CB Stocker Streamer Pattern & Tying Instructions
Fly Tying Recipe:
CB Stocker Streamer
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This wonderful little streamer is called a "CB Stocker" by New Jersey tier Chally Bates, that's like Charlie without the "R". He came up with the pattern when he was 14 years old, specifically for catching stocked trout. Chally is now somewhere north of 70 and his pattern has fooled untold numbers of trout.
Although you can use any streamer hook, I really like the proportions of a Dai-Riki #700, here a size 10. Begin by mashing the barb, then firmly securing the hook in your tying vise. This pattern is traditionally tied with a white floss body, which looks just great but I've found it much easier to build up a body out of heavy 210 Denier white Uni-thread.
Start the thread on the hook shank, leaving a good amount of space behind the eye. Take a few wraps and then snip off the tag, then take a few more wraps to cover whatever's left showing.
For ribbing, snip a 6 inch piece of extra-small mylar tinsel free from the spool. This is the silver and gold stuff so I'm going to tie in the mylar with the gold side facing out but silver will show on the final pattern. Take wraps rearward to halfway between the point and the barb and then start back up the hook shank. Notice with each successive, adjacent wrap, the thread wants to cord up more and more. This is because you're actually twisting the thread with every wrap you take. Create another layer of corded thread wraps down the shank to build up the body a little more. Now give your bobbin a good counter clockwise spin which will untwist and flatten your thread. Notice how it resembles floss when it's untwisted like this. You need to do a counter clockwise spin every 3 or 4 turns in order to keep the thread flat. Continue this type of wrap all the way up the shank to the tie-in point. Now you're done with the heavy white thread so do a 3 or 4 turn whip finish to anchor it and then snip it off close.
For the remainder of the fly, we're going to use black 70 Denier Ultra thread. Start the black thread on the hook shank at the tie-in point and get it firmly secured before snipping the tag end off. If you have a rotary vise, place the bobbin in the cradle and then get hold of the mylar tinsel. Again, the silver side should be facing out. Begin making even open spiral wraps up the shank. You can see why a rotary vise makes this job easy. When you reach the tie-in point, firmly secure the tinsel with a few tight wraps of tying thread. You can then snip the remainder of the tinsel off close.
A white marabou blood is used to create the wing. I like the ones that are fuzzy, right out to the tips, but these are hard to find. You can use stringy-tipped ones but they look better if you rip the tips off. Whatever feather you use, I highly recommend wetting it before tying it in. Either saliva or water will work. With the feather moistened, measure it to form a wing that extends just past the hook bend. Tie in the wing with a couple wraps right on top of each other, making sure the wing stays on top of the hook shank. Lift the wing up and take one wrap behind it, around the hook shank and then one or two under the butts. These wraps will help the wing to stay on top of the hook. Now, using the hook eye as a guide, make an angled cut back towards the thread wraps, be careful not to cut them.
Turning the hook upside down makes the next step much easier. From a red saddle hackle, strip about a half inch segment of the fuzzy lower fibers free from the stem. Try to keep their tips aligned as best you can. Once again, wetting the fibers really helps with tie-in. Measure them to form a throat that's about the same length as the body of the fly. I like to snip the excess off before I tie the throat in, but you don't have to. Secure the fibers with several tight turns of tying thread.
With this done, return the hook to it's upright position. To finish the head, start low, down by the hook eye and work up, then fill in any gaps or low spots that remain. Finally, do a 5 or 6 turn whip finish and snip or cut your tying thread free.
I like to apply the head cement with a bodkin. One coat's ok, but two generally looks better. And that's Chally Bate's CD Stocker. This little beauty has saved many a day when nothing else seems to work.
Although you can use any streamer hook, I really like the proportions of a Dai-Riki #700, here a size 10. Begin by mashing the barb, then firmly securing the hook in your tying vise. This pattern is traditionally tied with a white floss body, which looks just great but I've found it much easier to build up a body out of heavy 210 Denier white Uni-thread.
Start the thread on the hook shank, leaving a good amount of space behind the eye. Take a few wraps and then snip off the tag, then take a few more wraps to cover whatever's left showing.
For ribbing, snip a 6 inch piece of extra-small mylar tinsel free from the spool. This is the silver and gold stuff so I'm going to tie in the mylar with the gold side facing out but silver will show on the final pattern. Take wraps rearward to halfway between the point and the barb and then start back up the hook shank. Notice with each successive, adjacent wrap, the thread wants to cord up more and more. This is because you're actually twisting the thread with every wrap you take. Create another layer of corded thread wraps down the shank to build up the body a little more. Now give your bobbin a good counter clockwise spin which will untwist and flatten your thread. Notice how it resembles floss when it's untwisted like this. You need to do a counter clockwise spin every 3 or 4 turns in order to keep the thread flat. Continue this type of wrap all the way up the shank to the tie-in point. Now you're done with the heavy white thread so do a 3 or 4 turn whip finish to anchor it and then snip it off close.
For the remainder of the fly, we're going to use black 70 Denier Ultra thread. Start the black thread on the hook shank at the tie-in point and get it firmly secured before snipping the tag end off. If you have a rotary vise, place the bobbin in the cradle and then get hold of the mylar tinsel. Again, the silver side should be facing out. Begin making even open spiral wraps up the shank. You can see why a rotary vise makes this job easy. When you reach the tie-in point, firmly secure the tinsel with a few tight wraps of tying thread. You can then snip the remainder of the tinsel off close.
A white marabou blood is used to create the wing. I like the ones that are fuzzy, right out to the tips, but these are hard to find. You can use stringy-tipped ones but they look better if you rip the tips off. Whatever feather you use, I highly recommend wetting it before tying it in. Either saliva or water will work. With the feather moistened, measure it to form a wing that extends just past the hook bend. Tie in the wing with a couple wraps right on top of each other, making sure the wing stays on top of the hook shank. Lift the wing up and take one wrap behind it, around the hook shank and then one or two under the butts. These wraps will help the wing to stay on top of the hook. Now, using the hook eye as a guide, make an angled cut back towards the thread wraps, be careful not to cut them.
Turning the hook upside down makes the next step much easier. From a red saddle hackle, strip about a half inch segment of the fuzzy lower fibers free from the stem. Try to keep their tips aligned as best you can. Once again, wetting the fibers really helps with tie-in. Measure them to form a throat that's about the same length as the body of the fly. I like to snip the excess off before I tie the throat in, but you don't have to. Secure the fibers with several tight turns of tying thread.
With this done, return the hook to it's upright position. To finish the head, start low, down by the hook eye and work up, then fill in any gaps or low spots that remain. Finally, do a 5 or 6 turn whip finish and snip or cut your tying thread free.
I like to apply the head cement with a bodkin. One coat's ok, but two generally looks better. And that's Chally Bate's CD Stocker. This little beauty has saved many a day when nothing else seems to work.
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