Description
Unleash the Neon Glow: Top 6 Fly Patterns with Ewing Hackle Green Chartreuse Scott Biron Signature Series – Because Trout Can’t Resist a Glow-Up
Listen up, fly anglers – if your fly box looks like a sad salad (all greens, no punch), it’s time to crank up the chartreuse. We’re talking Ewing Hackle Green Chartreuse Scott Biron Signature Series, the feather equivalent of a highlighter pen dipped in smelt juice. Named after the fly-tying wizard Scott Biron – who probably whispers sweet nothings to chickens to get these feathers just right – this series is bred for Rangeley-style streamers that make baitfish jealous. These aren’t your grandma’s dry flies; they’re vibrant, webbed wonders with stems stiff enough to troll deep but soft enough to dance like they’re at a fish disco.
Why green chartreuse? Because in the murky depths where landlocked salmon and brookies plot world domination, this electric hue screams “Eat me, I’m the glowy baitfish of your dreams!” Perfect for imitating smelt runs or just confusing fish into striking out of sheer spite. If you’re Googling “best chartreuse hackle for streamers” or “Scott Biron fly patterns,” congrats – you’ve landed in the right pond.
In this no-BS guide, we’ll hit the top six fly patterns turbocharged with Ewing’s Green Chartreuse hackle. I’ll spill the tying recipes (no vise? No problem – channel your inner Carrie Stevens), and drop sarcastic tips on how to fling these bad boys at fish without looking like you’re wrestling a garden hose. Buckle up; your next trophy trout is about to get neon-lit.
1. Chartreuse Grey Ghost – The Classic With a Party Foul Upgrade
Ah, the Grey Ghost, Carrie Stevens’ 1930s brainchild that haunted Maine lakes like a polite poltergeist. Swap in Ewing’s Green Chartreuse for the shoulder hackle, and suddenly it’s the Chartreuse Grey Ghost – because who needs subtlety when you can blindside salmon with glow?
Tying Recipe (Size 6-8 Hook – Partridge CS15 or Equivalent):
- Thread: Black 6/0 Semperfli Classic Thread (build a tidy base, not a bird’s nest).
- Body: Silver tinsel (wrap it flat; we’re not building a disco ball).
- Rib: Gold wire (for that armored smelt vibe – 8-10 turns).
- Belly: White bucktail (sparse, past the bend; don’t go full yeti).
- Wing: Grey hackle (Ewing standard series) over 4-6 peacock herls (bronze, not blue – keep it classy).
- Shoulder: Ewing Hackle Green Chartreuse Scott Biron Signature Series (2-3 feathers, swept back like a bad ’80s haircut).
- Cheek: Jungle cock nail (or substitute with orange floss if you’re plebeian).
- Head: Black ostrich herl, whipped and lacquered (UV resin for modernists).
Tie it featherwing-style: Stack the wing first, then shoulder it up. Takes 10 minutes if your fingers aren’t sausage links.
How to Fly Fish It:
Strip it slow in shallow bays at dawn – like you’re teasing a picky eater with veggies disguised as candy. Fish ignore the grey subtlety until the chartreuse flashes like a guilty conscience. Pro tip: If a brookie snubs it, blame the fish, not your cast. Dead-drift under indicators for lakers, or swing it across currents for that heart-stopping yank. Catch rate? Sky-high, unless you’re fishing with wet socks.
Who the Hell Was Carrie Stevens? (Spoiler: The Badass Grandma Fly Fishing Needed)
It’s 1882, Maine’s basically a frozen armpit of America, and out pops Carrie Gertrude Wills – a self-taught fly-tying renegade who never left her home state but conquered the world’s streams like a boss in sensible shoes. Born in Vienna (yes, like the sausage, but with more grit and zero waltzes), she married Wallace Stevens in 1905, ditched the milliner life for fly-tying in 1924 after a buddy slipped her an English streamer pattern, and boom – on July 1st, she ties her first “Rangeley Favorite,” chucks it into Upper Dam Pool, and hauls in a 6-pound brook trout that probably whispered “uncle” before the net hit water. Talk about beginner’s luck? Nah, that’s Carrie being Carrie – secretive as a CIA black site (no one watched her tie until 1954, for crying out loud), entrepreneurial as a lemonade stand on steroids, and psychic enough to know what fish wanted before they did.
