Pickett Pin

[Acristickid]

The recent streamer post got me thinking of the Pickett Pin fly. I have never seen this fly mentioned on this board. Does anyone use this fly??

Seems like more of a western fly from what I have read.

 

[JackM]

There is one of these in the swap pages for the last couple years. I thought it was fished dry as a caddis.

Picket Pin by Harry Z

 

[Acristickid]

Though it was a streamer-like fly. Humm.

 

[tomgamber]

Theres a guy out there near Ligonier who ties this all the time...he swears by them...

 

[JackM]

A quick on line search proves you to be correct:

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/oldflies/part115.html

The palmered hackle must be soft, rather than stiff like a dry.

 

[Acristickid]

It came up while in Erie last week.

A guy caught two steelhead with that pattern. Not sure how he was fishing them though. Did'nt think to ask at the time.

 

[bigjohn58]

Its a wet fly which wets are rarely fished these days...Its quite possibly the #1 wet fly to fish right next to a gold ribbed hairs ear. When I first started fly fishing I learned on wets and its definitely a very very productive fly. Its a great streamer pattern and caddis immitation depending on the size used.

 

[live2fish]

Cast across stream, let dead drift, let swing at end of drift and strip back in about half way. Most of the strikes will happen during the swing. That's how I fish them.

 

[bigjohn58]

Yup thats how I fish them too

 

[stonefly]

Last year while fishing walnut there was a kid that was killing the steelhead on a pickett pinn and I could not get them to hit anything. He fished it under a indicator and it was on a curved hook and the hook was about a size 14.

 

[shakey]

tye on a triple long shank?
about what size range?
thanks

 

[Chaz]

It is fished as a wet fly downstream and across. I have a friend that uses it all the time.

 

[fritz]

This was one of the first wet flies I ever tied--they are fun to tie and look great in the water and they do catch fish. I didn't know about them being a caddis imitation--I will try that this year.

 

[Padraic]

I had a baby pike nail one on Clarks creek. Didn't do too much with the pattern beyond that though. It sure looks like a great pattern to me though.

 

[Maurice]

I fish a picket pin streamer that is very much like that fly.

Brown tail, Squirrel tail wing, but the body is more like a royal coachmen with gold tinsel instead of the red floss. (rather than the full peacock body with hackle.

It catches lots of fish.

 

[MattBoyer]

I've never used one, and this is the first I've heard them mentioned by anyone but my uncle, but his quote is "I can catch every native in the danged state with a pickett pin". I always just thought he was exaggerating, but from the looks of those I can see some reason in this statement. I might have to check them out on my next outing, whenever the hell that gets to be.

Boyer

 

[jgmcclain]

I ran into a nice older gentleman on clarks a few years back, rainy day, late in the season, getting to be about the time when the trout there have learned the major patterns from the fly index. He was fishing just up stream of me, and was having a red letter day, when he came down to leapfrog me I asked and he said it was a picket pin. Was the first time I had heard of it,after that I have kept a few in the box, have had success with them as a wet fly, and even dead drift as a nymph.

 

[shakey]

does anybody have a size range and hook recommendation
for this jawn?

 

[flyfishermanj]

shakey,

I used the search engine on my computer and came up with this:

Picket Pin
hook Mustad 9671
hook size(s) 8-12
thread black
tail brown hackle fibers
rib brown hackle, palmered
body peacock herl
wing white-tipped squirrel tail
head peacock herl

notes: Another fly that looks like nothing but catches lots of fish

Hope it helps.

JH

 

[Acristickid]

I have just recently started tying and am currently taking a class. Funny, this fly is in the syllabus to tie in a couple weeks.