I was actually surprised I had not made a post yet featuring The Grumpy Frumpy. This wicked cool pattern belongs to Clark “Cheech” Pierce who together with Curtis Fry run the FlyFishFood.com website. If you guys and gals haven’t yet figured out that I really like dry flies, then I’ll just say, “I really like dry flies!” Anyway, this is one of the coolest looking dry flies I’ve seen. Clark gives a lot tips on how he created the fly and other color combinations that work. So here is the video of The Grumpy Frumpy.
Category Archives: Trout flies
The Kevin’s Stonefly™
I thought this was a good follow-up to Howell’s Trip Saver from yesterday. So you get a dynamic duo from Kevin.
Hook: Mustad 79580 6-14
Underbody: lead wire .015—.035
Thread: Black 6/0 Uni Thread
Abdomen: Peacock herl
Shell back: Treated turkey tail
Ribbing: 32 gauge gold wire
Legs: Brown goose biots
Hackle: Soft webby grizzly
Thorax: Medium cream chenille
Over the past several years, The Kevin’s Stonefly has become our number one trout producing fly here at Davidson River Outfitters. Kevin designed this fly to meet the needs of the slightly smaller stoneflies found here in the Southeast. This fly has become so effective that The Kevin’s Stonefly has been featured in two national magazines, and on two national television shows. We have found this fly effective everywhere there are stoneflies, and even on Great Lakes Steelhead.
Filed under Steelhead, Step by Step, Trout flies
Howell’s Trip Saver™ – Kevin Howell
Hook: Tiemco 5262 size 8-16
Tail: X-small or Small Brown Rubber Legs
Abdomen: SLF Whitlock Blend Red Fox Squirrel Thorax
Thorax: UV Black Ice Dub
Hackle: Hungarian Partridge
Collar: 4-5 strands Pearl Krystal Flash under the Partridge
Bead: Black Tungsten Bead sized to hook
Legs: Small or x-small brown rubber legs
Rib: Small pearl Tinsel
Thread: 6/0 Uni Thread
Howell’s Trip Saver
The name says it all. While tying soft hackles for upcoming guide trips one night, I got to playing around and started adding rubber legs and different flash to see how fish reacted to the fly. What I stumbled on was a fly that always seemed to produce a few fish. Having fished competitively for a number of years I realized the power of a fly that no one else had in their box. For years I carried this fly in the depths of my fly box and only used it when times got tough on the water with clients. I also would use it for later days of the fly fishing tournaments and ended up winning the tournaments because of the power of this little fly. After several years of having the fly all to myself, I was dupped by a cameraman into disclosing my secret little fly, once out of the box I knew I would have to find a new secret fly for the tournaments. Having heard the reputation and success of the fly Umpqua Feather Merchants picked up the fly and are producing it for fly shops around the world.
Find out more about Kevin Howell and Davidson River Outfitters on their website.
Filed under Soft Hackles, Trout flies
Grandma’s Coat – tied by Mark Willigar
This fly is made to be as colorful as that old coat your Grandma used to wear, at least when I was a kid, my grandma had one. I’m not sure what inspired me to tie it in this particular way, maybe the combination of the shrimp style flies being so productive, and the ever present desire to show the salmon something different. Last fall salmon season I threw one of these together after a frustrating day of seeing fish, on great water levels, but having no luck. First day of using it, I had landed 2 brown trout of more than 3 lbs, and one grilse. By the end of the season, I had taken 3 salmon, and 5 rather big browns, and in reality that is not prime time for browns in my home water. This fly can be effective tied in various colors, and looks quite different with just a change in hackle color. Can also be tied with some crystal flash for glitter effect.
Hook: #2-10 Tiemco TMC 7999
Tail: Mixed bucktail or polar bear in red, yellow, purple, green and orange, one body length, unstacked.
Tag: Oval Gold tinsel
Body: First half, olive seals fur, front half purple seals fur
Rib: Oval Gold tinsel
Wing: Same as tail, tied long, extending 1/2 body length past hook bend
Collar: Soft orange hen neck hackle
Filed under Salmon, Trout flies
Three more classics added to FrankenFly Store
I have added three more Michigan Classic Dry Flies to the FrankenFly Online Store. These three were created by Rusty Gates, Bob Smock Sr., and Paul Young. It’s an honor to tie these classics and I’m thrilled to be able to offer them in the store.
