When the herring run through the East Bay the fishing can be magical, if you have flies that accurately mimic the size, silhouette, movement, and (to some extent) colors of a herring. Most flatwing patterns will do; especially all-black ones at night. Nevertheless part of the fun of tying your own flies is playing the "match-the-hatch" game. In other words, observing what the fish are eating, turning those observations into a fly, then fishing with it.
The Midnight Herring is the product of my observations of herring. First, I chose a three feather flatwing template to make room for more bucktail (and preserve my precious flatwing saddles). The added bucktail is tied slightly flared to achieve the deep silhouette of herring. Three black flatwing saddles create a high contrast body perfect for night fishing. Colorful blends of flashabou and bucktail ensure that this fly captures all the colors contained in a herring.
Though herring can reach up to 14" tying a foot-long herring fly will limit your catch rate. Only the largest stripers can fit such a fish in their mouths. Tying the fly around 7-8" will make your fly accessible to more fish. I like fishing this fly on a greased line swing or striped slowly when their are no currents for swings. Again, make sure you fish this fly SLOW. When striped bass are attacking a school of herring they are looking to expend as little energy as possible. Present your fly as the slowest, most vulnerable herring in the school and reap the rewards.
Recipe:
Hook: Mustad 3407, size 2/0
Thread: Black
Platform: Clump of white, pink, light blue, and orange bucktail mixed (about 5-10 hairs each color)
Tail: 1 black saddle, then, 4 strands of peal flashaboue, then, 1 black saddle, then 2 strands of gold flashabou, then, 2 strands of pink flashabou, then 1 black saddle, then 2 strands of light blue flashabou, then, 4 strands of dark blue flashabou, then 35 hairs of blue, orange, pink bucktail mixed.
Body: Silver Mylar braid
Throat: 30 hairs of white, orange, and pink bucktail mixed (prioritize white over the other colors)
Wing: 30 hairs black and pink bucktail mixed (20 black, 10 pink)
Topping: 7 strands of peacock hearl
Tying Tip:
I know a lot of people who are incredibly meticulous with their bucktail blends, often creating their blends one hair at a time. Though I provide guidelines for how many hairs should be in blend, I do not count each hair. No two fish are the same, so it seems unreasonable to fret when our flies are not carbon copies of each other. Maintain consistency in the overall pattern, but embrace the subtle differences between each tie.
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