How to Tie a Deceiver Fly

Lefty Kreh's Deceiver Fly

Bernard "Lefty" Kreh is a legend in the sport of big game fly-fishing. His Deceiver pattern has set numerous IGFA records and caught almost every species of fish. The Deceiver is an essential tool in any fly angler’s arsenal. Like the Clouser Minnow, the Deceiver may be tied in any combination of colors. Blue and White as depicted here is the most common; however, I like Olive and White for tuna and Pink and White for sailfish and marlin.

Things You'll Need

• Size 8 to 8/0 hook
• Bobbin
• Bodkin
• Threader
• Scissors
• Vise
• Thread
• 2 colors high grade hackle (feathers)
• 2 colors bucktail
• Peacock Herl
• Fly head cement

Instructions

1. 

   Tie on your source of weight. The deceiver may be fished high in the water column or deep, you decide with the weighting device. Use a thin lead wire wrapped to the desired weight on the first third of the hook shank back from the eye.

2. 

   Tie back to a third of the way from the eye and tie in your lighter colored underbody hackle, leaving the "fluffy" part of the feather material to give the fly a little more life like action in the water.

3. 

   Now, tie in the darker upperbody hackle exactly as you did the lighter hackle. Make sure you are now shaping the conical section of the fly head.

4. 

   Build the lower body with the light color bucktail. Make sure you are dressing both sides of the fly and the under belly.

5. 

   Tie in the darker colored bucktail to build the dark color of the baitfishes back. At this point, the success of the head shape is sealed. Make sure you are building a nice conical shape.

6. 

   Tie in a few shafts of peacock herl. The dark color with gold glitter is a super turn-on for fish. The herl will settle down and stop flaring once it has been wet.

7. Build up the head to a fine conical shape. Some tyers like to rubber cement eyes and epoxy the heads of their flies. If you only get on the water 4 to 6 times a year, that may be a great idea. However, I punish my flies with big fish and feel it is a waste of time to "pretty-up" the fly. I want it effective and ready to roll and I don't want to be upset when it is broken off by a fish. I go sans eyes and simply coat the head with a heavy coat of head cement.

Tips & Warnings

• You may use any color combinations for your deceiver. However, remember when tying, fishes backs are dark to protect them from birds looking down into dark water and have a lighter underside to protect them from predators below.