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During spring and early summer, food sources with high protein content are relatively scarse in Alaska's streams and rivers. Most aquatics are still weeks or months away from emergence. But resident species of fish living in waters used by salmon for spawning are keen to key on an early smorgasboard.
Each spring Alaska's salmon streams begin to "bloom" with salmon fry as they emerge from their gravel incubation beds. Tens and perhaps hundreds of millions of these tiny salmon work their way from the gravel of each stream to begin their life cycle as prey and predator. Scarcely an inch or so long, they become food for a great number of fish and wildlife, especially terns and gulls who are awaiting the out-migration of salmon smolts. Resident rainbow trout, Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling as well as sheefish will target salmon fry.
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Materials:
- Hooks - #8 long shank
- Thread - Uni-Thread in 3/0 - 6/0 diameters
- Body and Tail - Mylar piping or tubing
- Eyes - Small bead chain.
- Egg Sac - Glo-bug yarn in shades of orange
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TYING STEPS:
- - Wrap the hook shank from the eye to the bend to form a base, then leave the tying thread at the bend. Cut an inch and a half piece of Mylar tubing and remove the braided core by pulling it out one end. Using a bodkin, unravel approximately one-quarter inch of the tubing, and then slip it over the hook eye with the unraveled end toward the bend. Work the unraveled Mylar past the tying thread to form the tail, then make several wraps where the braid begins, to secure it in place. Whip finish and cut thread.
- - Re-attach the thread just behind the eye, then pull the tubing forward. Secure the Mylar behind the eye to secure it to the shank. Cut off excess.
- - Position the bead chain eye's on the top of the shank behind the hook eye using the figure 8 method.
- - Cut a small clump of glo-bug yarn and position it on the underside of the bead chain eyes. Make several firm wraps to secure and flare the yarn, then clip to the desired egg sac shape. Whip finish.
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