The Lefty’s Deceiver is a streamer pattern designed to imitate freshwater and saltwater bait fish species. The fly was originally designed in the 50’s by Lefty Kreh who designed it to target stripped bass in the Chesapeake Bay. [1]
It was created to solve a common problem with saltwater streamer patterns. Commonly at the time, saddle hackle feathers were tied at the head and would frequently foul around the bend of the hook during casting rendering the fly ineffective at fooling fish. This common problem was resolved by instead tying the feathers as a tail. [1]
The first Deceivers were pretty simple. They were just a wing of four to eight saddles tied at the back and a simple bucktail or calf tail collar at the front. The fly was all white – and is still one of the best colors. It may have been two or three years before I added the other colors” [2]
The Deceiver is a type of fly design, and not a specific pattern. It can be two inches or 14 inches long. It can be any combination of colors to suit the fly fisherman…Few saltwater fish will ignore properly presented Deceivers and I know highly experienced anglers who only use a white Deceiver” [2]
The Deceiver has since been used to imitate baitfish in just about every freshwater and saltwater environment around the world. It has caught just about any piscavore gamefish.
The Deceiver is a relatively easy tie using techniques that originate from classic bucktail fly patterns. It consists of 4-8 saddle hackle or 2-4 schlappen feather tied as a tail at the bend of the hook. The body is formed by two clumps of bucktail tied one on top and one of the bottom of the shank to form a collar near the hook eye. A few strands of flash to represent the lateral line and 3D holographic eyes finishes off the fly. [3]
Recipe
Hook: Gamakatsu SL 12S #2/0
Thread: White
Tail: 4-8 white saddle hackle or 2-4 while schlappen feathers
Body: Pearl Diamond Braid
Collar: Clump of white bucktail on bottom, clump of white or chartreuse bucktail on top.
Topping: 4-5 strands of peacock herl [optional with coloured bucktail wing]
Eyes: 5-6mm 3D eyes
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lefty%27s_Deceiver
[2] https://www.cforbesinc.com/2018/03/23/a-tribute-to-lefty-kreh/
[3] A Comprehensive Guide to the Bucktail Deceiver, by Michael Lunde, Fish Alaska Magazine, April 2017.