Description
Electric Jackson Purple Spade Fly, Steelhead Pattern or Trout, Use Your Imagination
Meet Alec Jackson: The Seattle Fly-Tying Rebel Who Hooked Steelhead on a Wing and a Prayer (and Invented Hooks That Won’t Straighten on a Tantrum
Hello there, you intrepid soul scrolling through the endless abyss of fly-fishing bios, probably nursing a lukewarm coffee and dreaming of chrome-bright steelhead that aren’t just figments of your overactive imagination. Let’s cut the crap: if you’re here, you’re either a die-hard two-hander swinger or a weekend warrior who’s still untangling leaders from last season’s glory days. Either way, buckle up, because we’re diving headfirst into the gloriously grumpy world of Alec Jackson – the Seattle steelhead whisperer who didn’t just tie flies; he reinvented the damn hook game, dreamed up patterns that make fish question their life choices, and basically flipped the bird to every gaudy, tinsel-slathered fly that came before him. Yeah, that Alec Jackson. The guy whose name is etched on hooks sharper than your ex’s wit. And today, we’re spilling the beans on his original Purple Spade Steelhead Fly – how he tied the sneaky bastard back in the day, and how you, yes you, can chuck it into the drink without looking like a total rookie. Because nothing says “I’m a serious angler” like outsmarting a fish that’s smarter than half the politicians in Olympia.
Picture this: It’s the misty, coffee-fueled haze of mid-20th-century Seattle, where the Space Needle was still a pipe dream and steelhead runs were thicker than the fog rolling off Puget Sound. Enter Alec Jackson, a Yorkshire transplant with a mustache that could bench-press a salmon and an accent thicker than the chenille on his flies. Born across the pond in the land of flat caps and even flatter beer, Alec washed up on Washington’s shores like a gift from the angling gods – or maybe just a homesick Brit chasing fish that fight back. He didn’t come to play nice; he came to revolutionize. Mentored by legends like Syd Glasso (the fly-tying poet laureate) and Wes Drain (who probably invented half the swear words we use when snagging trees), Alec wasn’t content with the status quo. Back then, steelhead flies were all flash and trash – screaming reds and oranges designed for muddy rivers where visibility was about as clear as your buddy’s excuses for bailing on the trip. “Bollocks to that,” Alec must’ve grumbled, rolling up his sleeves in some damp Seattle basement workshop that smelled like wet wool and regret. He wanted flies that whispered seduction, not shouted like a drunk uncle at a wedding. And from that grumpy epiphany sprang the Spade family of flies – low-profile, buoyant tricksters born for skinny water and spooky summer steelies who laugh at your average intruder bug. Or the Electric Spade at the in-between moments of High to Low water or off color our time test approach to the matter.
Who Was Alec Jackson, Really?
Born in the UK, raised on salmon rivers, Alec landed in Seattle like a gift from the angling gods—grumpy, mustachioed, and allergic to flashy nonsense. Mentored by Syd Glasso and Wes Drain, he rejected the gaudy tinsel bombs of the era. Instead, he designed hooks (hello, Alec Jackson Spey and Steelhead Irons) that became the gold standard from the Skagit to the Dean. He tied clean, buoyant, deadly flies. And yes, he invented the Purple Spade—Bob Arnold’s Spade pattern, but purple, meaner, and way more sarcastic.
The Purple Spade: Why It Works
Low water. Spooky fish. Zero flash. That’s the Purple Spade’s playground. Deer hair tail keeps it skating. Purple ostrich body pulses like a wounded bug. Grizzly hackle breathes life into every swing. It’s not loud. It’s effective. Summer steelhead see pink intruders all day—this fly whispers, “I’m different.” And they bite.
Hook & Tools (Don’t Skimp)
- Hook: Alec Jackson Steelhead Iron #3 or #5
- Thread: 6/0 black Danville
- Vise: Any that doesn’t wobble
- Scissors: Sharp enough to cut regret
Tying the Original Purple Spade (Concise, No Fluff, Though I Believe in Fluff)
1. Tail (Buoyancy Engine)
- Deer body hair (thumb-thick clump)
- Tie in at bend, flare out 1” past hook
- Trim square or flare with fingers
2. Tag (Silver Anchor)
- Flat silver tinsel (oval preferred)
- 2 tight turns at tail base
- Lock with thread
3. Body Core
- Wrap silver tinsel forward to mid-shank
4. Rear Body (Peacock Magic)
- 5–6 peacock herls
- Twist around tinsel, wrap to mid-shank
- Taper thin
5. Front Body (Purple Pulse)
- Purple ostrich herl (1–2 plumes)
- Twist + wrap over tinsel to eye
- Keep soft and segmented
6. Collar (Wiggle Factor)
- Grizzly hen saddle (webby)
- Tie in by tip, 2 sparse turns
- Sweep fibers back
7. Head & Finish
- Whip finish black thread
- Head cement (don’t drown it)
- Trim tail flush if needed
Total time: 8–12 minutes once you stop cursing.
Electric Jackson Purple Spade Tying Recipe:
Bonus: Pro Hacks (Alec Would Approve)
- Skate it: Grease leader butt, fish riffles at dusk.
- Dredge it: Add split shot 18″ above in high winter flows.
- Size swap: #7 for hatchery brats, #1.5 for native giants.
Legacy in One Sentence
Alec Jackson gave us hooks that don’t bend, flies that don’t lie, and a purple middle finger to every over-dressed intruder in the box.
Tie it. Swing it. Land monsters. (Now go fish, @Saltwateronfly—you’ve got no more excuses.)
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