By the ’30s, her Grey Ghost – a smelt-mimicking masterpiece – was trolling (literally) from Alaska to Patagonia, snagging presidents like Herbert Hoover and authors like Zane Grey, because apparently even elites can’t resist a fly that screams “bite me, I’m fabulous.” She cranked out over 100 patterns, sold thousands, peaked post-WWII, then health said “screw you” and she retired in ’63. Died in 1970? Maine’s governor slapped her name on a whole damn day – August 15th is “Carrie Gertrude Stevens Day,” because why not immortalize the woman who made streamers sexier than a wet T-shirt contest? Moral? If Carrie’s gluing feathers like a milliner on a mission could revolutionize fly fishing, your sausage-fingered attempts might just hook a trophy. Or at least not scare the minnows.
Now, back to the neon nightmare: Why green chartreuse? In the trout’s murky therapy session of a world, this electric puke-green yells “I’m the baitfish that partied too hard!” – perfect for Rangeley-style streamers that owe their DNA to Carrie’s ghost. SEO bait? If you’re searching “Carrie Stevens streamers with chartreuse hackle” or “Scott Biron glow flies,” congrats, fish whisperer – you’ve slimed into the right slime-green swamp.
In this overdosed appendage on fly fishing and fly tying, we’ll dissect the top six fly patterns supercharged with Ewing’s chartreuse crack. I’ll hack apart the tying recipes (Carrie-style secrets included, you peeping Tom), drop modern UV resin wizardry to make your heads shine like a guilty conscience, and serve fishing tips laced with enough snark to make a snookered salmon spit hooks. Pro tip: If your casts look like you’re swatting invisible bees, blame the wind – or Carrie, for setting the bar too high. Let’s tie knots and take names.
2. Biron’s Chartreuse Warden – Scott’s Own “Oops, That’s Illegal” Special
Scott Biron cooked up the New Hampshire Warden to honor game wardens (or mock them – who knows?). Dye the wing and shoulder with Ewing’s Green Chartreuse, and it’s a warden with a warrant for your tackle box. Ideal for when trout are warden-ing your skunk streak.
Tying Recipe (Size 4-6 Hook – Mustad 3366):
- Thread: Brown 8/0 (bed it down; no sloppy starts).
- Tag/Tail: Golden pheasant tippet (short, 1/4 shank – for that official “citation” look).
- Body: Red floss (wrapped even; think fire truck, not ketchup squirt).
- Rib: Silver tinsel (counterwrap for durability – wardens check for cheaters).
- Hackle: Brown saddle (palmered softly; one turn, because restraint is key).
- Wing:Ewing Hackle Green Chartreuse Scott Biron Signature Series (4 feathers, medium length for taper).
- Shoulder: More of the same chartreuse hackle (2 feathers, flared just enough to say “busted!”).
- Head: Black thread, peacock herl crown (whip finish like you’re hiding evidence).
Pro tie: Use Biron’s tandem method if you’re feeling fancy – double the hooks, double the drama.
How to Fly Fish It: Troll it deep off a sinking line in warden-patrolled lakes – strip-jerk like you’re fleeing the law. The chartreuse pops in tannic water, turning “no fish” days into “write me up” hauls. Swing it in riffles for browns acting above their pay grade. If it doesn’t work? Clearly, the fish are unionized and on strike.
3. Green Rock Roller – The Streamer That Rolls Like a Stoned Boulder
Named for how it tumbles in currents (or maybe because it gets you high on adrenaline), this bad boy uses chartreuse hackle to mimic a rolling smelt. Ewing’s series gives it that perfect webbing – not too bushy, not too bald.
Tying Recipe (Size 8-10 Hook – Daiichi Alec 2451):
- Thread: Semperfli Classic Olive 6/0 (base layer, folks – glue it with head cement).
- Body: Pearl mylar tubing (slide it on, flare the ends; shiny like regret).
