The Tung In Cheek (TIC) Herring came about through a desire to create a nose heavy, erratically swimming herring imitation using saltwater-safe components that would not corrode and would lend themselves to a full-profiled but easy to cast fly. The TIC Herring can be tied in any variety of sizes to match the predominant bait size, but most of mine are 3.5-5" in length. The use of the tungsten bead not only adds just the right amount of weight to create a nice jigging action in the fly, but also splays out the collar and wing to maintain a robust herring profile that is really translucent.
I'll fish the TIC herring from a boat or off the beach, mainly using an intermediate line like Rio's Coastal Quickshooter or Outbound series. My retrieve is either an interspersed fast, slow, short, long hurky-jerky strip or when they seem to want a very fast moving fly, I'll tuck the rod under my armpit and strip really quickly using both hands. Whatever your poison, be sure to retrieve the TIC all the way to your feet as coho in particular will often chase it right to the beach before taking.
Tung In Cheek (TIC) Herring Recipe:
Hook: Gamakatsu SC-15 #1/0
Thread: Uni Mono Thread
Bead: 3/16" Silver Tungsten
Tail: Polar Bear Super Hair
Tail Flash: Pearl Krystal Flash and GITD Flashabou
Body: Holographic Silver Diamond Braid
Throat and Cheeks: Polar Bear Super Hair
Wing: Bleeding Gray Farrar Blend, Olive Krystal Flash, Bleeding Mackeral Farrar Blend, Electric Purple Angel Hair, Herring Back Farrar Blend and Midnight Blitz Farrar Blend
Eyes: 3/16" Super Pearl 3D Dome Eyes
Finish: Thick and Thin Loon UV Resin
The Confluence Beer Pairing: Swing down to Kulshan Brewing and pick yourself up a growler of Kulshan's limited Raspberry Lager. This American pale lager is mildly fruity, light and refreshing and goes down easy during a warm summer tying session while you prepare for your next beach salmon outing. Act soon, because this one won't likely stick around for too long.