1978 Index of Orvis Fly Patterns - The Matuka Sculpin

While not a quick tie, this heavily weighted sculpin pattern is relatively simple to tie. And can be a super effective pattern where the big brown trout feed on these fish.
Hook: #2-6 streamer (3-4x long)
Thread: Black
Weight: 0.025"
Rib: Wire (any color is fine)
Body: Yarn or a natural color dubbing
Wing: Hen saddle, soft hackle feathers
Front fins: Smaller hen saddle feathers
Head: Spun deer hair, natural
** Some of the popular books used on this channel: **
Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: amzn.to/34U0rUe
Mike Valla's "Tying the Founding Flies," 2015, amzn.to/354oSir
Valla's "Tying and Fishing Bucktails..." 2016, amzn.to/3Jg2Mys
Valla's "Tying Catskill-Style Dry Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3DmYOjJ
Valla's "Classic Streamer Fly Box," 2020, amzn.to/3n3Vakf
Dave Hughes, "Essential Trout Flies," 2017, amzn.to/3lbCZYX
Hughes, "Nymphs for Streams and Stillwaters," amzn.to/3HC2jpc
Hughes, "Wet Flies," 2015, amzn.to/33ac3lQ
David Klausmeyer's "Favorite Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3oeSNMa
Randle Scott Stetzer's "Flies, the Best One Thousand," amzn.to/34Q15mp
Terry Hellekson's "Popular Fly Patterns," 1976, amzn.to/2L4IyvS
Dick Stewart's, "Flies for Bass and Panfish," 1992, amzn.to/3aGpFs1
Savage Flies is a project with the mission of encouraging and teaching fly tying to as many people as possible. The channel is named after one of my western Maryland homewaters, the Savage River. Thanks for stopping by.

[@FlyTyer1948]

Nice Matuka Muddler style minnow.

[@crowdaddy8355]

Oh no, spinning deer hair is my kryptonite. Good looking sculpin. Thanks Matt.

[@leemowers9395]

thanks Matt, Nice Sculpin pattern, thanks for sharing.

[@jimwillis4519]

Sculpins relatively common here. I'll give it a try. Thanks for the video. Couldn't find the pattern in my 1978 Orvis book. Jim

[@goldenvise]

A great bass fly as well. I spun a lot of deer hair back in the day. :)

[@bigdaddy99929]

Sculpin galore here, of course. This is a cool ty. I’ll definitely try it. Thx Matt

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Clyde! Have a great week my friend. :-)

[@joutdoorsmen23]

Nice job Matt

[@deankrueger7178]

Great video again. These old patterns and book are amazing! Thanks again!

[@brentmeduna8037]

Love the fly...easy tie and me being Irish...well I think I would call it "The drunken skunk bug"

[@TheCopperVillageAngler]

Thank you for the lesson (and not charging $69.95)!

[@SavageFlies]

Hahaha! I'm afraid I wouldn't have any viewers if I charged anything at all! Of course, having to put up with KZbin's ads is a chore enough. :-)

[@davehall2160]

It's definitely a cool looking fly, Matt That's the way I started with the $98.99 starter kit, but mine had a DVD After a few years, I found one on eBay, and it had the old vhs 📼 😀 Took a long time trying to find a DVD VHS combo player Thanks for the video, Matt

[@markfritch3168]

We have plenty of sculpins in Idaho waters. I used to seine stone fly nymphs in the winter to catch whitefish. Every once in a while I’d catch a sculpin. Thanks for the tie. Hope your weekend goes great. Warmest regards

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Mark! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for some decent weather so I can get out this weekend. :-)

[@codymartin7665]

I just picked this same book up at the thrift store for $3! Can’t wait to try some ties out of it.

