Picket Pin

[sniperfreak223]

wgmiller wrote:
I saw some recipes calling for elk hair instead of the squirrel hair if using it for a topwater version. For those who fish it dry, do you tie it exclusively with squirrel hair regardless of how you're fishing it?

Nice to see a good discussion on a time-tested fly.

No,I still use squirrel, just with stiffer hackle,a hackle collar, and a bit of floatant to use these as a dry fly.

 

[sandfly]

"Picket Pins, with bodies of red, yellow, silver and gold, are the names given to hair flies made by Jack Boehme, of Missoula, Montana.

Jack has been tying flies for western waters since 1915.

Picket Pins are Jack's own patterns. They are dressed from the tails of ground squirrels. The cowboys gave the ground squirrel the name of picket pin as the animal, when sitting upright on the prairie, looks like a picket pin used to picket out their horses. They are a favorite hair fly in the Northwest.

Jack Boehme also has tied flies for use in the Madison River, known throughout the angling world as a producer of record rainbows. One of those is his namesake, 'Boehme's Fancy."

The 'Big Trout'and 'Cutthroat' are also his creations for use in the Rogue and Klamath Rivers."

Publisher's Note: Ground squirrels are actually Richardson Ground Squirrels which in most of the west are commonly called gophers, similar to prairie dogs.

Tag: Fine gold tinsel (optional) Black.

Tail: Two tips of brown hackle or brown hackle fibers.

Body: Peacock herl.

Rib: Fine oval gold tinsel, or gold wire in smallers sizes counter-wrapped to reinforce the palmered body hackle.

Wing: Gray squirrel tail.

Head: Peacock herl over black thread.

Notes: While recognized primarily as a wet fly, the Picket Pin is also very effective when tied in larger sizes and fished as a streamer.

 

[FrequentTyer]

Sandfly, do you know if that is Jack's original pattern (other than the squirrel substitution)? I'm asking because I thought the tag and rib were more recent additions, but I can't find any reference that lists the original.
Mike.

 

[sandfly]

its original, most of the "OLD" flies had a tag and rib from real tinsel. I still have some real tinsel from the fifties. I learned to tie this pattern in the sixties to fish as a stone fly pattern for the henryville section of the broad heads.

 

[midnightangler]

The picket pin is killer during slate drakes. You can fish it like a streamer or like a nymph. It's a good one.

 

[troutslammer]

killer for caddis hatches too , the strikes are brutal i love em !!! i use peacock ice dub ribbed gold wire , and grey squirel tail for the wing , that simple !!

 

[tracker12]

So what is the hackle material on the pic in the original post.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

tracker12 wrote:
So what is the hackle material on the pic in the original post.

Looks like coachman brown. I like to use brown saddle hackle on these, as you use a good bit of hackle on each fly.

 

[troutbert]

It originated in the west. Is it still popular out there? Has anyone seen them for sale in fly shops out west?

 

[JackM]

I got one in a fly swap years back. I have fished it, but it lives. When I made the PAFF flyswap pages, I identified it as a caddis imitation, incorrectly, apparently. If you grease it, it skitters well, while still being versatile enough that you can pull it under and get a strike from trouts looking for emergers.


Picket Pin from old flyswap

 

[pete41]

As I mentioned before this type of do every thing fly used to be very popular in the west when there was less pressure and a lot more stocking being done but I saw them losing favor over the years.
Like bamboo rods and silk lines they are an historical interest but better ways have emerged.

 

[FrequentTyer]

pete41 wrote:
As I mentioned before this type of do every thing fly used to be very popular in the west when there was less pressure and a lot more stocking being done but I saw them losing favor over the years.
Like bamboo rods and silk lines they are an historical interest but better ways have emerged.

The fly still catches plenty of fish. Newer is not aways better, and in fly fishing it seldom is really better. But as someone hoping that a silk line for a bamboo rod is among my Christmas gifts, I'm probably biased

 

[JackM]

I often bow to nostalgia in FFing. And, I love the Mickey Finn.

 

[troutslammer]

grease that picket pin up and float the fast water no matter what insect is emerging as long as it is emerging which is rather easy ! thats why I use DRY FLY hackle , why not cover all tan or dark colored bugs on top and underneath in the same fly ! MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS !

 

[afishinado]

I usually take a look at all the old patterns of flies. There are 1000's of patterns that come out every year. Often, the ones that have stood the test of time end up being the most effective.

 

[FrequentTyer]

Once the Christmas festivities died down I managed a little vise time and tied a picket pin according to the original recipe that Sandfly posted. I had forgotten how much fun it is to tie in squirrel hair. I hope everyone had an wonderful Christmas!

 

[pete41]

pete41 wrote: As I mentioned before this type of do every thing fly used to be very popular in the west when there was less pressure and a lot more stocking being done but I saw them losing favor over the years. Like bamboo rods and silk lines they are an historical interest but better ways have emerged. The fly still catches plenty of fish. Newer is not aways better, and in fly fishing it seldom is really better. But as someone hoping that a silk line for a bamboo rod is among my Christmas gifts, I'm probably biased

I just put that out as a teaser knowing I was bound to get a rise-lol
Just kidding about bamboo and silk.

 

[Ramcatt]

While I appreciate the history

Never been a fan

 

[LongLineRelease]

oh yeah, the Picket Pin! That was a staple when I was a kid. Caught a lot of stockies and a few educated fish too. I still tie a few big ones for night flies and high water.

 

[wgmiller]

Here's an image of the fly I have. Obviously on the larger size (6/8) compared to some of the stuff that has been posted.

I'll have to give this a whirl this year to see what I can drum up!