The Stoat's Tail is a classic Atlantic salmon fly that originated in Scotland in the early 1900s. It was created by angler George Munro to imitate the short, bushy tail of a stoat, which inspired its name.
This simple but effective pattern features a short, scruffy mallard wing, a brown hackle collar, and an orange floss body. The wing represents the furry tail of a stoat, while the orange body imitates its brownish-orange belly fur. The hackle provides a fuzzy texture to mimic the fur.
The Stoat's Tail works well for Atlantic salmon, steelhead, and sea-run brown trout. It is especially effective fished in faster water tumbling over rocks. The fly darts and pulses in the current, mimicking a stoat swimming through rapids. Cast quartering upstream and across, letting the fly swing down below you. Set the hook at the end of the swing.
Tie the Stoat's Tail in hook sizes 6-10. Fish it on a floating line in riffles and runs. It can also be fished wet on a sink tip or full sinking line in deeper holding lies. This versatile pattern should be in every salmon and steelhead angler's fly box.