[@garyproctor6123]

Good beginner pattern to introduce spinning deer hair. Fun to tie and this pattern does catch fish, even if it's not perfectly tied. Take Care

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Gary! Have a great week my friend. :-)

[@francishagerty7539]

Thanks, Matt. I really like your technique for this fly. I also have the Stonfo razor gadget, and it makes trimming the deer hair much easier-and safer. Frank

[@tomhines5999]

Thanks, Matt. Great tie; I'm anxious to tie a couple for AZ White Mt streams! Cheers, Tom

[@SavageFlies]

Awesome to hear Tom! Have fun with it my friend. :-)

[@joeduca8582]

Nice job Matt. I like Muddlers and Matukas. Glad I got to see your Orvis index, yours I believe is the first edition. I have the complete and unabridged 1990 edition, combines the 1A and 2A binders into a paperback spiral bound. I bought it at the Paper Cutter! You followed the instructions to a tee. I bought the book for the same reasons you did, used it to tie a lot of patterns as well as a reference. That dry fly I've tied and told you about may be in your book, the Waterwalker. Split hair wing, each wing has a parachute hackle. Fun tie. Thanks Matt, have a great week.

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks Joe! I just checked and didn't see the Waterwalker in it. Was yours the green or brown cover? I think I bought the green covered binder later (maybe it was a Vol 2?), but that thing has been lost to the ages. Maybe it's in a box in the attic somewhere in my mom's house in Georgia but I'm not likely to ever see my old shoe boxes of that tying stuff again. Have a great week my friend! Make sure to tune in Friday... I want to have some fun with the St. Patrick's Day bug. :-)

[@joeduca8582]

@@SavageFlies Mine's not a binder. It's a 1990 edition that combined both Vol 1 and 2. Too bad, it's probably in the 2nd Vol, yours in the video is 1978 Vol 1. No matter, It's in one of Fly Tyer's 40th anniversary issues by Al Ritt. For sure I'll be there Friday, Erin go Bragh! 🍀

[@burtonbrocious171]

Very nicely done Matt a fish catcher for sure. Yes I have that book and the tapes. Tks for posting.

[@SavageFlies]

The tapes too?? Holy cow! That's certainly a blast from the past. I'll bet you'd be hard pressed to find a VCR to play them on nowadays. :-)

[@pc5439]

Great looking fly Matt. Remember to bring a dozen or two of these sculpins with you when you come down to fish the Norfork (North Fork of the White River) in Arkansas. You're liable to hook into some 10-20 lb. Brown Trout, especially if you get in some night time fishing. Right now we've got a good Orvis report on all 4 trout species.

[@SavageFlies]

Oh man, you're making me jealous Phil! I'm definitely putting the Norfork on my wish list. :-)

[@sallysanderson3627]

Nice tie and may have to try this one!

[@SavageFlies]

Go for it Sally! Have a great week my friend. :-)

[@toddslichter7831]

Great pattern. I've been spinning hair for decades, and using my recently purchased blade holder makes life much easier. Thanks for sharing, Mr. O'Neal.

[@SavageFlies]

You bet Todd! I've only seen one other blade holder out there other than the $30 Stonfo one. It was by Anadromous Fly Company and I believe it was in the neighborhood of $12-14. I did pick one up but haven't tested it out yet. Maybe I should!

[@toddslichter7831]

@Savage Flies if you did a review on the cheaper one, I think that would be much appreciated by those folks that do not have one...$30 is a bit expensive, especially if you don't use it often.

[@Jd-yc3gw]

Good morning Matt. ☕️time. We have sculpins at home and this pattern would be a good imitation I think. I’m not sure how much of a food source they are because I’ve never found one in a fish of any species that I’ve kept for eating. I’m going to tie a few just for those “ now for something completely different” days. 😃. We are headed out for a day on the Colorado River, should be a good time. Take care Matt and have a great week.

[@SavageFlies]

Great comment John! I keep a whole box of the "now for something different" flies. I usually break it out after a full day on the water being skunked. Or sometimes... if I've been having such a good day that I'm bold enough to try anything. Usually it's the former and my theory is, "Well, I can't do any worse than I've been doing for the last six hours anyway." :-)

[@brhino1017]

Next on through back Thursdays, 70's blast from the past....The "Dahlberg Diver." Lefty Kreh is another super star. Loved his saltwater stuff. Both Dahlberg and Kreh were pioneers in their time. Legends in fly-fishing.

[@SavageFlies]

Absolutely! And Lefty was another Marylander. It seems Pennsylvania and the Catskills have most of the prominent fly tiers, but Maryland will always have Lefty Kreh. :-)

[@edwardchavez5627]

​@@SavageFlies they also have Matt O'Neal my teacher.

