creation that
uses the Dalhberg style head on a bunny strip
body. As Tony Route says in his book Flyfishing
Alaska . 'Large, fluffy patterns that have lots of
marabou or saddle hackle are much tougher for pike
to spit out.' This pattern create commotion on the
surface and is a mouthful once inhales by a hungry
northern.

Previous Flies

March 2000: Super Prawn!
Febuary 2000: Midge Larva/Pupa
January 2000: Scud
December 1999: Sockeye Fry
November 1999: Not available
October 1999: Pin Head Muddler
September 1999: Signal Light
August 1999: Pink Pollywog
July 1999 : Leonard Shrimp
June 1999 : Delong Lake Special (parachute)
May 1999 : Beady-eye Nymph
April 1999 : General Practitioner
March 1999 : Sculpin (woolhead bunny)
February 1999 : Popsicle

January 1999 : Nuclic Bunny
December 1998: Alaska Mary Ann
November 1998: Niukluk Smolt
October 1998: Sea Flea
September 1998: Frank's Fly
August 1998: Sparkle Shrimp
July 1998: Flashfly
June 1998: Comet
May 1998: Everglow
April 1998: Battle Creek Special
March 1998: Pearl Marabou Smolt
February 1998: Crystal Egg Wooly Bugger
January 1998 : Tangle Lakes Teaser
December 1997: Bead-Head Pheasant Tail Soft Hackle


April 2000 by Rich Johnson Dahlberg Diver Pike Fly Notes: Breakup in Alaska is the chance for larger pike on a fly. As the ice pulls away from the shore and the waters warm, Northern Pike move into the shallows to spawn. This fly is a creation that uses the Dalhberg style head on a bunny strip body. As Tony Route says in his book Flyfishing Alaska . 'Large, fluffy patterns that have lots of marabou or saddle hackle are much tougher for pike to spit out.' This pattern create commotion on the surface and is a mouthful once inhales by a hungry northern.
	Hook: "Stinger" Hook Thread: Danville Plus, white Weed Guard: Oval Monofiliment Tail: Rabbit Strip/Krystal Flash/Flashabou/Marabou Body: Deer Hair, flared and clipped to shape Eyes: optional
	1) The Stinger style hook is a unique shape. Place the hold of your vise high on the "bend" to minimize torque on the wire.
	2) So I can drag this fly through the brush, I'm including a weed guard. Put a thread base on the rear quarter of the shank. Tie a piece of monofiliment on top of the hook.
	3) Lash a piece of mono the same diameter as the hook to each side of the shank covering the front 3/4 of the hook. (This is a top view.) If you tie the far side first, then loop the mono over the top of the shank and wrap rearwards, you can pinch cut the loop against the shank using a pair of flat pliers. Doing this creates a tapered end on both pieces of mono and provides a transition zone. (Credit for this tip goes to Jerry Keller, of the Las Vegas Fly Fishers, who ties a really neat looking frog.
	4) Bring the thread back over the weed guard and down the back of the bend, far enough to hold the mono down along the bend. Bring the thread back up to where you want to start the tail and apply a liberal amount of cement to seal everything. Allow to dry.
	5) Tie in a rabbit strip for the tail. (Other materials can be used for the tail. Bucktail, Kinkyfiber, Big Fly Fiber, or any synthetic hairs will work. Even just marabou for a shorter fly.)
	6) Now I've added strands of lime Krystal Flash along the sides of the tail, and gold Flashabou over the top.
	7) Wrap a marabou hackle over the thread wraps tying in the tail.
	8) Directly in front of the marabou, on the underside of the shank, flair a bundle of deer hair. (The color scheme on this my fly is green/yellow - so the yellow is always on the bottom. Also, at this point in the process you should be where the mono sides have been attached. They will help keep the colors separated.)
	9) In the same spot, but on top of the shank flair a bundle of green deer hair. This bundle has been stacked so that the tips are fairly even. After trimming the head the tips will be left, pointing over the back of the fly.
	10) Pull both bundles of hair back. (Keeping green on top and yellow on the bottom.) Bring the thread through the hair and put a couple of firm wraps tight against the hair.
	11) Continue flaring bundles of hair until the shank is covered. Pack each bundle against the previous to keep the hair dense. Allow an eye space at the front of the shank. Tie off with a couple of half-hitches and a small whip finish. Cut the thread.
	12) Using a straight edge razor trim the bottom of the hair straight back to the tail. Use a new blade with a sharp edge. Make sure to keep the tail from being cut, but do not place your left fingers at the rear of the fly during this step!
	13) Flex a double edge razor blade between your fingers and in a smooth stroke trim the top hairs into a curved surface. Do not cut all the way. Stop just at the butts of the first bundle of hair you stacked and flared.
	14) You can control the shape of the head by the amount of flex put into the blade and the arc of the cut from the eye rearwards. I trimmed this head in a slider shape. The butts of the flared hair become the lip that make this a Dahlberg style head.
	15) Liberally coat the lip with a flexible coating such as Softex. Work the goo into the hair and bring the hairs up and forward. Allow to dry.
	16) Once the lip is dry enough to work with, trim the hairs in a arc that matches the shape of the head. The height you leave the lip will determine how much disturbance the fly will make when jerked through the water. (This view is from the front.)
	17) Once trimmed I will usually use my bodkin to apply more Softex to the rear of the lip. This will seal the back hairs against the lip and make it a little stronger. Be careful not to get goo into the hair tips which are collared back over the tail.
	18) Reattach your thread at the eye. Take your mono weedguard and bring it up through the eye and secure the mono on the bottom of the shank with a couple of tight wraps. Adjust the loop so that the mono stays in front of the hook point. When the loop is adjusted, fold the mono back over the top of the shank and tie down. Clip the excess mono, whip finish and cement the wraps. Your fly is fishable. But, I like eyes.
	19) With your fine pointed scissors cut a small notches in the hair for eye sockets. Apply some flexible cement and set the eyes into place. Put a second coat of cement over the eyes and surrounding area to help seal them in place.
	20) The finished fly in all its glory. Six inches long is both a mouthful and a rodful so don't try to cast this monster with a light rod. If you want a shorter fly simply eliminate the bunny strip tail and add saddle hackles or lash down a marabou tail. Top water for Pike is a blast, just watch out for those teeth!