The Funky Chicken is inspired by Solitude Fly Company's Burnt Chicken pattern, a great larger profile winter steelhead fly that shows up well in off color water and triggers a reaction from lethargic fish in icy winter flows. The combination of marabou supported by a flashy synthetic prop and long hackle tip wings moves incredibly well in soft flows and has an unmistakably life-like presence in the water. Though it incorporates a wide variety of materials for its overall effect, the Funky Chicken is a pretty straightforward fly to tie and can be morphed into whatever color scheme suits your fancy for the waters you fish.
Funky Chicken Recipe:
Thread: Black 140 Denier Ultra Thread
Shank: 45mm OPST Intruder Shank
Trailing Hook: #3 OPST Swing Hook
Trailing Hook Connection: Blue Senyo's Intruder Wire
Rear Dubbing Ball: Chartreuse Ice Dub, Chartreuse Baitfish Emulator Flash, Blue Barred Predator Wrap
Rear Hackle: Black Speyquill Marabou
Body: Silver Mylar Tinsel
Front Dubbing Ball: Kingfisher Blue Ice Dub, Electric Blue Flashabou, Purple Ice Wing Fiber
Front Hackle: Black Speyquill Marabou
Wing: Blue Dyed Grizzly Hackle Tips
Collar: Kingfisher Blue Jumbo Guinea
The Confluence Beer Pairing: If you like dark winter beers like we do during the dark days of a gloomy Northwest February, you'd better try Kulshan Brewing's Oak Aged Special Reserve Kitten Mittens, aged in bourbon barrels from Oregon's Stein Distillery. You can get it on tap at K2 and possibly still track down a bottle or two. Better move fast as it's not likely to last long and is sinfully good. Tying the Funky Chicken isn't quite the same without it.