[@SavageFlies]

Hahaha! I appreciate that Edward. 👍

[@Loyalist-ul6qm]

Very nice my fiend I'll give it a go I don't have all the fancy stonflo gadgets but I shall percivere thanks again all the very best.

[@SavageFlies]

Go for it! A plastic bottle cap works great to pack hair, and for years I put a piece of electrical tape one one side of a razor blade and just used that. But the tool does make it a little easier, and much less likely to cut your finger. :-)

[@edherrmann182]

Thanks for the revival of a older pattern. The simple sculpins sometimes work better than the more complicated patterns that use much more deer hair. I usually add materials to enhance the fly pattern from my own experience. I noticed a comment on raising the head section and suggest adding foam that matches the body about 1/4 from the body end point. By pulling it tight if using standard 2-mm or using 1-mm. The deer hair will cover it as will the matuca fin and tail feather. The foam will lift it up just enough. I have done this with other patterns. Another trick would be to start the lead a little closer to the hook bend. Again thanks for the pattern Matt. The simplicity of this pattern makes it worth tying since some time consuming patterns are lost to rocks and underwater structure.

[@SavageFlies]

Great tips Ed! I was wondering how we could tie this thing to make it more likely to ride with the point up. I wasn't sure so I just gave up and live with the fact that I'm going to lose some of these on the bottom. I can live with a few lost flies as long as the ones I don't lose catch something for me. :-)

[@edherrmann182]

@@SavageFlies great idea Matt. I think the jig hook flies salvaged many flies from being lost to bottom of many streams. I am thinking that one way to correct the lost fly problem is to turn the fly upside down and tie it with the hook up. I heard other tiers in there videos discuss the same issue. I remember doing this with a streamer that was made up of mostly mallard feathers. I know some guys that pay it no mind the fly is a simple with minimal materials, if you lose it, just tie on another and keep fishing. But with some flies with multiple materials and steps that take time and some effort, losing one is not in the plan of the day. But, reorienting the hook or turning the fly upside down in a rotary vise results in a fly that shifts it’s weight in the reoriented position.

[@davidwright-ot5ff]

Incredible work with the deer hair, Matt! Looks great!

[@cheflexx778]

Thanks Matt. Will be tying up a couple of these today since I'm snowed in... All the best to you and Lisa.

[@SavageFlies]

Snowed in?? Oh man, that's the perfect time to sit around the bench and make up some stuff. :-) Lisa was just asking me last night how Kerri is doing. Please send her our best!

[@cheflexx778]

@@SavageFlies she's back to being a pain in my butt... Lol. Her Cancer's in full remission and they are taking the port that's been in her chest for her chemo out next week. Huge step. 🙏

[@harryjoesather6539]

thanks matt ... see ya joe.

[@martyrothman3933]

Thanks matt

[@jimgollach6202]

I have never tried to tie one of those matukas. I need to give that a shot. I definitely enjoyed watching you tie this one. Thanks Matt! 👍

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it Jim! They are pretty fun to tie, and if you pull the wing off right, they can look great.

[@bayoutrapper]

That was my first fly tying book. A lot of the bigger brown trout I've caught were on this fly. Thanks Matt, God bless sir.

[@SavageFlies]

That's awesome! I've heard this thing will get the big browns' attention. I've never pulled in any monsters with it but I've caught a couple who thought they were much bigger than they were. :-)

[@bayoutrapper]

@@SavageFlies By "bigger" I'm speaking 24" - 26" range mostly, Chattahoochee river, near Atlanta and here in the White river. Lots of those type sculpins naturaly so the trout are used to them for dinner. 😊 God bless sir.

[@Swamp-Fox]

Great pattern! I love that book!

[@SavageFlies]

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

[@woodgemdave]

Love this pattern and the great stories, thank you

[@SavageFlies]

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

[@jamesvatter5729]

Can't say I've tried that one, Matt, but I've had good luck with Shenk's Sculpin. Going to have to try this too.

