Grenade
Création Claude H. Bernard - 1985, Montage David Quenneville.
Hook: Salmon in sizes 2 to 8.
Thread: White 8/0 UNI.
Tail: White calf tail one and a half times as long as the hook gap.
Body: Flat silver Mylar, over which is one coating of clear lacker.
Rib: Fine oval gold tinsel.
Wing: Sparse bunch of yellow squirrel tail to the end of the body, over which is a sparse bunch of pine squirrel tail (larger sizes) or natural red squirrel tail (smaller sizes) to the barb of the hook, over which is a sparse bunch of black squirrel tail to the end of the hook bend.
Topping: Three peacock sword fibers, except for three peacock herls on sizes 2 or larger.
Cheek: Jungle cock the size of half the length of the body.
Head: Yellow 8/0 UNI covered with three coats of clear lacquer.
Comment: This fly was originally tied for walleye as a streamer. It also has proven effective trolling lakes for brookies and lakers. Redesigned for Atlantic salmon, it is now my best bright fly. When tied as a streamer it is very effective fishing for black salmon in the spring or very early in the season or under high and turbid water.
Tail: White calf tail one and a half times as long as the hook gap.
Body: Flat silver Mylar, over which is one coating of clear lacker.
Rib: Fine oval gold tinsel.
Wing: Sparse bunch of yellow squirrel tail to the end of the body, over which is a sparse bunch of pine squirrel tail (larger sizes) or natural red squirrel tail (smaller sizes) to the barb of the hook, over which is a sparse bunch of black squirrel tail to the end of the hook bend.
Topping: Three peacock sword fibers, except for three peacock herls on sizes 2 or larger.
Cheek: Jungle cock the size of half the length of the body.
Head: Yellow 8/0 UNI covered with three coats of clear lacquer.
Comment: This fly was originally tied for walleye as a streamer. It also has proven effective trolling lakes for brookies and lakers. Redesigned for Atlantic salmon, it is now my best bright fly. When tied as a streamer it is very effective fishing for black salmon in the spring or very early in the season or under high and turbid water.
tying sequence
1- Attach the white 8/0 tying thread behind the hook loop and layer until the hanging thread lines up with the hook point. Cover the thread base with head cement and rewind thread to one eye length from the hook eye. That’s a solid base !
2- For the tail, select, stack and tie a small bunch, of white calf tail hair, the size of the hook wire diameter, as long as the hook shank plus a gap and a half. Wrap with tying thread from the front to the end of the tread base and back to the front.
3- For the ribs, cut a 3 in. length of fine oval gold tinsel and tie in at the head under the hook shank all the way to the hook point. Bring thread back to the front.
4- For the body, cut a 10 in. length of flat silver Mylar, trim one end at a very sharp angle. Tie the pointed tip at the middle of the hook loop with three turns of thread, flip the protruding tip of Mylar over the thread wraps and overwrap to secure the Mylar tie in. Begin wrapping the Mylar, edge to edge. Nearing the middle of the hook shank, apply some head cement on the area to be covered with Mylar and resume the wraps to the point of the hook. At that point begin wrapping the Mylar toward the hook eye. Stop one hook eye length from the eye. Tie in the tip and fold the end over for a wrap lock.
5- For the ribs, using hackle pliers wrap the fine oval gold tinsel 5 times and tie in the fifth wrap under the body. Cover the whole body with clear head cement to prevent tarnishing and to increase solidity.
6- Change the white thread to the yellow 8/0 thread.
2- For the tail, select, stack and tie a small bunch, of white calf tail hair, the size of the hook wire diameter, as long as the hook shank plus a gap and a half. Wrap with tying thread from the front to the end of the tread base and back to the front.
3- For the ribs, cut a 3 in. length of fine oval gold tinsel and tie in at the head under the hook shank all the way to the hook point. Bring thread back to the front.
4- For the body, cut a 10 in. length of flat silver Mylar, trim one end at a very sharp angle. Tie the pointed tip at the middle of the hook loop with three turns of thread, flip the protruding tip of Mylar over the thread wraps and overwrap to secure the Mylar tie in. Begin wrapping the Mylar, edge to edge. Nearing the middle of the hook shank, apply some head cement on the area to be covered with Mylar and resume the wraps to the point of the hook. At that point begin wrapping the Mylar toward the hook eye. Stop one hook eye length from the eye. Tie in the tip and fold the end over for a wrap lock.
5- For the ribs, using hackle pliers wrap the fine oval gold tinsel 5 times and tie in the fifth wrap under the body. Cover the whole body with clear head cement to prevent tarnishing and to increase solidity.
6- Change the white thread to the yellow 8/0 thread.
7- The wing is threefold. First select and cut a pinch of yellow dyed squirrel tail, remove fuzz and stack. For this part of the wing the tips will be in line with the end of the body. Pre-trim the hair and apply a dab of head cement on the hair at the tie in point. Use parallel wraps along with a few criss-cross wraps. Keep wraps at a minimum. The second layer of the wing is a pinch of pine squirrel that will have the tips line up with the barb of the hook. The third layer is a pinch of black squirrel that will have the tips line up with the bend of the hook. Every single layer is held in place with a minimum number of wraps.
