GREEN MACHINE


By Jacques Héroux

The Green Machine also called Buck Bug / Green Body is probably the most popular salmon fly on the Miramichi. Stewart and Allen gives the credit to the Rev. Elmer Smith who invented it back in 1960. Jerry Doak of Doaktown, NB is the one that popularized this fly on the Miramichi.

The Green Machine may be tied with a single tag of green fluo or two tag of green and red fluo. To tye in the hackle their are two methods. Some tye it at the back before spinning the hair and some tye it at the front to come back after the deer hair id clipped. Personaly I prefer the later. It's a bit more difficult but more durable as you have to criss-cross your thread which makes your deer hair more secure. Also I find it difficult to trim the deer hair ina cigar shape when the hackle is tied in the front.

The Green Machine can be fished wet or dry, If you wish to fish wet, you must trim the deer hair so it will sink faster.

Finaly, to obtain the right green for the Green machine we mis a solution of Green Insect dye with some Green Highlander dye to obtain the desired green.

Now, I have prepared a series of photos that will ilustrate the steps on how to tie a Green Machine. Good Tying!

Dressing
Hook : Mustad 3399-A no.6
Thread : 6/0 Black
Tails : Red rooster hackle barb
Tag : Silk or floche or wool in red and green fluo
Body : Green machine deer hair
Hackle : Brown
Head : Black

Steps for tying

1. Tye in a small ammount of red hackle.

2. Tye in the floss. Knowing that I have to tye in a red section, my green section will be longer. The lenght of the tag is between the bend and the barb of the hook.

3. The red silk id tied in over the green silk.

4. Tie in the deer hair by spinning it. I like to cover the hook shank with thread before I spin, as it tends to spin much better.

5. Trim the deer hair
rim the deer hair in the form that you decided. Dont forget to trim close if you wnat a wet fly. Some anglers say that too much of a perfect trim is not recommended to catch salmon.

6. Attach the hackle close to the eye of the hook

7. Bring your thread to the front of the hook. Be careful not to catch your deer hair under the thread.

8. Palmer your hackle uniformly around the body towards the head of the hook.

9. When you have fixed the hackle in back of the fly, bring your thread towards the front passing through the hackle. Be sure not to catch the hackle under your thread. I use a bodkin to loosen up the caught hackle. It makes for a better looking fly.

10. Complete the head with a whip finish and laquer.

Et voilà! You have a very efficient salmon fly for the Miramichi River system. If you have any comments, please do not hesitate to contatc me at: [email protected]

Good tying!
Jacques Héroux