Wet FlyintermediatePacific Northwest
Marabou Spey
$7.95
Available Sizes#2 - #6
Color Variations
Purple/BlackBlue/BlackOrange/BlackOlive/Black
Traditional spey flies require feathers from birds that are either endangered, expensive, or both. The Marabou Spey solves this problem by substituting marabou -- the most expressive feather in fly tying -- for the exotic plumage that made classic spey flies both beautiful and impractical. The result is a fly that moves in the current like it has a pulse, costs a fraction of the original, and catches steelhead with the same reliability as patterns tied with feathers harvested under a full moon from a bird that no longer exists. Progress, when it happens in fly tying, looks exactly like this.
Quick Facts
TypeWet Fly
Difficultyintermediate
SeasonsFall, Winter, Spring
Target SpeciesSteelhead, Sea-Run Cutthroat
Sizes#2 - #6
Best LocationsNorth Umpqua River, OR; Deschutes River, OR; Klickitat River, WA
Where to Fish It
North Umpqua River
OR · Freestone River
Deschutes River
OR · Freestone River
Klickitat River
WA · Freestone River
Map unavailable. Locations for Marabou Spey: North Umpqua River, OR; Deschutes River, OR; Klickitat River, WA
Related Reading
region guide
Pacific Northwest Steelhead: The Complete Guide
Steelhead are the fish of a thousand casts. In the Pacific Northwest's rainforest rivers, anglers swing intricately tied flies through emerald runs for the chance at one explosive take from a chrome-bright sea-run rainbow. This is the complete guide to the pursuit.
seasonal playbook
The Spring Playbook: First Hatches to Full Send
Spring is the most dynamic season in fly fishing — water temperatures swing daily, hatches emerge in waves, and fish that have been dormant for months begin feeding with increasing urgency. This is your region-by-region playbook for fishing the awakening.
species science
Chrome and Current: The Science of Steelhead
Steelhead are rainbow trout that went to sea and came back transformed — chrome-bright, ocean-strong, and wired with a grab reflex that makes them eat flies they have no biological reason to eat. Understanding the science behind the chrome changes how you fish for them.
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