July 16, 2010

Thunderbirds

The Thunderbird, or Binesi in Anishinaabeg, is a supernatural bird of power and strength, capable of creating storms and thundering while it flies. The beating of its wings create thunder and stirs the winds. Binesi can shoot lightning from its eyes.

thunderbird
Tying up a Boreal Bomber dressed in all black has always conjured up visions of the thunderbird in my head. Look at a pictograph of the great thunderbird and you will notice a similarity in the profiles of each. This pattern is a perfect homage to Binesi. It is composed of components from the great white north like moose mane and ruffed grouse, colloquially known as the thunderbird, due to its loud drumming. In addition, the tungsten head allows the fly to dredge deep, thundering along the rocky riffles.

Thunderbird (binesi)
Ruffed grouse come in two color phases, gray and red phase. I found it only fitting to tie a version of a Boreal Bomber in red phase as well.

thunderbird, red phase

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