The Ray's Fly

The Rhode Island state bird is the Rhode Island Red Hen. The Rhode Island state flower is the Common Blue Violet. If Rhode Island was to have a state fly it would be the Ray's Fly.

Created by Ray Bondorew, the Ray's Fly is a generic pattern meant to imitate small, slender baitfish. It's tripartite pallet of olive, yellow, and white is a saltwater staple and my go-to when I don't exactly know what sort of food is in the water. Best of all, the Ray's Fly is an incredibly cheap and quick tie. You can tie up half a dozen of these flies in 15 minutes and be ready for a day of tight lines and ripped thumbs.

Note the subtle differences between the two flies pictured. The fly on the bottom has a much more slender profile and sticks to the original Ray's Fly pallet. The top fly has a fuller profile with a splash of chartreuse. Experiment with different iterations and always carry more than one.

Recipe

Hook: Mustad 3407, size 4 - 2/0

Thread: White

Body: Silver Mylar braid

Wing: Sparse clump of white bucktail, then 2 - 4 strands of peal krystal flash, then a sparse clump of yellow bucktail, then a sparse clump of olive bucktail.

Topping: 3 - 5 strands of peacock herl

Tying Tips

The key to this fly is to make each successive clump of bucktail a bit longer than the next. If done correctly the fly will assume the silhouette of a small slender baitfish: thicker towards the chest tapering into the tail.

Also, be sure to experiment with color, sparseness, and size. Try various shades of green and yellow. I sometimes tie it with some chartreuse mixed in with the olive. Tie some very sparse and others more full. Tie this fly in a variety of lengths to allow you to best "match the hatch".