Rusty Rat
The Rusty Rat is a Canadian classic developed on the Restigouche River system and now fished throughout Atlantic Canada and beyond. Its combination of peacock herl and orange floss body, gray fox wing, and grizzly hackle gives a lifelike, buggy profile that suggests many things at once. Especially productive in low, clear summer water when salmon need coaxing. A must-have in any Atlantic salmon box.
- Type
- wet fly (Atlantic Salmon)
- Hook sizes
- #4–10
- Target species
- salmon
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Best seasons
- summer
Materials
- hook: Salmon double or single #4–10
- thread: Black
- tag: Fine oval gold tinsel
- tail: Peacock sword fibers (2–3)
- body: Rear half peacock herl, front half orange floss
- ribbing: Oval gold tinsel
Tying steps
- Mount a salmon double or single hook; start black thread.
- Tie in fine oval gold tinsel tag at the bend.
- Tie in 2–3 peacock sword fibers as the tail.
- Twist 3–4 peacock herl strands and wind a rear body to the 1/2 mark.
- Tie in oval gold tinsel ribbing; wind orange floss for the front half of the body.
- Counter-wrap gold tinsel over the full body in 5 spirals.
- Tie in gray fox guard hair as the wing; add a grizzly hackle collar.
- Build a red thread head, whip finish, and lacquer.