Stayner Ducktail

The Stayner Ducktail was created in the early 1960s by Ruel Stayner, owner of a sporting-goods and fly shop in Twin Falls, Idaho. Originally designed to imitate yellow perch fry in Magic Reservoir, it became an effective streamer for trout, panfish, and landlocked salmon worldwide. Stayner reportedly intended to call it the “Stayner Duckwing” for its mallard-flank wing, but a newspaper mistakenly printed “Ducktail”—and the name stuck.

Curated by the IdentaFly fly fishing team.

After wetting the fly, pinch the mallard-flank wing briefly between your fingers. This collapses the fibers into a narrow baitfish profile that expands and pulses during pauses in the retrieve.