[@SavageFlies]

I haven't tried Shenk's pattern but I just looked it up and you can find them being sold on Ebay for the low price of $50 each. :-)

[@mikeney5113]

For sure a really cool pattern.thank you Matt for tying up this great looking sculpin pattern. Awesome job.

[@edwardchavez5627]

Good Evening Sir Matt, a very busy day for me this morning, but I did make time to view this excellent video. I just putting in this comment in the evening though. I have tied mantuka, But not this style and I don't know if we have sculpin fish in our waters or anywhere close by. I'm betting alot of Texas fish will hit it though. Until next time my friend.

[@millholland738]

thanks love history as always keep it up

[@SavageFlies]

Appreciate it John! Have a great week my friend. :-)

[@laytonmarvin3790]

This pattern looks like a winner. I definitely have sculpin in my area and will have to add a few to the box. Thanks Matt for sharing and have a wonderful day.

[@SavageFlies]

Absolutely Layton! I almost mentioned in the intro, that the last sculpin I saw was because I caught it with a Prince nymph. Not much of a fight from that little four-incher, but I did get a nice up-close look at it. :-)

[@edwardmlotkiewicz2343]

Not many sculpin down where I live but a bunch of small baitfish. Spinning and trimming deer hair is an art you learn after numerous flies (or failed attempts at it). Thanks, again, for another classic fly.

[@SavageFlies]

You got that right Ed! And the funny thing is, sometimes I'll tie a nice one, than a bad one, then two nice ones, then two bad ones. I probably need a lot more practice spinning it but it is still kind of fun. :-)

[@Hunter711pa]

Nice job as always Matt! Cool pattern thank you

[@SavageFlies]

Thanks David! Have a great week my friend. :-)

[@tompeterson559]

I'm going to try tying a few for saltwater! Kelp Greenling are members of the sculpin family and are plentiful in this area, which attract lingcod, halibut, and salmon. And when larger, they're not bad food fish, either. Thank you for this tie!

[@SavageFlies]

I've heard that Tom! I had no idea sculpins lived anywhere but cold mountain creeks until I did some research last night and saw some of them referred to as "freshwater sculpins" which implies some of them must live in brackish or even saltwater. Cool to know. :-)

[@MilanesaConFritas]

Great tie. In Patagonia matukas are a go-to streamer, what I`ve learnt from my elders is to start the rib with 2 or 3 wraps of wire on the same spot to prevent the feather from twisting later on and to do so as close to the bend of the hook as possible to prevent fouling ( we tie them with long rooster feathers).

[@johnnylightning1491]

I like the fly. It would be interesting to tie this on a hook where you can get it to ride point up. As for colors I'm thinking anything from greens and browns to yellow and orange to match the local coloration. Keep the good stuff coming Matt.

[@SavageFlies]

Yep, you called that right Dave. I don't tie or fish too many but the only one I've ever caught a fish with was an olive one. I did have a big brown chase a black and brown one (I called the Gunpowder Matuka) once but I spazzed and yanked it out of his mouth before he even took it. I do that sometimes. :-)

[@MyItalians]

Thanks Matt. I dislike deer hair for the reason that I have issues packing hair. Like the tool compared to the big swing clip packer .

[@SavageFlies]

Yes indeed Nich! I always break too much hair when using one of those tools. The plastic bottle cap works better than those things! This Stonfo one is a bit pricey (maybe $18 or so), but I think it's worth it if you're spinning deer hair more than a few times a year. :-)

[@flyflung]

If you had a little sparkle braid on there, you could have a Mudtuka. Thanks for the video.

[@rocks_are_cool]

Would this fly work if you replaced the soft hackle with a zonker strip? Another great video. Looking forward to trying it out on the next trip.

[@randymorris8740]

I have that book... 😂

[@SavageFlies]

Haha! It's a classic Randy. Not my favorite, and probably not even in the top 50, but I think after 30+ years I got my money's worth out of it. :-)

[@martyrothman3933]

I fished my whole life I discovered fly fishing in 1990

[@martyrothman3933]

I graduated highschool in 1978

[@davidchamberland3689]

This fly should work great on the White River in Arkansas. The sculpin population is heavy.

[@SavageFlies]

That's cool to hear! I'll bet you've got some monster browns that come out at night feeding on these things. :-)