The Deschutes River Dees

Back when I was in college, in Olympia, Washington state, I became acquainted with the Deschutes River, which runs through town. ( Washington's Deschutes River) Seeing and hooking nice fish convinced me that this was a river to remember.  Ten years or so later, moving back to Olympia renewed my interest in the river and it's sea-run cutthroat trout, steelhead and salmon.  This was about the time everyone in the fly fishing community was buzzing about Spey flies and to a lesser extent Dees, so I decided to do a Dee/ Spey style fly for the Deschutes trout.  Not being satisfied with just one colour however, I eventually came up with ten, then later added the Red Special as the eleventh.  Characterized by a two part body, and the use of "truffle" turkey for the wing, with married in strips of various colour goose, these look good and fish well.  They have met with a good reception where-ever I have shown them.  They are a little complicated to tie however, so eventually I moved on to other patterns.  Browsing my files the other day however reminded me of the fun I had with these, so I thought I would share.  Pardon the photos.  They were taken with one of the first digital cameras on the market.  Not bad for an old camera.
Truffle turkey is a colour of turkey we bred that has a deep chocolate irregular mottling in the tail, with a lot of iridescence, quite unlike domestic or standard wild turkey on the market.  It is much darker, and reminds one of deep chocolate truffles, hence the name.

Pattern #1 Deschutes River Dee, Red

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine gold thread and claret silk 

Tail: topping and barred wood duck

Body: 4 equal parts Fiery orange SLF #16, Fiery claret SLF # 13, Fiery brown SLF#35, Black SLF# 41

Rib: oval gold tinsel

Hackle: black over all, guinea dyed red over front half

Collar: lemon wood duck

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 2 Deschutes River Dee, Blue

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine silver thread and canary yellow silk

Tail: topping and kingfisher

Butt: black ostrich herl

Body: in two halves; rear, flat silver tinsel veiled with two matched kingfisher side by side, above and below, butted with black ostrich herl. Front, darkest blue, almost black silk

Rib: oval silver tinsel over both halves individually

Hackle: guinea dyed blue

Collar: lemon wood duck

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, with narrow strip of blue goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 3 Deschutes River Dee, Yellow

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine silver thread and chartreuse silk

Tail: topping and tippet in strands

Butt: black ostrich herl

Body: in two halves; rear buttercup yellow silk veiled above and below with yellow macaw in strands, butted with black ostrich herl.  Front, Black SLF#41

Rib: oval gold tinsel on both halves individually.

Hackle: guinea dyed yellow

Collar: peacock breast

Wings:  a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, with narrow strip of yellow goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 4 Deschutes River Dee, grizzled

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: flat silver tinsel

Tail: topping and barred wood duck

Butt: black ostrich herl

Body: in two halves, rear; flat silver tinsel veiled with oily black rooster saddle in strand, above and below, butted with black ostrich herl.  Front, Black SLF#41

Rib: oval silver tinsel, front half only

Hackle: natural black and white guinea

Collar: teal

Wings:  a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, with narrow strip of white/black/white goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 5 Deschutes River Dee, Peacock and Orange

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine silver thread and canary yellow silk

Tail: topping and tippet in strands

Butt: black ostrich herl

Body: in two halves, rear hot orange SLF#15, Front, peacock herl

Rib: oval silver tinsel over all

Hackle: hot orange over all, guinea dyed chartreuse over front half. 

Collar: peacock breast

Wings:  a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, with narrow strip of green goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 6 Deschutes River Dee, Sunburst

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine silver thread and canary yellow silk

Tail: topping and golden pheasant breast in strands

Butt: black ostrich herl

Body: in four equal parts, Hot orange SLF#15, Fiery orange SLF#16, Crimson SLF#17, Fiery claret SLF#13,

Rib: oval gold tinsel

Hackle: yellow over all, guinea dyed red from the Crimson SLF#17

Collar: lemon wood duck

Wings:  a pair of truffle turkey tail strips, with narrow strip of yellow/orange/red goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 7 Deschutes River Dee, Orange and Blue

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine gold thread and canary yellow silk

Butt: black ostrich herl

Tail: topping and kingfisher

Body: in two halves, rear orange silk veiled with golden pheasant breast in strands, butted with black ostrich herl. Front, peacock herl

Rib: fine gold thread over rear half, wound close (6 turns), oval gold tinsel over front half

Hackle: guinea dyed orange

Collar: golden pheasant back

Wings:  a pair of truffle turkey tail strips, with narrow strip of yellow/blue/orange goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 8 Deschutes River Dee, Yellow and Blue

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine silver thread and canary yellow silk

Butt: black ostrich herl

Tail: topping and kingfisher

Body: in two halves, rear canary yellow silk veiled with golden pheasant breast in strands, butted with black ostrich herl. Front, peacock herl

Rib: fine silver thread over rear half, wound close (6 turns), oval silver tinsel over front half

Hackle: guinea dyed yellow

Collar: cobalt blue vulturine guinea fowl

Wings:  a pair of truffle turkey tail strips, with narrow strip of orange/blue/ yellow goose shoulder married through the middle, tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 9 Deschutes River Dee, Gold and Green

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: flat gold tinsel

Butt: black ostrich herl

Tail: topping and golden pheasant breast in strand

Body: in two halves, rear; flat gold tinsel veiled with peacock rump in strand, above and below, butted with black ostrich herl.  Front, mallard green silk

Rib: oval gold tinsel over both halves separately

Hackle: guinea dyed yellow

Collar: lemon wood duck

Wings:  a pair of truffle turkey tail strips tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern 10 Deschutes River Dee, The Godfather

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: flat silver tinsel

Butt: black ostrich herl

Tail: topping and kingfisher

Body: in two halves, rear; flat silver tinsel veiled with oily black rooster saddle in strand, above and below, butted with black ostrich herl.  Front, Black silk

Rib: oval silver tinsel over both halves separately

Hackle: natural black and white guinea

Collar: striped vulturine guinea

Wings:  a pair of goose shoulder strips married as follows; 2 strands black, 2 strands white, 2 strands black, 1 strand white, 1 strand blue, 1 strand white, 2 strands black, 2 strands white, 2 strands black

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping

Pattern #11 Deschutes River Dee, Red Special

Hook: Partridge N single low water size 1

Thread: black 8/0 uni-thread

Tag: fine gold thread and claret silk

Tail: topping and barred wood duck

Body: 4 equal parts Fiery orange SLF #16, Fiery claret SLF # 13, Fiery brown SLF#35, Black SLF# 41

Rib: oval gold tinsel

Hackle: black over all, guinea dyed red over front half

Collar: lemon wood duck

Wings: a pair of truffle turkey tail covert strips, with narrow strips married red/black/red goose shoulder in the middle, narrow strip of purple goose shoulder on the outside edge. tied flat

Cheeks: jungle cock drooping