Fly Tying the Coal Car (Classic Steelhead or big Trout Pattern)

[@workforit2270]

Wow! This reminds of a 1967 black Coop DeVille Cadillac for some reason. Just a supper clean bug. Great Job Buddy!

[@SavageFlies]

Ha! This comment made me laugh. 🤣

[@michaelpeterson6413]

Matt I really like how you never stress out about messing up. I know in my case , most of the flies I mess up on end up fishing better than the perfect ones.

[@SavageFlies]

Same here Michael! And if I stressed out over all my mess ups, I'd never get any fly finished. :-)

[@brianfeeney9493]

There YOU are Matt ...... Super Job Buddy !!! 🎉🎣💫

[@SavageFlies]

I thought you'd like this one my brother!

[@brianfeeney9493]

RIGHT - ON 💫🎣🎉

[@bigdaddy99929]

Ok. Nice fly to try up here. Thx Matt !!😉

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Clyde; and as always thanks for watching my friend. :-)

[@hunting3372]

Absolutely love how you make fly tying practical and don’t sweat the hiccups. I mess up more flies than I ever tie perfect. They still fish as long as the tippet goes thru the eye. Keep up the great work. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks my friend; I appreciate hearing that! Stay tuned for Friday's tie- it's going to be the Freight Train, the inspiration for this one. 👍

[@barbaraemerich1921]

I’m having a blast just binge watching your channel today! I’m pretty new to fly tying and fly fishing so you have taught me so much from your videos! Thank you!

[@SavageFlies]

No, thank YOU Barbara! I really appreciate you watching. Just take my old videos with a grain of salt-- I've gotten a lot better at the video making thing in the last year. 😁

[@davehall2160]

Gorgeous looking fly Matt Love the colors on this one Thanks for the video

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Dave! And yeah, the colors on this one are what caught my eye too. :-)

[@johnnylightning1491]

I'm supposed to be be going Steelhead fishing in a few days so I might have to break out the vice, I've already got a black squirrel road kill tail. Keep the good stuff coming.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Johnny! Sounds like a fun trip. Good luck!

[@arthurskim7898]

A Home Run ! Hair wing steelhead patterns are my favorite to tie. I like Kid Goat for my patterns, nice and straight hair. You made mention of going small for trout, true story, I also fish steelhead with Teeny nymphs the only fly he uses. Fishing trout in PA one February nothing was biting, so I went to the Teeny nymph and the bite was on. Met Mr. Teeny at the Fly Fishing Show and told him my story, his replay was the the nymph was designed for trout. OOPs... As always, thanks for posting Matt! BZ

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Arthur! And yep, there's often no telling what the fish are going to turn on to. Some days when I can't buy a strike I'll just start going smaller and smaller until I can fool something. :-)

[@marshallbaldwin8960]

I really love this streamer. I’m going to try some color variations to be another bass fly in my arsenal. Thank you for keeping me inspired.

[@edwardthornton1031]

Nice fly and cool name. Nice job Matt and thanks for sharing. Have a good week end Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

You too Butch! I like the name too. :-)

[@marshallbaldwin8960]

Great streamer! Thank you Sir Matt.

[@leemowers9395]

Nice clean bright fly, thanks Matt

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Lee! Have a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@jamesyates5191]

Thanks Matt. That looks like a great steelhead fly. I grew up in northern Michigan near Traverse City. Black squirrels were quite common but never tasted as good as fox squirrels though they tended to to be larger. I now like in southern Oregon near the Rogue river and grey squirrels are the only squirrels I see. I should grab a road kill and harvest a tail or two.

[@SavageFlies]

I know what you mean. Regular old pine squirrels are the most common here in Maryland, with an occasional fox squirrel. But 99 out of 100 roadkill squirrels I see are the plain ones.

[@hughiegraves8901]

First time seeing this one definitely a cool color combo .👍

[@SavageFlies]

Cool, thanks Hugh!

[@huntingmissouri5420]

Love the old steelhead patterns!! Not many steelhead here in Missouri but i do tie some and fish them for trout lol. Thanks for sharing Matt!!!

[@SavageFlies]

Same here Franky! I just consider them big flashy, small streamer trout flies. :-)

[@Guselpescador]

Thank you for sharing this fly 🪰❤💜♥

[@SavageFlies]

You are welcome my friend; thanks for watching!

[@Guselpescador]

Always watching and trying to make it

[@toddslichter7831]

Again, love the history. Great tie of a great pattern...I will add the to my steelhead box. Thanks, Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

I figured you might like this one Todd. Man, I need to get up north and do some steelheading. :-)

[@toddslichter7831]

@@SavageFlieslet's plan a trip next fall or late winter, Matt!

