Now that we are a few days into 2015, I figured I better get something on here. When a friend sent me this link on one of my original patterns – the title fly, or “RSP” as it is now called for short, I thought it would be great to highlight an excellent step-by-step tutorial posted on Fly Anglers On Line (FAOL).
It was done by a fellow whose forum name is ScottP. He did a great job on this, so I figured I could post this here, and augment it with some pertinent fishing info.
The RSP was created over twenty years ago, a brainstorm of mine to modify the famous Pickett Pin wet fly / streamer pattern. Hence the Red Squirrel Silver Body Picket Pin was born. Initially I tied the hackle palmer fashion as on the Pickett Pin, but I later dispensed with that for ease of tying, and the increased durability one achieves from a solidly lashed-in throat hackle.
With a six-word title the fly had way too long of a name, but I never did anything about it until a few years ago. The RSP has accounted for a lot of fish over many years, primarily in Maine, where I ventured nearly every year since 1986 with my brother and a number of different close friends. I assume the fish take the RSP for a minnow, with the gleam of the silver body and added flash of the oval tinsel rib. By itself as a small bucktail type of fly, it does not have a lot of built-in action, but what one imparts with the rod and line hand during a drift and retrieve – twitching, falling back, stripping, slow retrieve with short jerks, etc., can create wonderfully pleasing results. Meaning to say, “Fish on!”
In May of 2011, my brother Larry, his daughter Emily, and I spent a long weekend fishing Maine’s Magalloway River, in the area between Wilson’s Falls and Aziscohos Lake. This fly was posted back then, lacking the SBS, but the highlight of the trip was three large brook trout that all took the RSP, all in the same pool, two in the evening, five minutes apart, and one early the next morning. Here are those pics:
My brother, Larry, with a 17″ Magalloway River brook trout caught on the RSP.
Don Bastian with a 17-1/2″ Magalloway River Brook trout caught on the RSP.
Emily Bastian with the biggest Magalloway River brook trout of our trip (of course!) – a 20-1/2″ female, caught on the RSP.
Notice we are all smiles! Each of these trout was caught using a sink-tip line, 6 or 7 weight, and a Wooly Bugger in front of the RSP. Both flies are normally attached on 3x or 5# Maxima leader material, about 22″ to 24″ apart. The water was high. We spent a half-hour nymphing to no avail, prior to my decision to go with the bugger and RSP rig. When I did, I hooked up in five minutes. Emily at once changed her rig and took her trophy on the very first cast. Larry was also into a third large trout minutes later, but his got away when the hook pulled out. Next morning we returned and gave him the hotspot at the head of the pool. Then he lucked out and landed his big trout, too.
Here is the link for the RSP SBS:
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/showthread.php?54150-Bastian-s-Red-Squirrel-Silver-Picket-Pin-SBS
He altered the tail by using pheasant fibers; I always use schlappen or hen fibers and generally always tie in a beard-style or false hackle throat. Thanks Scott for a great job and great photos on my pattern!
Now a last word or two on the RSP. It works as a crappie fly. Most guys who have fished for them know they love minnows. I have done well with the RSP on crappies. I have sold some to local customers here in Pennsylvania, and they have contacted me telling of their success using it on my home waters of Spring Creek and Penn’s Creek…both hard-fished waters, and places I confess, I have mostly dry fly fishing and used nymphs for the last many years…they tell me the RSP works very well there, so I better start giving it a whirl come Spring. ;-)
The RSP can be purchased from me on MyFlies.com:
http://www.myflies.com/RSP-P618.aspx
The RSP – tied by Don Bastian. We almost always tie and fish this fly in a #8 or #10, 3x long shank hook.
