Hook Size 6
The Skykomish Sunrise steelhead fly was originated by Ken & George McLeod.
George caught a large Kisplox river steelhead back in 1955 on this fly. At the time, it
was the world record fly rainbow trout caught on a fly.
The world record fish, begin the popularity of the fly and it has proven successful
every since. Many die-hard steelhead anglers swear by the fly and rarely use anything
else. It’s a beautiful colored fly incorporating some of the colors of a sunrise. Seattle’s
George McLeod first tied this fly as a gift for his brother. In 1938, inspired by the bright
sunrise of the Skykomish River in Washington, Seattle’s George McLeod tied this fly
as a gift to his brother.
The Skykomish Sunrise has set the standard for West Coast steelhead flies. The fly
was first tied using a polar bear wing. Our version uses calf tail hair for the wing but
keeps the red chenille body. Over the years, the fly has become popular on the
tributary streams of the Great Lakes.
This fly is fished on the swing in the traditional manner. It works great in low, clear
water. The only place we don’t recommend it is in very dingy, high off colored water.
