Silvey’s Balanced Sculpin

Silvey’s Balanced Sculpin, Olive

1. Attach the hook to the vise and secure the thread to the bend of the hook laying a small thread foundation for the leadfree wire wraps.

2. Wrap 5 turns of 0.035″ leadfree wire from the bend of the hook forward. This will counter-weigh the tunsten bead so that the hook lays level within the water column.

3. Fit a tungsten bead onto the balanced pin and place the pin onto the top of the hook shank with the bead just in front of the hook eye.

4. Clip off the tag end of the pin so that the pin fits just in front of the wire wraps. Secure with thread wraps over the pin and the wire wraps. Leave your thread just below the wire wraps.

5. Secure the Rabbit Strip to the top of the wire wraps with thread wraps with the fur hanging down. Remember that this pattern will be inverted when used and the fur will be upright when used.

6. Attach a second strip of rabbit to the side of the wire wraps facing you. The fur should extend toward the rear.

7. Wrap the strip forward with the fur extending rearward and secure the strip before reaching the eye.

8. Trim off the tag end of the strip and secure with thread wraps.

9. Place a section of Bruiser Blend dubbing around the thread. I’m using the Bart Brown color and securing it just behind the eye.

10. Some thread wraps at the base of the dubbing will flow the material over the rabbit providing some flash within the blend.

11. Invert the hookand place a second clump of dubbing blend to the other side of the rabbit strip fur. Securing this material will also lay it down over the rabbit fur.

12. Select a Brown hen saddle feather and remove the fibers to achieve the size of the feather tip you desire. Secure this saddle tip to the hook shank just behind the eye.

13. Inverting the hook once again, attach a second hen saddle tip to the other side of the pattern. These tips represent the fins of the sculpin.

14. Attach a piece of Brown Pine squirrel zonker strip to the pin behind the bead with the fur facing the rear.

15. Apply the first wrap behind the eye of the hook.

16. Then wrap the strip forward around the pin to the bead. Secure with a couple of tight thread wraps.

17. Finish the pattern with a couple of whip finishes and trim off the thread tag.

18. The finished Balanced Sculpin.

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Fire 523, size 6-8
Weight	5 wraps of 0.035 Leadfree Wire
Thread	Veevus 6/0, Black
Pin	Hareline Balanced Fly Pin
Bead	Countersunk Tungsten Bead, 7/64, Nickel
Body	1/8 Brown Barred Rabbit Strip, Olive
Head	Pine Squirrel Zonker Strip, Brown
Overbody	Bruiser Blend, Barf Brown
Fins	Hareline Hen Saddle, Brown
Tail	1/8 Brown Barred Rabbit Strip, Olive

Silvey’s Balanced Sculpin

Silvey’s Balanced Sculpin was designed by Brian Silvey on the Deschutes river for the resident trout. The balanced style allowed the pattern to remain level as the pattern was swung over the run of the river. This was important since natural sculpin have a gliding action through the water. Brian also found the pattern effective hung in slower waters or dead drifted.

This pattern provides a perfect imitation for a sculpin that has gotten swept into the current and is getting taken down stream. Majority of the fly is made up of rabbit strips allowing it to flow nicely even when you aren’t putting any action into it. The pec fins are sized accordingly to the size of the fly creating that wide head sculpin profile we all love to see. I’ve added an overbody of Bruiser Blend dubbing to this pattern as it provides some additional flash to the pattern and provides a lighter shade of color to the body for a mottled look. This pattern usually is found in three different colors: Black, Olive, and Flesh. Tied on a size 6-8 jig style hook.

Variations

Silvey’s Balanced Sculpin, Black

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Fire 523, size 6-8
Weight	5 wraps of 0.035 Leadfree Wire
Thread	Veevus 6/0, Black
Pin	Hareline Balanced Fly Pin
Bead	Countersunk Tungsten Bead, 7/64, Black
Body	Micro Rabbit Strip, Black
Head	Pine Squirrel Zonker Strip, Black
Overbody	Bruiser Blend, Black Red
Fins	Hareline Hen Saddle, Brown
Tail	Micro Rabbit Strip, Black

Silvey’s Balanced Sculpin, Flesh

Materials to Order Material, click the link
Hook	Fire 523, size 6-8
Weight	5 wraps of 0.035 Leadfree Wire
Thread	Veevus 6/0, Black
Pin	Hareline Balanced Fly Pin
Bead	Countersunk Tungsten Bead, 7/64, Nickel
Body	1/8 Brown Barred Rabbit Strip, Flesh
Head	Pine Squirrel Zonker Strip, Brown
Overbody	Bruiser Blend, Cream
Fins	India Henback, Prince Nymph Brown
Tail	1/8 Brown Barred Rabbit Strip, Flesh