Purple Peril
The Purple Peril is one of the most famous West Coast steelhead patterns and a fixture on the rivers of British Columbia, Oregon, and Washington. The combination of purple and black has proven irresistible to winter and summer steelhead alike. It excels in off-color, tannic, or green-tinted water where purple tones penetrate and show up well. Fish it on a classic wet-fly downstream swing with a floating line and long leader.
- Type
- wet fly (Steelhead)
- Hook sizes
- #2–8
- Target species
- steelhead
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Best seasons
- fall, winter, spring
Materials
- hook: Salmon/steelhead wet fly hook #2–8
- thread: Black 6/0
- tag: Silver flat tinsel
- body: Rear third black floss, front two-thirds purple floss
- ribbing: Flat silver tinsel
- hackle: Purple hen or saddle, collar
Tying steps
- Mount a size 2–8 salmon or steelhead hook; start black thread.
- Wind silver flat tinsel for a short tag at the bend.
- Wind black floss as the rear third of the body; then purple floss for the front two-thirds.
- Counter-wrap flat silver tinsel in 5 open spirals over the full body.
- Tie in purple hackle as a collar, making 3–4 turns.
- Tie in purple or black bear hair or bucktail as the wing, extending to the hook bend.
- Build a neat head; whip finish and lacquer.
- Apply two coats of lacquer to the thread head, allowing each coat to dry fully — the finished head should be glossy and smooth, a hallmark of classic salmon fly construction.