Llama Fly Pattern
June/July 1973 Fly Fisherman magazine story titled "Tying the Llama and Why" by Eric Leiser. Although Eric is responsible for popularizing the pattern he first got the pattern from Ray Benedict who used it frequently on the Wolf River and supposedly Miles Tourellot, a Wisconsin Menominee Indian originated the fly pattern back in the 1940s. It is said Miles found the pattern listed in an old English fly pattern book. Mike Valla also wrote about the Llama pattern and Eric Leiser recently in his book called "Tying The Founding Flies", published in 2015.
Llama Fly Pattern (Original Recipe)
tied by John Simonson
Hook: Mustad 3665A
Thread: Black
Tail: Grizzly Hackle fibers (soft)
Rib: Flat silver tinsel
Body: 4 strands red floss
Wing: Woodchuck hair, leave guard hairs & underfur
Collar: Grizzly hackle (soft)
Head: Black thread with painted eyes
There are many variations to this old fly pattern by changing the floss color and using gold tinsel.
Here is the Llama fly pattern again but this time tied on a more conventional Mustad round bend hook. Although the original pattern was probably tied on a limerick style hook which was very popular back then by tying streamer patterns.
I have read the Llama fly pattern was also tied by others in different colorations such as Fireside Angler. The Golden Llama was tied with yellow floss and gold tinsel. I have tied the Llama pattern using red, white and yellow floss.
