My introduction to the Atlantic Salmon dry fly « Labrador Bee » was in 2015 on my first trip to Flowers River Lodge, located in Northern Labrador. A guide at the lodge Ed Dominey is credited with creating the fly.
I was immediately struck by how willing those fish would attack this dry fly after many tried and true dry and wet fly patterns had been fished unsuccessfully. I knew that this was a fly I should always have ready in my fly box whenever I stepped into any Atlantic Salmon river.
It’s a simple dry fly tied with dyed black and yellow deer or caribou hair trimmed to shape and with a brown or black hackle wound through the body. The tail material is also black deer hair tied in and pulled back, the first wraps of thread are light to keep material from flaring. The body is separate bands of black and yellow deer or caribou hair (I prefer caribou).
The Flowers River Bee works best on sizes 6 thru 12 at flowers but I’ve had success with this pattern tied on hooks ranging in size from #2 streamer Mustad R75,5X bronze dry fly to Mustad R30 bronze # 10-12 dry fly hooks.
It’s a fly that needs extra attention when fished, the smaller sizes will not create a big profile on the water and can be hard to see at distance, I missed fish regularly till I realized my concentration had to be focused on the fly at all times or I’d lose it in the ripples and naturally occurring water movements and miss the rise from willing fish. It’s also a fly I now use for double duty. I fish it dry fly traditional dead drift float in the current and when that dead drift finishes and the fly starts to drag I let the fly swing around till directly below me like a wet fly. You’ll pick up fish this method also.
I hope you’ll give this fly a try, I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised by its effectiveness.
Dressing the Labrador Bee
Hook
Sizes #2-12#
Tail
Black caribou or deer hair not flared
Body
Alternating bands of black and yellow deer hair, trimmed in a cigar shape.
Hackle
Brown or black saddle tied in at tail and wound up to the head. ( Some tyers attach hackle at the tail and once caribou is trimmed then wrap hackle forward. I trim my caribou wrap my thread back thru caribou then tie in hackle and wrap it forward followed by my thread and whip finish at the head. I like this style because it adds extra strength to my fly body and hackle as the thread secures the entire hackle as you wrap forward and helps prevent breakages.
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