8- For the topping, select and tie 3 peacock sword fibres slightly longer than the black squirrel of the wing for sizes 4 and smaller. For sizes 2 and larger or for streamers, use 5 peacock herls.
9- For the cheeks, select and groom 2 jungle cock eyes no longer than half the length of the body. Grooming jungle cock eyes consist in shearing most of the barbs up to the white base of the eye. Then covering with head cement on both sides and pulling slowly the eye between one’s forefinger and thumb. This will glue together partially split eyes. When dry, attach each eye on the side of the head with two wraps of thread, align them, and wrap some more and trim stems.
8- For the topping, select and tie 3 peacock sword fibres slightly longer than the black squirrel of the wing for sizes 4 and smaller. For sizes 2 and larger or for streamers, use 5 peacock herls.
9- For the cheeks, select and groom 2 jungle cock eyes no longer than half the length of the body. Grooming jungle cock eyes consist in shearing most of the barbs up to the white base of the eye. Then covering with head cement on both sides and pulling slowly the eye between one’s forefinger and thumb. This will glue together partially split eyes. When dry, attach each eye on the side of the head with two wraps of thread, align them, and wrap some more and trim stems.
10- Shape the head in a small cone. Whip finish and cover with 4 coats of clear head cement.
Histoire d’une Grenade!
Au début des années 1980, un ami me demanda une mouche pour la pêche du doré. N’ayant pas beaucoup pêché ce magnifique poisson je lui ai fait dire dans quelle région il prévoyait se servir de mouches pour pêcher le doré à la traîne en profondeur.
J’ai concocté un streamer avec du brillant, du blanc, du jaune, du brun, du noir et du vert foncé sur hameçon 79580 # 2 et 4.
Au retour de sa pêche, mon ami est venu me faire rapport. Ayant pêché avec une soie plongeante de type 4 près des tenues de doré en lac, il m’a alors décrit les nombreuses explosions du doré sur la mouche. C’est à ce moment que j’ai trouvé le nom de la mouche; une grenade!
La version streamer a été placée en présence d’ombles de fontaine, d’ombles de lac (Touladi) et d’achigans à petite bouche et le succès de pêche fût souvent aussi bon.
Étant saumonier depuis 1976, j’ai adapté le streamer Grenade en version saumon. Il a fallu essayer différentes combinaisons et de proportions des éléments de la mouche pour en arrivé à la Grenade/saumon connue aujourd’hui.
Étant saumonier depuis 1976, j’ai adapté le streamer Grenade en version saumon. Il a fallu essayer différentes combinaisons et de proportions des éléments de la mouche pour en arrivé à la Grenade/saumon connue aujourd’hui.
En 1986 j’ai soumis une Grenade au championnat, alors provincial de la FQSA, et cette mouche a gagné la médaille d’or dans la catégorie création en poils.
Ce qui la rend aussi efficace sur la rivière Bonaventure c’est qu’elle n’est pas vendue commercialement et lorsque je l’attache à mon avançon et que je la présente devant les tenues de saumons j’ai souvent le plaisir d’entrer en contact direct avec un beau saumon. Les grosseurs # 6 et 8 sont les plus efficaces en saison alors que les grosseurs # 2 et 4 le sont en tout début de saison alors que les saumons de dévalisons sont encore en rivière et que les saumons gras entament la montaison.
Sa parure est à la page 49 de «Flies for Atlantic Salmon» de Stewart et Allen et à la page 26 du «Compendium of Canadian Fly Patterns» de Jones et Marriner.
En 2002, j’ai demandé à mon ami Daniel Bolduc de Sherbrooke «maître-monteur de la FQSA» de me concevoir la version saumon à ailes de plumes mariées. Cette version n’est pas pêchée, elle est simplement magnifique et elle orne ma collection de belles mouches.
Au même moment, j’ai commencé à utiliser des mouches de type Spey connues et réputées. Cette idée m’est venue en relisant le livre de Denys Poirier «Mystère des Spey».
En 2002, j’ai demandé à mon ami Daniel Bolduc de Sherbrooke «maître-monteur de la FQSA» de me concevoir la version saumon à ailes de plumes mariées. Cette version n’est pas pêchée, elle est simplement magnifique et elle orne ma collection de belles mouches.
Au même moment, j’ai commencé à utiliser des mouches de type Spey connues et réputées. Cette idée m’est venue en relisant le livre de Denys Poirier «Mystère des Spey».
En utilisant ces mouches avec mes pêcheurs nous avons obtenus des résultats impressionnants. J’ai alors pensé d’adapter une Grenade en type Spey. J’y ai pensé longtemps, imaginant son allure et puis y faisant des modifications. Une fois sa parure décidée, j’ai encore une fois fait appel à Daniel Bolduc et de ses conseils et de son étau est apparut la Grenade Spey. À l’usage, celle-ci semble être plus efficace en grosseurs #1.5, 3 et 5 sur hameçon Alex Jackson. Elle a été à l’eau surtout dans la Bonaventure et son eau limpide et mes pêcheurs l’aiment beaucoup. Elle a été publiée dans «Saumons illimités» et «Pêche à la mouche-Destinations».
