Hook Size 8/10
The Babine Special is a classic steelhead salmon egg pattern. It was originally used on
the Babine River and of course, was named after it. Babine Lake Is a large Canadian
British Columbia lake that originates the Babine River but it’s the section below Nilkitka
Lake that’s famous for its steehead fishing. The section between Nilkitka Lake and
Babine Lake is known for its trout. It’s also known as rainbow alley.
The fly is intended to imitate drifting roe from spawning fish. The white wing imitates the
milt or sperm that has covered the eggs. The Babine River is a clear, graveled bottom
river that has large trout feeding on the eggs of its spawning chinook, coho and sockeye
salmon each summer.
When salmon spawn in the Fall, there’s usually steelhead and trout, if present, just
downstream of them eager to eat the drifting loose eggs. You want the fly to drift dead
drift near the bottom. You should weight the fly’s hook so that it will stay near the bottom.
The ideal situation is to spot spawning fish and then cast the fly so that it sinks just
downstream of the spawners. You can rest assured there will be steelhead below them.
The Babine Special has proven very effective for the Western Steelhead rivers as well as
those of the Eastern Great Lakes. The fly will produce anywhere there are spawning
salmon and steelhead.
