The Hayden Shad Fly

This shad fly is part of The Pfeiffer Collection.

The Hayden Shad Fly is an excellent choice for the St. Johns River and while the original calls for red yarn and a yellow hackle, I tie it with a white hackle with pink yarn, white hackle with orange yarn, orange hackle with white yarn, or pink hackle with white yarn. These colors are great producers but mix colors up and see what works best for you!

Here’s a breakdown of how to tie the Hayden Shad Fly, a classic pattern for targeting shad:

The Hayden Shad Fly Materials:

Hook: 6, 2x long
Thread: White (or match the wing)
Body: Medium Silver Oval Tinsel
Wing: Short hank of florescent yarn
Hackle: Sparse Saddle Hackle
Eyes: Brass or Lead Hourglass (or use bead chain for a lighter presentation)

Instructions:

1. Tie in the Tail:
   • Start by attaching your thread to the hook shank near the bend.
   • Tie in a small clump of marabou for the tail.
2. Add the Body:
   • Take your silver tinsel and wrap it forward, covering the hook shank up to the eye. Leave a small gap for the eyes.
3. Attach the Wing:
   • Take a short hank of fluorescent yarn and tie it in just behind the eyes.
   • Fold the yarn forward and wrap it around the hook shank a few times to secure it.
4. Add the Hackle:
   • Strip a sparse saddle hackle and tie it in just behind the eyes.
   • Wrap the hackle forward, covering the hook shank and the wing.
   • Tie off the hackle and trim any excess.
5. Tie in the Eyes:
   • Position the large eyes in front of the tinsel wrap, leaving a small gap between the eyes and the hook eye.
   • Tie them in securely.
6. Wrap the Head:
   • Continue wrapping the thread over the eyes and up the hook shank to form the head.
7. Finish the Head:
   • Wrap the thread tightly around the hook shank to form a neat head.
   • Whip-finish and clip the thread.

Tips:

• Experiment with different colors of marabou, yarn, and hackle to find what works best in your local waters.
• The Hayden Shad Fly is a versatile pattern that can be adapted to target a variety of fish species.
• Practice tying this fly a few times to get the hang of it.
• Watch the video tutorial to see the process in action.