December 2000 Fly of the Month - Blue Skye Deceiver

The deceiver is among my favorite styles of saltwater flies. I wanted a fly that to imitate medium bait fish such as a mullet, herring or tinker mackerel yet would also cast as well as a deceiver. The combination of hackle and flash adds a very life like motion to the fly as well as holding it’s shape effectively. Despite it’s size, it casts very nicely on a #9 or heavier outfit.

The fly can be fished day or night, and I have had my best success in the early dawn hours. In shallow waters I generally use this fly with an intermediate line and a steady hand-over-hand retrieve or a slow retrieve across a rip or in a current.. In faster or deeper waters a heavier sinking line, such as a Teeny head, gets it down to the strike zone. There I fish it more slowly with a moderate steady retrieve to imitate a bait fish struggling against the current.

It has proven effective for a wide range of game fish including bass and blues, especially during the fall run.

1	Attach thread to hook shank near the bend. Secure one end of the mono (tag end towards the hook eye) on one side of the shank and the other end of the mono on the opposite side of the shank. This will form a loop extending behind the hook bend. Adjust the mono to size the loop approximately 1/2" long. Trim the excess mono tag ends.
2	Select 4 white saddle hackles and remove the marabou. Put the hackles together and secure the feathers tightly near the hook bend allowing them to extend back over the mono loop. The mono loop will help support the hackles and reduce fouling.
3	Tie 5 or 6 strands of white Krystal Flash along both sides of the hackles extending to the tip of the feathers.
4	Work the thread forward to the eye of the hook. Tie one end of the white/pearl mylar tubing at the eye of the hook. Wrap the hook shank with the tubing, working backwards towards the hook bend (covering the hackle/loop threads) then forward again to build up the body. When you again reach the eye of the hook secure the other end of the tubing.
5	Rotate the fly completely over (180 degrees) so the point is now on the top.
6	Select a sparse amount of white bucktail (approx. 2") and tie it to the underside of the hook secured at the eye. Allow the bucktail to extend slightly past the hook bend but it should not be so thick as to hide the point.
7	Tie in approx. 20 fibers of chartreuse fluorofibre on top of this. Divide equally around hook at the bend.
8	Rotate the fly back over completely (180 degrees) so the point is back underneath the hook.
9	Select 3 large (broad) blue/grizzly hackles and remove the marabou. Put the hackles together and tie them on top of the hook at the eye. Secure the hackles tightly and let them extended back over the top of body to the end of the tail (white hackles).
10	Tie 4 or 5 strands of navy blue Krystal Flash evenly along both sides of the blue/grizzly hackle.
11	The head is built up thread then whip finished.
12	Attach a silver eye to the both sides of the head and coat with head cement.
13	When the cement is dry coat the head with 5 minute epoxy and place on a rotator so the epoxy sets evenly over the head.
14	Once the epoxy has set allow the fly to dry full over night. Done!

Hook	Mustad 34007 size 3/0
Tail	White saddle hackle (approx. 4"), white Krystal Flash
Wing	Blue/grizzly hackle (approx. 6"), navy blue Krystal Flash
Body	White/pearl mylar tubing (approx. 6")
Throat	White bucktail, red Krystal Flash
Thread	White
Eye	#2 1/2 Silver
Misc	30# test clear mono (approx. 3")
Adhesive	5 minute epoxy