Solano Fly Fishers
 
  Shewey's Spawning Purple
     
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Hook:
Thread:
Body:
Wing:
Hackle:
Cheeks:
Collar: 		 Alec Jackson Nickel, size 1.5
Fire Orange Uni-Thread, 6/0
Fluorescent flame orange single strand floss (Flat waxed nylon)
5 spikes of purple marabou from the upper half of a single marabou plume
Purple
Jungle cock (large, angled along wing)
Orange-dyed guinea (I subbed Gadwall) 
This fly was invented by John Shewey in 1986 and is one of the flies that he recommends for summer steelhead along with Maxwell's Purple Matuka if you were to fish nothing else. He states that the Spawning Purple hooks about 75% of his summer steelhead. The one that I tied here has a collar of Gadwall substituted for the Guinea because I have had some difficulty acquiring large-sized Guinea which I think makes the fly more attractive. It seems that most suppliers are packaging smallish Guinea feathers which are not good for salmon and steelhead fly collars. Shewey's Spawning Purple is dressed with a tag of flat silver tinsel when black instead of nickel hooks are used.