Tying the San Marcos Salamander

It's time for another Tuesday Tie!  Today, we are tying up the San Marcos Salamander.  It is an effective fly that can be fished slow along the bottom, stripped quickly just under the surface, or a combination of both.  It does a great job mimicking a salamander, lizard, or anything.  It is super fast and easy to tie, you don't have to be perfect tying it, and you can tie it up in whatever size you want.  

San Marcos Salamander, Salamander Fly, Tuesday Tie, Texas Fly Fishing, Texas Freshwater Fly Fishing, TFFF, Pat Kellner, Fly Tying

I like this cream color that I am tying it up in, in the video, but I also tie it in an olive, a brown, and a black.  I typically tie it between a size 6 and a size 10, but you can tie it any size you want.  Hope you learn something, and I hope you enjoy!  Be sure to check back every Tuesday for another Tuesday Tie with TFFF!

(If you don't want to tie, you can purchase the San Marcos Salamander Here)

Ingredients

  • Hook: Size #6-10 jigged hook (can go up or down in size)
  • Thread: Doesn't matter the color, but use something heavier. (Can vary for other patterns)
  • Weight: Bead (match the size and color combo)
  • Tail: Rooster Saddle Patch (choose a bigger feather)
  • Body: Chenille (vary color for other patterns)
  • Legs: Sili Legs (Vary for Colors)
  • Hackle: Rooster Saddle Patch (choose a smaller feather)

Steps

  1. Place the bead on the hook and the hook in the vice. Lay a base of thread all the way down to just before the bend in the hook shank.
  2. Wrap in the feather you selected for the tail.  I try to make it about 1.5 times the length of the hook.
  3. Wrap in your chenille, sticking out the back.
  4. Bring your thread back up to just behind the hook point, and wrap in two sili legs sticking out sideways.  Leave them long and trim to length later.
  5. Wrap wrap up to about 1 bead length behind the bead-head, and wrap in two more sili legs.
  6. Bring your thread all the way to just behind the bead-head.  
  7. Wrap the chenille body around the hook shank to form the body.  Make sure to wrap it tightly against the front and back of each set of legs.  This helps keep the legs sticking out sideways.
  8. Continue wrapping and building the body until the chenille is just behind the bead-head.  Wrap it down and trim it off.
  9. Choose a small feather from the same patch, and wrap it in just behind the bead-head.
  10. Wrap the feather around the shank of the hook two times and tie it off, to create a hackle collar.
  11. Wrap a few times behind the bead-head, then whip finish and tie off. 
  12. Add your fly head cement, and let it dry.
  13. Go fish your fly!
San Marcos Salamander, Salamander Fly, Tuesday Tie, Texas Fly Fishing, Texas Freshwater Fly Fishing, TFFF, Pat Kellner, Fly Tying


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