- Underwing: White bucktail (stacked slim – no fluff overload).
- Wing: 4-5 strands of pearl flashabou (for disco fever).
- Over Wing: Ewing Hackle Green Chartreuse Scott Biron Signature Series (3-4 feathers, tied flat for roll).
- Hackle: Grizzly dyed chartreuse (palmer front only; 3 turns max).
- Head: Black chenille, trimmed conical (or just thread – lazy tyer’s choice).
Easy peasy: Thread the tube first, build the wing assembly on a bodkin if you’re extra.
How to Fly Fish It: Chuck it into pocket water and let the current do the heavy lifting – mend like your life’s a bad divorce. The chartreuse “rolls” green fire in foam, fooling rainbows into thinking it’s happy hour. Strip retrieve for aggression; dead-drift for stealth. Failsafe? Pair with coffee – because nothing rolls better than a caffeinated angler.
4. Chartreuse Deceiver – The Saltwater Sneak with Freshwater Attitude
Deceivers are for stripers, but hackle ’em with Ewing’s Green Chartreuse and they’ve got that Biron baitfish swagger for trout too. Long, lean, and mean – like a supermodel on a hunger strike.
Tying Recipe (Size 2-4 Hook – Gamakatsu SC15):
- Thread: White 3/0 Danville (heavy duty; this one’s a bruiser).
- Eyes: Medium dumbbell (lead or tungsten – get down, clown).
- Tail: EP fibers in chartreuse/white mix (3 inches, splayed).
- Body: White bucktail (looped and stacked; build taper).
- Wing:Ewing Hackle Green Chartreuse Scott Biron Signature Series (saddle patch feathers, 4-6 inches long, swept back).
- Flash: Lateral scale (2 sides, pearl – for shimmer without shame).
- Head: Epoxy-coated thread (clear coat for that pro gloss).
Biron’s deceiver patch shines here – feathers average 4-6 inches, perfect for big swings.
How to Fly Fish It: Blast it on a 7-weight with a Clouser retrieve – short strips, long pauses, like flirting at a bar. In freshwater, swing across pools for smallies eyeing your lunch. The chartreuse deceives like a fake ID; fish hit hard, then regret it. Miss a strike? Blame the wind, not your knot-tying skills.
Enter Scott Biron: The Modern Maestro Keeping Carrie’s Ghost From Facepalming (Bio of the Biron)
Fast-forward to the guy whose name’s on your glow-hackle: Scott Biron, Boston University alum and fly-tying time capsule from New London, New Hampshire – where he learned to tie and cast in the 1960s, probably while dodging moose on streams north of Route 26 with his granddad. This secretive-art sentinel snagged a New Hampshire Traditional Arts Apprenticeship grant in 2017 to preserve tying like it’s the last woolly mammoth, because tyers hoarding patterns to the grave? Biron’s like, “Nah, let’s demo that shit.” He’s NH Fish & Game’s go-to instructor, a show-circuit rockstar dropping demos on Ray Salminen’s glories and Carrie classics, and the brain behind the Ewing Signature Series – feathers bred for streamers that move like they’re late for a fish orgy.
Biron doesn’t just tie; he evangelizes – YouTubing streamer secrets with the American Museum of Fly Fishing, because why let the ancient art die when you can hackle it into the TikTok era? Sarcasm alert: While you’re botching bucktails, Biron’s out there making hackle that forgives your sins… or at least hides the evidence.
Now, resin rant time – because gluing like Carrie (prayers optional) is so 1924, and your flies deserve better than epoxy that cures slower than your ex’s apology.
5. Biron’s Purple Smelt – Chartreuse Twist on Ora Smith’s Legend
Ora Smith’s Purple Smelt ruled Sunapee Lake; Biron nods with a chartreuse shoulder for when purple feels too emo. Ewing hackle turns it into a smelt supernova.
Tying Recipe (Size 6 Hook – Partridge CS10):
- Thread: Purple 6/0 (vibrant base – no pastels).
- Body: Purple wool yarn (dubbed fuzzy; smelt skin, not sweater scrap).
- Rib: Fine gold wire (spiral up – for grip).
