Favorite Flies

I just keep scratching that red & yellow itch…

No; it’s not a fly; it’s a “Fly & Spinner Combination” a traditional long rod offering that is saddled with one of the most unimaginative names in our canon. I much prefer the name that J. Edson Leonard gave them; “Full House”. That’s precisely what it is. When you tie a Full House to your leader, the smallies just lay their hand down. “I’m Out”

Yes there are some among our ranks that turn a blind eye and an pinched nose to the Full House. But alongside Leonard, we’ve got Henshall, McClane and Kreh on our team, so if you want to argue the point I would direct you to them and remind you; if there is one thing that the Full House hollers, it is “I will not be denied!” And dear friend I assure you, when a four pound smallmouth takes the trap on an eight and a half foot glass six weight in the relentless currents of a northern river,  you will NOT utter “That ain’t right…” When the friend in the bow seat that you haven’t fished with in too-many years is coming up short on your home-waters, you’ll be glad you can offer him one and say “try this…” And the smiles and laughter when he hooks up will make all that silly prejudice melt away like the snow…

“Red and Yellow Gets a Fellow…”

Those who’ve shared a canoe with me know the delight I take in catching panfish, and especially the white and yellow perch. I have a firm devotion to the “Ol’ Black Pan”,  and the furs and feathers that litter the floor of my den are rivaled only by the bread crumbs underfoot in my kitchen. I hunt for the pot and fish for the pan, but I am fly fisherman to the core. If the culinary delights I take from the woods and waters are to be challenged for preeminence in my heart, it is my love of classic flies that will gain the throne.  If per chance I can combine the two, I reach the very heights of enjoyment and can ask for no more.

I know of two nineteenth century flies developed and tied especially for perch.  Both were born right here in New England. One in Massachusetts, and this pattern, Keene’s Bronze Coachman, in New Hampshire. John Harrington Keene, an Englishman by birth but New Englander by choice, is best known for his 1887 book “Fly-Fishing and Fly Making for Trout, Etc.”. It is a fairly scarce book that has  some interesting plates that have tipped in actual furs and feathers used in fly-tying; a wonderful book for the collector. But being the panfisherman that I am, it is his 1894 title “The Boys Own Guide To Fishing, Tackle-Making And Fish-Breeding” that really delights.  In his chapter entitled “Fly Fishing For Bass, Perch, Sunfish, Etc.” he shares with the reader a simply fly developed for the perch of his New Hampshire home waters.  I quote:

“It is a modification of the ever-useful “Coachman”, I call it the “Bronze Coachman” : – 

       Body, of the bronze tinsel cord one gets at the dry-goods store at five cents or so a ball. It is used by ladies for embroidering on velvet, etc. Legs, plenty of brown hackle; wings, white”

Keene recounts catching three perch at a time on a three fly cast, all of which are tied on a size 6 hook.

I have used bronze Bills Bodi-Braid for the body and a Mustad 3389H gold sproat hook, size 6, for my version of this wonderful New Hampshire perch fly.  I can’t wait to fish it, my “priest” at the ready!

A bass fly translation of an old trout and salmon classic streamer…

Smallmouth LOVE crayfish; but they will almost always choose the wee molters over the mature well-armed adults. The Crayzee bug is just that; a little molter (Mustad 9671 sz. 8 ) with plenty of action, and the orange drives the smallies crayzee!!

The Bandit; a deceiver style smallmouth pattern. I used to tie these with Reeves pheasant for the cheeks, but those feathers are just to expensive and uncommon. Guinea hen is always a good choice. This pattern has proven its worth on the water with smallmouth up to 4 lbs. I have also used it chasing brown trout, but the deceiver style is not appropriate as it tends to short strikes and foul hooking with trout. For bass it’s a killer!