Coyote Fur and the RATS

Our eastern coyote has been called the brush wolf, coy-wolf, the opportunist, and other less flattering names. He’s generally larger than western coyotes and is known to hunt in numbers for large prey like white-tail deer, or as a solitary hunter of small animals like mice and rabbits. They will eat apples and, like crows, most anything else. Specimens show great variability in fur colour, suggesting a heritage that includes not only the wolf, but the domestic dog, also descended from the wolf.

Eastern coyote fur is an excellent fly tying material. Under-fur is good for dubbing fly bodies, while the long guard hair (outer-fur) from the back and sides may be a great substitute for hard-to-find good quality grey fox (black with a white or cream bar). I say “may be” because coyote specimen colour is so variable. Guard hair from a coyote’s back is very long, up to 5 inches, making it ideal for large streamers, tube flies, and saltwater flies. Coyote tails also can be useful, and the fur takes dye very well, particularly light coloured specimens. One good quality coyote pelt should last most non-commercial tyers a lifetime. However, the fly tying market does need good quality pelts.

The very popular RAT series of Atlantic salmon wet flies, created in New Brunswick in1911 and named for the originator’s initials (Roy Angus Thompson) are all tied with a wing of grey fox, and barred coyote hair is a great substitute. Other flies in the RAT series are the Grey, Green, Blue, Silver, Gold, Peacock, Copper, Black, Red, Rusty and Brown Rat. All Rats have a head of red tying thread. The first was the Grey Rat, and it was tied for fishing big brook trout. An earlier column gave specifications for the Rusty Rat, and now we’ll tie up a Silver Rat, using coyote fur for the fly’s wing.

The Silver Rat

Thread:                       UTC G.S.P. 50 Denier red thread

Hook:                          Partridge Bartleet Supreme or Daiichi 2161, size 6 – 1

Tag:                            Flat gold tinsel (or gold Flatbraid)

Tail:                             Two golden pheasant  crests

Rib:                             Oval gold tinsel

Body:                          Flat silver tinsel (or silver Flatbraid)

Under-wing:               Four strands of silver Krystal Flash

Wing:                          Guard hair from the back or side of a coyote (black with grey or cream bar)

Hackle:                       Grizzly hen hackle tied collar style

Sides:                         Jungle cock (optional)

Head:                          Red thread finished with 2 coats Angler’s Corner Clear Wet Head Cement

Please stay on the line …