the Tailout May 2020 tailout_may2020finalx | Page 24

would catch on a steelhead’s teeth
giving the angler an extra second to
set the hook. I suspect over time that
concept evolved into tying balls of
yarns onto a steelhead hook where
anglers shaped them into balls.
It is a simple concept that has
accounted for countless numbers of
hooked steelhead. And while the
concept is simple, being anglers we
have a tendency to take something
so simple and make it very confusing
and convoluted. My goal with this
article is to help demystify some of
confusion when it comes to creating
a Yarnie, at the same time help you
learn to tie an effective yarn ball. I
have included two tying processes,
one using stretch thread and another
using an overhand knot.
Materials needed.
Pull the loop back
through snell.
Choose the Right Yarn: Before you go
raiding grandma’s knitting basket
there are few things that you should
know about yarn. The first being
what materials it is made of. A tight
woven cotton or wool yarn will
not make a good fishing lure. The
yarn that you find in craft stores for
crocheting and knitting is made to be
durable as it is used for clothing and
other items. Synthetic yarns are made
specifically for making the Yarnie or
for fishing. Using natural fibers such
as cotton means that it had to be dyed
to the color it is and those dyes can
washout, fade, or even yet, give off
smells that repel the fish. One other
downfall for natural fibers is that they
will soak up water and eventually
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SALMON
& STEELHEAD JOURNAL
THE TAILOUT
drag and sink in water.
Synthetic yarn made for fishing
is often made of polyester or some
other form of plastic. The color is
part of the plastic itself so it will not
fade or give off an odor. Fuzzy yarn
such as those that are often used to
tie “Glo Bugs” is a great material to
make Yarnies out of. Not only does it
have a high loft but it comes in vari-
ous fish catching colors. Other yarns,
like those used for tying flies are best
used as a color contrast when you
want to tie in things like an eyed egg
or a bright attractor. Synthetic fibers
don’t soak up water but actually repel
it and this helps give it buoyancy and
a good profile so it “floats” in water
like a natural bait does. Also, con-
sider using ultra violet yarn. The UV
Cut yarn for yarnie.
yarns now available allow a steelhead
to see it easier in the water column.
Use of Scents: When adding scent
to a Yarnie keep in mind that most
oils will wash out quickly as the tiny
fibers that make up the yarn are slick
and made of plastic. Oil will not
adhere to it very well so make sure to
reapply often. The gels and sauces on
the market do stick very well with the
materials and you can fish for a long
time without worry about the scent
being washed out. A water-soluble
scent washes out quickly so it is not a
good idea to use this type of product.
Of course, one idea behind using
the Yarnie is to be able to fish a bait
imitation in an area where bait is not
allowed and no scent should be used
when fishing these waters.
Color Choice: When it comes to
colors there are a few different ways
to think about Yarnies. The first
being the bait imitation. To save on
eggs, sand shrimp, prawns or other
baits, the Yarnie makes for a great
alternative in waters where you can’t
use bait or if you are low on bait and
want to extend it a bit. After the fall
spawning of salmon has occurred
winter steelhead show up, along with
resident rainbow trout, sea run cut-
throat, and the various char. Making
a subdued pink Yarnie with a stark
contrast of a red eye you can mimic
a piece of skein that is free floating
down the river. Peach and yellows are
used to resemble a piece of shrimp or
prawn or even a piece of salmon flesh
Use magic thread to secure yarn onto leader.
like a “flesh fly” that fly anglers use.
You can add bait to your Yarnie and
the scent will hold longer. Oftentimes
when I fish with bait and a Yarnie I
will use half the amount of bait and
press it into the Yarnie after adding
it to the hook. This allows the yarn
to soak up the scents and also the
crushed bait releases scent into the
water. If you fish sand shrimp and
like to remove the heads, my advice is
to save them and fish the heads with
a peach-colored Yarnie doubling your
bait supply. Want to fish a small clus-
ter of salmon eggs for steelhead but
you’re out of bait? Then use a Yarnie
in a light pink and red, along with a
single synthetic rubber egg and some
salmon egg bait gel. It will stay on the