- Belly: White angel hair (sparse underbelly).
- Wing: Purple hackle (Ewing standard).
- Shoulder: Ewing Hackle Green Chartreuse Scott Biron Signature Series (2 feathers, golden-dyed vibe).
- Head: Black ostrich slips (built bulky for profile).
Tie the shoulder last – it’s the surprise party popper.
How to Fly Fish It: Sink-tip it over drop-offs at dusk; slow troll like you’re late for therapy. Chartreuse flashes purple envy, hooking lakers that ghosted lesser flies. Strip-set on the take – or watch your prize smelt away. Epic? Yes. Effortless? In your dreams, rookie.
6. Ray’s Chartreuse Glory – Salminen’s Gray Glory, Biron-ified (Glory Hog’s Glow-Down)
Salminen’s Gray Glory gets Ewing chartreuse wing – glory without glow? That’s participation-trophy trash. Tandem for hog heaven.
Tying Recipe (Size 4 Tandem – G3A/L Hooks – UV’d for Glorious Gloat):
- Thread: Grey 6/0 (neutral – boring’s the point).
- Body: Silver tinsel (flat-shiny underbelly).
- Belly: White bucktail (bend-length – no excess).
- Wing: 4 bronze peacock herls topped Ewing Hackle Green Chartreuse Scott Biron Signature Series (4 saddles).
- Shoulder: Lemon woodduck (tandem tease).
- Cheek: Jungle cock.
- Head: Black thread, 60lb tandem wire, UV resin cap (Gulff Fatman – thick for trophy toughness).
Herls first, hackles over – Biron’s demo demands it.
How to Fly Fish It:
Dead-drift tandems in moosehead inlets; chartreuse-herl orgy mimics smelt scandals. Swing for net-glory. Wise fish? Dropper it – shared glory’s doubled… or just double-snagged hell.
Modern Tie-Twist: UV Resin Brand Throwdown – Because Gooey Messes Are for Amateurs
UV resin: The lazy tyer’s Excalibur – zaps solid under a torch faster than you can say “tack-free miracle,” turning heads into armor and thoraxes into tanks without the saggy drama. But which brand won’t leave you cursing like a snagged smallie? We pitted the big dogs – Loon, Solarez, Gulff, and Semperfli – in a no-holds-barred cage match. Spoiler: They’re all better than your old head cement, but some shine brighter than your ego after a skunked dawn.
| Brand | Viscosity Options | Cure Speed & Tack | Durability/Flex | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loon UV Fly Finish | Thin, Thick, Flow (super runny for micro-details) | 10-30 secs; can bubble/crack if your light’s a wimp, leaves greasy sheen | Solid on big stuff, flexy Flow beats most for nymph shells – but smells like regret | Versatile as your “one rod fits all” lie; great starter, but upgrade if bubbles burst your bubble. | |
| Solarez Bone Dry | Thin Hard, Flex, Medium, Thick – plus colors that pop like bad decisions | Blazing 5-15 secs, tack-free god (no gummy bullshit); penetrates like a pro | Bulletproof durability, minimal flex on Thin – laughs at teeth; first-to-market OG | The “never need another” champ – tack-free tackler that makes Loon look loony; your new BFF unless you’re color-phobic. | |
| Gulff UV Resin | Thinman, Fatman, colored wildcards (black, green – for artsy fartsy wing cases) | 10-20 secs; even cure, no drama – fluorescent hues glow harder than chartreuse envy | Tough as a toothy pike bite, flex on point for streamers; creative colors win for weirdos | Euro-nympher’s fever dream – pricey but pretty; pick for pigment punch, skip if you’re a cheapskate. | |
| Semperfli UV+ | Ultra Thin, Thin, Thick – brush-in-ease for no-drip divas | Snappy 5-10 secs, tack-free aficionado; minimal bubbles if you don’t cheap on the torch | Rock-hard hold with sneaky flex; UK-bred beast for perdigons that perdure | The underdog upgrade – cures quicker than your coffee kicks in, flexier than Solarez on a good day; essential if you’re tying like Biron (precision, not panic). |
That’s a Wrap for now.
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