The "Original" Nathan Streeter Fullback

Nathan Streeter's Fullback “The Original”
By Nathan Streeter
Source: Fly Tyer Magazine (August 1981)
Tied By: Larry O Jurgens
Hook: Dai-Riki #075 (Original was tied on Mustad 7948A Hooks)
Size: 8 ~ 20
Thread: Black 6/0 Danville Flymaster
Tail: Pheasant Tail Barbules
Optional Underbody: Black Yarn and/or Lead Wire
Body: Peacock Herl
Hackle: Brown
Shell: Pheasant Tail Barbules
Head: Tying Thread

Note: This fly should be tied thick and fat, e.g., a juicy morsel. This fly probably best represents a Dobsonfly Larva aka Hellgrammite, or a Dragonfly Nymph. It doesn’t seem to matter to the fish what is “supposed” to mimic but they have liked it for over 30 years that I have been tying and using it.

Step ~ Tying Instruction
1 ~ Start the thread behind the hook eye and wrap to above the hook point.
2 ~ Optional: Wrap a lead wire underbody and cover with thread and cement the wraps.
3 ~ Tie in a fairly large bunch of Pheasant tail barbules above the hook point for the tail and the shellback.
~~ Tail length equals the hook gape.
4 ~ Fold the barbules back and overwrap with thread to above the hook barb.
5 ~ Return the thread to in front of the folded barbules.
6 ~ Optional; Tie in the underbody yarn material.
7 ~ Tie in one saddle hackle feather by the by the butt with the fibers curved forward.
~~ The hackle barbules should be slightly longer than the hook gape.
8 ~ Tie in a large bunch of Peacock herls.
9 ~ Move the thread to behind the hook eye.
10 ~ Optional; Wrap underbody wool to 2 eye lengths behind hook eye. Tie in and cut off excess.
11 ~ Wrap the Peacock herls to 1 eye length behind the hook eye. Tie in and cut off excess.
12 ~ Palmer-wrap the hackle to 1 eye length behind the hook eye. Tie in and cut off excess.
13 ~ Cut off the hackle fibers on the top of the body or divide and force the hackle fibers down evenly on both sides of the body. Trim the hackle barbules even with the hook point if required.
14 ~ Pull the shellback over the body. Tie in and cut off excess
15 ~ Wrap and whip-finish a medium sized head.
16 ~ Optional; Apply water based head cement to the head/whip-finish.

Bead Head Fullback

The Halfback and Fullback Flies
My first encounter with these two flies was in the late 1970s when I was working in Casper, Wyoming. While working there I fished the Trappers Route Section of the North Platte River a minimum of 2 to 3 times a week. These two patterns along with my Trappers Route Special (an adaptation of a Platte River Special) and my Trappers Route Muddler accounted for approximately 90% of the fish caught.
The following is excerpted from the article; The Halfback and The Fullback by Nathan Winter Streeter in Fly Tyer Magazine, Volume Four Issue Two, August 1981.
The Halfback and Fullback are two of the best trout flies for fishing in the Rocky Mountain Region od the United States. They have proven effective in all types of fishing situations from catching creek chubs in warm, still creeks to landing ten pound browns in cool rushing rivers. They have been trolled in lakes and fished through ice, but the running trout streams are their homes. They should be a part of every trout fisherman's fly box. ~ Nathan Streeter

I added the bead a few years back and it didn't effect the pattern negatively. Not sure if it is a "real" improvement or not but it works good for me. ~LoJ


Bead Head Fullback
By Larry O Jurgens
Source: A Nathan Streeter Fullback Adaptation
Hook: TMC 3769
Size: 6 ~ 18
Thread: Dark Brown 6/0 UNI Thread Tail: Pheasant Tail Barbs
Rib: Green Ultra Wire
Body Peacock Herl
Hackle: Brown Whiting Saddle
Shell Back: Pheasant Tail Barbs
Head: Black Tungsten or Metal Bead
Tying Instructions
1 -- Slide the bead onto the hook shank. Bead size is tyers choice.
2 -- Wrap a thread base behind the hook eye that is tight to the bead. Whip finish and cut off.
---- Optional; Coat these thread wraps with Super Glue or Head Cement
3 -- Slide the bead onto the “bead” threadbase.
4 -- Start the thread behind the bead and wrap a thread base to above the hook point.
5 -- Tie in the tail and shellback material. The tail should equal the body length.
6 -- Fold the barbules back and overwrap with thread to above the hook barb.
7 -- Tie in the hackle feather, rib wire and 4 ~ 10 Peacock herls.
---- Tyers Note: The body on this pattern should be thick and short.
8 -- Return the thread to behind the bead.
9 -- Wrap the Peacock herls with the rib wire creating a Peacock herl rope.
10 -- Wrap the Peacock herl rope to behind the bead. Tie in and cut off excess.
11 -- Palmer wrap the hackle to behind the bead. Tie in and cut off excess.
12 -- Cut the hackle fibers even with the peacock herl body on the top of the hook shank.
13 -- Pull the shellback material over the body. Tie in and cut off excess.
14 -- Whip finish behind the bead with a minimum number of wraps.

A Handy Bead Sizing Chart

This chart is a "generalization" bead sizing chart.
You as a fly-tyer select the bead size that the finished fly has the appearance that best appeals to you.



LET YOUR IMAGINATION BE YOUR GUIDE!

An eeZee Caddis Pattern

Olive eeZee Caddis
By: Larry O Jurgens
Source: An adaptation of Tim Fox’s Poopah
Hook: TMC 2488
Size: 12 ~ 20
Thread: Olive UTC 70
Rib: Gold Wire
Abdomen: Dark Olive Micro Ultra Chenille

A Streamer Pattern For All Seasons

Olive Wounded Minnow V1
By: Larry O Jurgens
Hook: TMC 5262 or TMC 5263
Size: 2 ~ 10
Thread: Olive Danville Flat Waxed Nylon
Body: Pearl Olive Estaz
Wing: Grizzly Olive Variant Rabbit Strip
Collar: Grizzly Olive Variant Cross-Cut Rabbit Strip
Trigger: Red 1/64 Holographic Mylar Motion
Head: Black Spirit River Cone Head
Optional: Zap-A-Gap CA+ and Water-Based Head Cement

Tying Instructions
Slide the cone on to the hook shank.
Wrap a threadbase behind the hook eye so that the cone head is tight on the hook shank. Cut off the thread. Optional, Zap-A-Gap the threadbase.
Move the cone to behind the hook eye over the threadbase.
Start the thread behind the cone and wrap a threadbase to above the hook barb.
Tie in the wing material above the hook barb. Cut the zonker tail to 1 ½ times the hook shank length.
Tie in the body material and wrap to appx 3 hook eye lengths behind the cone.
Tie in and cut off excess.
Pull the wing material forward to appx 3 hook eye lengths behind the cone.
Cut the hair off of the zonker strip at the tie in point.
Tie in and cut off excess.
Tie in the trigger material (1 ~ 3 strands) on each side of the hook shank.
Tie in the collar material and make 2 wraps behind the cone and force the last collar wrap into the cone.
Tie in and cut off excess.
Trim the hair on the bottom the hook shank so the body shows.
Whip-finish using a minimum number of wraps.
Cut the trigger Mylar to length of your choice.
Optional; Apply water-based head cement to the thread wraps.