[@SavageFlies]

@@toddslichter7831 Absolutely! Sounds like a plan. I try to go on one big trip a year. Last year was Idaho and this summer I'm thinking of either the Smoky Mountains or the Adirondacks. Or the Catskills. Somewhere east coast so I can drive and do some truck camping. And maybe a long weekend at Penns Creek. :-)

[@Beardedfurflinger]

Randall Kauffman named this & other patterns after watching the train going through the Deschutes River Canyon,can also substitute black calf/ kimp tail,sized down # 10 great little cutthroat fly or streamer,tight lines & bent rods 🤙

[@mikeney5113]

Very cool pattern Matt.great looking fly.thanks.

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Mike!

[@easttnflyfreak2870]

love the history and the challenge.Thanks Matt!!

[@SavageFlies]

Awesome James; thanks for watching!

[@laytonmarvin3790]

Nice tie Matt. I have seen this tied using floss but I really like the wool. Thanks for sharing

[@SavageFlies]

Yeah, I even saw one version of it tied with buggy seal's fur for the back half. I liked the thinner, but still fuzzy wool a little better. Thanks for the note Layton!

[@RockyPhillips]

Man I like this pattern alot..im gonna tie this one for sure, thanks Matt

[@SavageFlies]

You bet Rocky; appreciate you watching my friend!

[@dsmt8703]

Flies like this have been a bit challenging to get that spacing down. I’ll use this for some practice it’s pretty cool. Thanks again

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks man! Yeah, the spacing of the wool segments was the hardest for me. :-)

[@dantailleur3597]

Cool pattern!!! Thanks for doing these tutorials!!

[@SavageFlies]

You bet Dan; I'm having a good time with them too. :-)

[@Phil-cl5dl]

Great fly, and nicely tied.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Phil; appreciate it my friend!

[@epsieblaine9558]

Cool fly Matt.Here in western NC,we have grey squirrels,black ones,white ones,not albino they have dark eyes,they are mainly around Mills River and Brevard ,also got pine squirrels,known here as boomers,and ground squirrels,known by mode as chipmucks.There body fur is a lot like mole.All are great matetials.Have a good day and happy tying.

[@SavageFlies]

That's cool Ken. I'd love to see a white squirrel. Most ours here are pine squirrels, and a few fox squirrels, and the occasional flying squirrel. Happy tying to you and Linda!

[@epsieblaine9558]

@@SavageFlies Matt I think flying squrriles are are protected here.Better not get caught with one here.

[@jamesvatter5729]

That s a neat looking fly Matt. Going to have to look up the "Freight Train" now.

[@SavageFlies]

Oh yeah Jim, I would try the freight train, just because of the cool name, but I don't have any purple hackle. :-)

[@sinelocum]

Love it.

[@jimholland1592]

Time for coffee and Matt 👍

[@SavageFlies]

Ha! I always appreciate that Jim. Have a great weekend my friend. :-)

[@edwardchavez5627]

Good Morning Sir Matt😊 The Coal Car wow great looking fly. Very unique im going to have to try this one. On another note. I don't have the po box number to send my contest fly to if you could help me with that i would really appreciate that. Great ty Sir Matt you just keep bringing it, that's why this is my favorite fly tying Channel I'm learning so much thanks to you. Good Day Sir.

[@SavageFlies]

Edward, thanks my friend! Address is PO Box 190, Hughesville, MD 20637. Have a great weekend!

[@FlyTyer1948]

I’ll bet this would work pretty well for landlocked salmon. There’s a black squirrel who lives in a neighbor’s tree. Hmmm?!?

[@SavageFlies]

Ha ha. I've never seen a black squirrel in the wild, but apparently they're not as uncommon as I thought. Just not too common around here I guess. :-)

[@kalikasurf]

Guess I’ll hafta buy some squirrel fur........been kicked out of 3 public parks trying to save a couple bucks!

[@SavageFlies]

Ha! Do I have your mailing address? I've probably got a ziploc bag or two in one of my drawers I could send you. :-)

[@kalikasurf]

@@SavageFlies 🤣. Na, making a special trip to bob marriots (fly tying supply shop) tomorrow......I’ll steal some when they aren’t lookin 🤣😂🤣

[@jeffreystone7327]

Impressive looking fly. Looks like it would be enjoyable to tie. It was an enjoyable video to watch. I do have a question I’ve been meaning to ask for awhile. At the start you mentioned trading some Starling. Could Starling be used as a substitute for Jungle Cock? Just curious. It’s definitely less expensive. Thank you Matt for another great video.

