FLY
Salmon/ Steelhead Fly, Wet Fly
Skunk
Tied by Brent Jones
Skunk recipe
| Hook | Mustad 9671 size 8 |
|---|---|
| Thread | Semperfli Classic Waxed 6/0, Black |
| Tail | Cock (rooster) Saddle Hackle Fibers, Red |
| Rib | Uni-French Large Oval Tinsel, Silver |
| Body | Wapsi Wooly Bugger Chenille, Black |
| Wing | Wapsi Kiptail, White |
| Collar | Cock (rooster) Hackle, Black |
| Head | Thread coated in Solarez UV Resin |
What the Skunk imitates
- Fancy / attractor (imitates nothing specific)
Tied for: Salmon (general), Steelhead
Where the Skunk came from
- Originated by Wes Drain, 1930, Stillaguamish River, Washington, USA. 1930s; cites Hellekson crediting Drain with a similar fly. FAOL also names Drain. [More sources 2026-10-02: Hellekson credits Drain of Seattle with a similar fly for the Stillaguamish in the 1930s; concluded it was likely not an Oregon fly.]Source: Bend Bulletin – Steelhead flies: the Skunk origin myth revisited (Gary Lewis) | Terry Hellekson, Fish Flies: The Encyclopedia of the Fly Tier's Art, as quoted in Bend Bulletin (2018)
- Originated by Mildred Krogel, 1930, Roseburg, Oregon. Shewey says she tied it for husband Lawrence in the 1930s; skunk-trapping household; original wing black with white over. / Article says many early Skunks came from her vise, while noting Hellekson doubted an Oregon origin.Source: Bend Bulletin – Steelhead flies: the Skunk origin myth revisited (Gary Lewis, 2018) | John Shewey, Classic Steelhead Flies (2015), as quoted by RiverKeeper Flies
- Originated by Rollin 'Rosie' Dexter, Eel River, California, USA. Mid-1930s per son Jim Dexter; Hellekson's father got a sample via Jim Pray in 1934. Author leans to California origin. [2026-10-02: 1934 is when Hellekson's father got a sample from Jim Pray, not when Dexter tied it]Source: Bend Bulletin – Steelhead flies: the Skunk origin myth revisited (Gary Lewis)
- Originated by Unknown North Umpqua tyer, North Umpqua River, Oregon, USA. Says origin will remain a mystery; many believe North Umpqua or Wes Drain, about 70 years before 2001.Source: Fly Anglers Online – Skunk, Fly of the Week 177 (Ed Gallop, 2001)
- Popularized by Jim Pray, Eureka, California, USA. Pray sent Dexter's Skunk to Zane Grey, after which it spread in the Northwest. Mildred Krogel of Roseburg tied many early Skunks. [More sources 2026-10-02: Hellekson's father got a sample from Pray in 1934; Pray reportedly sent Rosie Dexter's Skunk to Zane Grey.]Source: Bend Bulletin – Steelhead flies: the Skunk origin myth revisited (Gary Lewis) | Terry Hellekson, Fish Flies, as quoted in Bend Bulletin (2018)
Where sources tell it differently, each account is listed with its own source.
Inside the vault every material on this fly opens to its own card, and you can save the fly to your own boxes.
