Doc Spratley

Without a doubt this is one of the most well know patterns to come out of the Pacific Northwest. Developed by Dick Prankard of Mt. Vernon Washington in about 1949 it was named after his close friend Dr. Donald A. Spratley. There are a few stories on how this fly got its name and here is one of them..........

One day Dick was tying the fly in his shop. Don Spratley came in to visit but did so quietly and walked up behind Dick. Don startled Dick and the tying thread broke. Dick said to his friend, “Damn you Doc Spratley, just for that I am going to name this fly after you.”

This is a great stillwater pattern wherever large caddis flies hatch, but interestingly enough in the earliest recorded history found in Roy Patrick’s Pacific Northwest Fly Patterns, 1953 edition the "Doc Spratley" was contained in the steelhead section.


Below I've included a step by step, it should be noted that I have substituted a mustad 3366 in a size 10 for the 9671.

Hook: Mustad 9671, 8-10
Tail: Grizzly
Body: Black wool
Rib: Silver tinsel
Hackle: Grizzly
Wing: Pheasant tail
Head: Peacock herl


Step 1: Tie in 8-10 fibers of grizzly hackle for tail and a strand of silver tinsel.


Step 2: Tie in or wrap forward a body with wool, wrap forward the tinsel creating even body segments and tie off.


Step 3: Tie in 8-10 grizzly hackle fibers for legs.


Step 4: Tie in small clump of pheasant tail for the wings.


Step 5: Tie in two strand of peacock herl, wrap forward tie off and whip finish.