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Technical reviewed side profile illustration of Green Butt Skunk showing fluorescent green butt, dark ribbed body, black hackle collar, sparse pale hairwingIllustrated reference

Wet Fly · guide 106

Green Butt Skunk

A classic steelhead hairwing built around a fluorescent-green butt, dark body, silver rib, dark hackle, and pale wing.

Common size
No universal size; match the target species, legal hook rules, tackle, and local forage
Common colors
chartreuse, black, silver, and white
Imitates
classic steelhead attractor
How to recognize it

The green butt is the defining high-visibility section ahead of the tail; the reviewed form pairs it with a black body, silver rib, black collar, and sparse white hairwing. Red-butt and purple-hackle variations remain labeled.

Technical reviewed side profile illustration of Green Butt Skunk showing fluorescent green butt, dark ribbed body, black hackle collar, sparse pale hairwing
Illustrated reference

Green Butt Skunk reviewed side profile

A schematic profile emphasizing fluorescent green butt and dark ribbed body.

View
reviewed side profile
Color shown
chartreuse butt, black body, silver rib, black collar, and white wing
Look for
fluorescent green butt; dark ribbed body; black hackle collar; sparse pale hairwing
Open full-size image ↗

On the water

Know when and how to fish it.

Use these tips as a starting point. The river, depth, insects, and fish behavior still decide the final presentation.

01

When to use it

  • Where the target species, water speed, depth, and season support the exact pattern.
  • Use the linked river report as a planning lead, then verify current regulations and local conditions before choosing the fly.
02

How to fish it

  • Choose line density and weight for the target depth, then preserve the silhouette and movement the pattern was designed to show.
  • Change depth, angle, speed, or pause length before assuming color alone is the problem.
03

Mistakes to avoid

  • Treating every similarly colored fly as Green Butt Skunk.
  • Using a report label as permission to fish through closures, spawning fish, redds, restricted water, or a prohibited rig.

Common variations

Small changes can make a different fly.

Three reviewed technical illustrations show one identified form, its construction, and its fishing orientation. Hook style, size, color, weighting, trailer-hook system, and local legal status remain labeled variables.

Reviewed identified form

The green butt is the defining high-visibility section ahead of the tail; the reviewed form pairs it with a black body, silver rib, black collar, and sparse white hairwing. Red-butt and purple-hackle variations remain labeled.
Colors shown
chartreuse, black, silver, and white
Weighting
Weight, line density, hook system, and current determine depth; construction alone does not.

Related patterns

Steelhead Wet, Spey, and Hairwing Patterns ↗Freight Train ↗Silver Hilton ↗

How this guide was checked

Fly information and photo sources.

Guide checked on 2026-07-12. Every image has its own source and usage record. Natural insects and hand-tied flies can vary in shape and proportion.

Pattern sources

Fly Fishers InternationalThe Green Butt Skunk↗Orvis NewsFish Facts: Steelhead↗

Image credits