Great Beginners Flies Series: Lefty's Deceiver

It's spring time, and my local lake is shedding off the throws of winter.  More importantly, my son is now old enough that I can start to devote time back towards fishing, which means semi-regular updates again, hooray!

Given that it's early spring, and most of the warmwater gamefish are only now starting to become active, now is the time to fish deep and fish slow.  To me, there are few better fly patterns for this than the Deceiver.

Crafted by none other than the legendary Lefty Kreh, the Deceiver is one of the most successful streamers ever tied.  It is a pattern that has found success for nearly every targeted species in Fresh and Saltwater, from trout to tuna.  Despite this wide appeal, the fly itself is fairly simple to tie.  This makes it a great fly to learn to tie as a beginner.

For fishing, this pattern is very flexible.  You can use a sinking or floating line, short or long strips, and fast or slow retrieves.  I find this pattern very effective when letting it slowly sink, and then adding several short strips to mimic an injured baitfish.

Materials List/Recipe:
(feel free to vary colors to your own liking)
Tail:
     Bucktail-  White/Blue
     Hackle Feathers- White/Black Grizzly
     Flash- Pearlescent
Body:
      .025 Lead Free Wire
Head:
     Bucktail-  White/Blue
     Peacock Hurl

     Krinkle Flash- Red
Other:
     UTC 140 Thread- Red
     Head Cement- Sally Hansen Hard as Nails
     Sharpie- Black


Tying Instructions:

Step 1:
For this Deceiver, I am tying a size 2 on a typical saltwater hook (Orvis 9304 Stainless Steel).  You can really use any hook for this pattern.  As always, I've crushed the barb, and placed a thread base down the shank of the hook.

This time I am using a red UTC 140 thread, but any thread will work, as long as it is strong enough to handle securing bucktail.  Finally, for this step, I've taken a small bundle of white bucktail, and tied in the back of the hook to begin the tail.  Less is more here, so once you think you have an appropriate sized bundle, take even less.

Remember, less is more when adding material

Step 2:
Take a few feathers, in this case I am using smaller feathers so I am using four, and tie in on each side of the hook.  This step is often the most frustrating for new tyers.  Here's a breakdown of what I do.  First, I try to pick feathers that are all of a similar shape and length.  Then, I divide the total number in half.  For this fly, I am using four total feathers, so I grab two feathers at a time.  I cut these feathers so that they are just longer than the distance from the tip of the bucktail to the hook point, to ensure I have enough material to secure to the hook.  I then tie in the two feathers, using a minimum number of wraps.  I repeat this for the other side of the hook.  The key here is to go light on the wraps.  We are trying to avoid a material bump here, so fewer wraps are better.

Use minimal wraps in between these steps.

Step 3:
Take 3 or 4 strands of flash, and cut in half.  This will double your flash, and reduce material waste.  Next, fold this flash in half over the thread, and secure with only a few wraps.  This should result in your flash being just longer than the feather tail on a size 2 deceiver.  If you are tying a different sized fly, adjust this step accordingly.

You can vary the color of flash to your preference.

Step 4:
Take a bundle of your second bucktail color (blue is my favorite for Smallmouth) and tie in.  This bundle should be thicker than the white bucktail tied in in Step 1.  At this point, feel free to wrap all of the materials in securely, and build the taper down to the hook shank.  For durability, you could secure the wraps with a touch of superglue or head cement.  If you choose to add superglue or head cement, do not proceed to Step 5 until after this dries.

By keeping the thread wraps to a minimum earlier, the thread bump is nicely tapered by this step.

Step 5:
Lefty's Deceiver is a very lightweight fly.  It also sheds water very easily.  For these reasons, this fly will often float on top of water.  To get around this, you will need to either use a sinking line, or add some wire.  Since I like to use a floating line, I add a small about of wire to my deceivers.  Add in 8 or so turns of .025 lead free wire to the hook shank, starting from where the tail bump ends.  After your turns are in place, secure with thread.

How much wire you add is a personal preference.  I choose to have my deceivers sink slowly.

Step 6:
For the head, tie in a bundle of white bucktail on the underside of the fly.  This bundle should be close to the same thickness as the blue bucktail we tied in for the tail, and should be long enough to reach about halfway down the length of our feathered tail.  Again, be sure to secure with minimal wraps.

Now everything is starting to take shape.

Step 7:
Next, we will be tying in the blue bucktail in three bundles.  Tie in a small bundle the same length as the white bucktail in Step 6 on each side of the hook, and then tie a third bundle at the very top.  As you tie in each bundle, try to use a minimal number of wraps.

If you wish, the fly could be finished at this step.

Step 8:
Take one or two pieces of red krinkle flash to imitate the gills.  For this, fold the piece of flash in half, cut, fold, and cut again.  Then, fold these pieces in half around the thread, and secure to the underside of the fly, under the white bucktail.  The result should be a bundle of red flash that does not extend beyond the hook point.  Trim the krinkle flash if it is still too long.

I find adding flash for gills increases the fly's effectiveness.

Step 9:
The final material to tie in is the peacock hurl.  Take a small bundle of peacock hurl, and secure to the top of the fly, above the blue bucktail.  I like to have these the same length as the blue bucktail, and break off the ends to get a more natural look.  Build the head to a taper with your thread, and finish off with a whip finish or multiple clinch knots.

Play around with how much, and which parts, of the peacock hurl you use.

Step 10:
For the final touch, I like to add some black dots for eyes using a sharpie, and some head cement for durability.  This step is entirely optional, but I like the end result.  If you want to go further, adding sticker eyes, and using UV epoxy makes a very nice appearance.  Congratulations, you've now tied one of the most effective fly patterns there is.

Some species specifically target eyes, so I always make sure my streamers have them.