Nobody wants to fish with a boring fly. They want to fish with a winner and one they can be confident in. People everywhere want to fish with the Party Boy. It all started when I set out on a quest to find the perfect leech. I knew it had to be more attractive and appealing than any other leech had ever been. A leech that was equally seductive for both fish and fishermen. It had to be a leech that was fun to tie on and fish with. A leech that you would make you want to string your rod and rig-up at the car, just so you could show off what fly you were using to your fishing buddy. From this quest, the Party Boy was born. For those of you looking for the next level in fly fishing, the Party Boy is here, and he brings us that level. You never know how good the fishing will be, but from now on you know, if you bring the Party Boy you will have a great time out.

The action of the Party Boy in the water is unbeatable and fish everywhere are joining the party. Whether you are fishing him on the swing or stripping him through slack water, he undulates in a very life-like manner. The black barred rabbit, give him a great looking segmented effect that is irresistible for fish. With his flashy Polar Chenille and deep red Krystal Flash, he has a look that would be suited for the Las Vegas Strip on a Saturday night. But at the same time, he knows when too much flare is over the top. He stays within his means and holds a balance of natural and synthetic materials. This balance keeps him from ever becoming waterlogged. For his size, he is incredibly easy to cast, both with two-handed rods and single hand rods. Short strikes are never a problem with his hook orientation. You wont ever have to worry about the hook fouling up on the fly. 30lb fire line reinforced with rabbit strip is supple enough to provide fluid-like swimming motion but stout enough to keep the hook where it needs to be.

I created the Party Boy for steelhead, but he is incredibly versatile for many different fish species in different types of water all over the world. He can be tied in other colors and sizes to suit different fish species and fishing situations. The Party Boy can be found commercially in his three most popular colors: Purple, Pink and Black. Check at your local fly shop or at any distributor of Idylwilde Flies. The color and size of the Party Boy featured is my personal favorite for most steelhead and king fishing situations. Try him in Black for trophy trout and Pink for silvers and chum.

Hook: 1.5" .040 wire & Gamakatsu Octopus Size 2
Thread: Uni 6/0 Orange
Stinger: Berkley FireLine - 30lb
Tail: Black Barred Rabbit Strips - Purple
Ribbing: Copper Wire - Small
Abdomen: Polar Chenille - Purple
Legs: Krystal Flash - Red
Collar: Strung Guinea - Purple
Head: Ice Dub - Fl. Shell Pink
Eyes: Lead Eyes - Nickel - Small

Photos courtesy of www.LizDevine.com

1) Cut 3" wire shank and fold 1/4" long eye over with pliers, secure stinger loop, tie in lead eyes.
2) Tie in copper wire and polar chenille, tie in rabbit strip with tip reaching just past the end of the loop.
3) Wrap polar chenille forward almost to the eyes, lay rabbit strip over top and secure.
4) Wrap ribbing forward, tie in Krystal Flash, tie in and spin guinea feathers as collar hackle.
5) Dub on head around eyes and whip finish head.
6) Loop on hook, secure rabbit tail to hook with thread, clip off excess wire shank and file smooth.

Jeff Hickman spends his Summers guiding at Alaska West (www.Deneki.com) on the Kanektok river in southwestern Alaska. The rest of the year is devoted to guiding steelhead fly fishing trips in northwestern Oregon and fishing at various international destinations. He is a contract signature fly tier for Idylwilde Flies in Portland, OR. He can be reached by email at JHickmanPhoto@hotmail.com.