[@joeduca8582]

Nice tie Matt. I like to use variegated yarn to tie bodies like that, cool effect. I love those old Steelhead flies, most of them are the same platform but vary the materials and colors. Check out Max Canyon by Doug Stewart (aka Mack's Canyon) another cool pattern. Ten tiers will tie these patterns ten different ways. I wondered if the Coal Car came from the Chattanooga Choo Choo? ;o) just kidding. Have a good one Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Holy cow Joe, this thing looks very similar to the Max Canyon. I had heard of that fly somewhere (probably flipping through one of my books) but have never tied it. Very cool looking. Now funny you mention the Chattanooga Choo Choo... I was just telling my wife about that. I grew up in north Georgia not far from there and whenever we had a formal event (like a prom or homecoming) we would take our dates to the fancy restaurant at the train station there. Now that's been a few years, but a cool memory. :-)

[@joeduca8582]

@@SavageFlies See what I mean, a platform or style. For me the recipe is a guide, unless there's a reason to tie it that way I'll sub what materials I have and tie it the best way I know how. Here's some different You Tube tiers doing these flies their way, Steve Andrews - Coal car, this video was like a work of art. North 40 Fly Shop - Max Canyon, different materials and look. Caddis Fly Angling Shop - Mack's Canyon tied by Jay Nicholas. Simplified version with a totally different look. I love Jay, he has his own channel too. He goes on a ramble telling stories as he ties, but CFAS edits his monologues. :o( Yeah I'd definitely use the C.C. you tied as a streamer for Trout and Bass.... That swing tune Chattanooga Choo Choo by Glenn Miller popped into my head when I heard Coal Car and Freight Train. I thought it might be a real place and you'd know it being from the South. Memories are cool. Thanks Matt!

[@tacosauce1948]

Matt, for the fly tying challenge, what should I put my fly in or how should I ship it without messing up the tail or legs??

[@SavageFlies]

I’ve gotten a couple in empty hook boxes. Like a Mustad or Firehole box. But I got one last night kind of wrapped in a small piece of cardboard and in a regular envelope. And it arrived in fine shape.

[@kalikasurf]

Oh, man. Matt canceled his contest........yeah.....he, uhh. He said you dont hafta send one! 🤣😂🤣 I’ve bought a bunch of clear mini solo cup (shot glass size) with lids from the grocery store (5 bucks for 100 of em). And I was thinking a bubble wrap package. Hopefully that’s enough to not crush our award winners

[@SavageFlies]

Yep, I use the same Solo condiment cups for holding all kinds of things. They work great. But for mailing flies, I think any small box in an envelope will work fine. 👍

[@kalikasurf]

@@SavageFlies DUH!!! Why didn’t I think of that?!? That’s why you’re the master, Matt!

[@Jd-yc3gw]

Good morning Matt. Bright, sunny day here but -10C...not losing ice like this. Anyway still can sort through my fly fishing gear and watch your tying videos over a cup of coffee. We are a ways off steelhead fishing waters but on the other hand there are some black squirrels out where my son lives so I will get him to watch for road kill. I like the colour combo on that fly. Is that wool 100% acrylic or nylon?

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks John! Yeah, definitely keep on the lookout for these black squirrels. And the wool is 100% wool! I think anyway. If it was cut in with any synthetics (acrylic or nylon) it should have said on the packaging.

[@PreppingWithSarge]

Great video as always Matt! Question from the uninitiated section (forgive my ignorance please)... do fly tiers ever sell or trade their flies? What is the cultural norm on this?

[@SavageFlies]

Sarge- this is a good question. Lots of fly tiers do tie commercially and sell their flies to various outlets-- from local shops to bigger vendors. I've never had much of an interest in this as I think it might take a lot of the fun out of it. I can't imagine having a lot of fun tying dozens and dozens of a single pattern, perhaps thousands in a year. And from what I hear, there's not a lot of money in it either. I've never personally met a commercial tier, but I have read about some. As far as fly swaps, yes this is actually a thing. How most of them work is, say ten people get together and each ties ten flies of a specific pattern. They all mail them to one person who divides them all up and mails them back out to the participants. So you tie ten of the same pattern, but get ten different flies back. (Maybe you need 11 participants so you don't get your own fly back, but you get the gist.) After I get done with the tying contest on the channel, I'm going to try and run a fly swap later in the year. :-)

[@PreppingWithSarge]

@@SavageFlies very cool, thanks Matt! Yeah i thought might be low profit. Many artistic endeavors are unfortunately like that

[@mikelundrigan2285]

I suspect you could substitute black bear, silver fox or deer tail if black squirrel is not available? The fish likely don’t care!

[@SavageFlies]

I'd say you definitely could Mike. I think silver fox tail would be the closest to the squirrel as bear and bucktail would be a bit stiffer. I'm sure they'd all work, but the stiffer hair would have a little different movement in the water. Thanks for the note!

[@harryjoesather6539]

HEY MATT CRAZY NAME DONT GET THE NAME BUT COOL FLY.....HAVE A GOOD ONE SEE YA JOE.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Joe! I guess this name is just because it was a variant of his Freight Train. But how did that fly get its name?? Who knows!

[@MarekCmuchar-t9d]

You need better hook!!! Daiichi 2370, Mustad L-87 3665A or Daiichi Alec Jackson gone tyin' Freight train... Petr from Czechia, Europe....🇨🇿🇨🇿🇨🇿

[@johnadamson1961]

A black variant of a grey squirrel is 1/10,000

[@SavageFlies]

I did not know that. There is such a species as a black squirrel though, right? Someone sent me some tails and said they were from black squirrels.