Metallica has given me many salmon and is truly an outstanding fly. Its name came about in a simple but memorable way. One day, a man came to Pétur to buy a fly. He liked a particular pattern and asked what it was called. Pétur noticed that the man was wearing a Metallica band T-shirt and replied, “It’s called Metallica.” The man bought several flies — and the name stuck.

On one occasion, I was guiding in Hafralónsá at a pool called Tungusel (No. 15). We had already covered the pool twice without any action. The angler then asked me to take over, as he needed a break.

I stepped in, and just as I was working my way down the pool, a strong fish took the fly. It was a Metallica #14 on a double hook, tied by Pétur Steingrímsson. The take was aggressive, and the fish measured 85 cm — a beautiful male.

Since then, this fly has become one of my absolute favorites and is always in my box. I turn to it when the moment feels right.

What makes Metallica special is its versatility. It can be fished throughout the entire season and easily adapted to different conditions. Simply change the floss color — blue, yellow, or orange — and it becomes an effective autumn fly.

Materials

• Hook: Any hook of choice
• Thread: Black
• Butt: Flat silver with a rather long Glo-Brite butt
• Body: Flat silver
• Throat: Blue hen hackle
• Wing: Black horsehair or another fairly stiff material, with a few strands of silver Crystal Flash
• Head: Black, with one or two turns of green Angel Hair
• Designer: Pétur Steingrímsson