You can find the online store by clicking on the upper right FrankenFly logo or going to http://frankenfly.storenvy.com/
The following patterns have all been tied by me (Paul J. Beel).
Laid Back Hex
Iconic fly fisherman and conservationist Rusty Gates created this pattern. This is an exceptional floating fly that can be used in rough current. It is a great fly to be used for the Hex hatch in Michigan. Also, Josh Greenberg of Gates Au Sable Lodge says it’s actually a nice pattern for most of the bigger flies, particularly Isonychia, which seem to hold their wings upright as spinners for quite a time after they hit the water.
Smock’s Sulfur Dun
This is a famous fly originated by highly regarded Grayling, Michigan fly tyer Bob Smock Sr. The hackle is dyed special, for this particular pattern. Best used when Sulfurs are on the water. It is said to be one of the best Sulfur patterns ever created.
Strawman Nymph
This fly was created by Paul Young, a famous fly rod builder and fly tyer. This is a great wet fly but can also be fished dry. After waterlogged it is then fished wet. When fished wet, fish it down and across the stream. The pattern can be used as a generalized nymph pattern, a caterpillar or as a generalized insect larva.
Filed under FrankenFly, Michigan, Trout flies
Laurie’s Suspender Buzzer
I thought this was an interesting pattern by UK fly tyer Lawrence Finney. He says this is a good pattern for lakes and the flourescent sunburst colored CDC is used for high visibility.
Filed under Step by Step, Trout flies
Tying the CDC Spent
A group from Switzerland called Fly With Us Fly Fishing made this sweet video on how to tie the CDC Spent. I figured it was a good follow-up post to Terje’s. Good looking fly in this video too.
Filed under Trout flies
Spent Body Quill Spinner – Terje Refsahl
Spent body quill spinner with Cree hackle wings
Hook: Hends 454 #12
Tail: Coq de leon
Body: Hends Body Quill brown olive
Thorax: cdc dubbing mixed with ice dubbing
Wings: tied up Cree hackle
Filed under Trout flies
Diving Caddis by Johnny Utah
This is a slight variation of Gary LaFontaine’s Diving Caddis tied by Johnny Utah. Johnny says it’s a great pattern for evening and afternoons when caddis are laying eggs.
If you want to know more about how to fish the Diving Caddis and more detailed information about the fly, just go to this page on LaFontaine’s Private Label website.
Filed under Step by Step, Trout flies
Classic Michigan fly patterns in FrankenFly Store
From the time I started fly fishing I’ve thoroughly enjoyed delving into the history and classic fly patterns of Michigan. I visit Michigan at least once a year to dip my toe or both feet I should say, in the crystal clear waters there and have a deep, passionate love for Grayling and the Au Sable River. So it is probably obvious that I’ve wanted to add classic Michigan fly patterns to the FrankenFly online store. Most of the patterns I’m adding are either not found in fly shops anymore at all or are extremely hard to find. There will be a few that are still sold in some Michigan fly shops. However, the patterns I’m tying and offering have been proven to work well by many guides and skilled fisherman throughout the years and still to this day, not only in Michigan, but in other areas trout inhabit .
To kick things off, I have added three classics to the store. More will be added in the near future.
You can find the online store by clicking on the upper right FrankenFly logo or going to http://frankenfly.storenvy.com/
The following patterns have all been tied by me (Paul J. Beel). Most of the information provided is by MichiganDryFlies.net
Killer
The Killer was developed as a generalized caddis attractor pattern. It can literally be fished the entire season. Josephine Sedlecky-Borsum was the owner of Ed’s Sport Shop in Baldwin, Michigan, from 1945 till her retirement in 1992. She developed this pattern back in the 1950’s. According to a former employee, David Roller, this fly was #1 in their large arsenal of flies.
Madsen’s Skunk
Madsen’s Skunk is a tremendous all purpose fly! It imitates hoppers, crickets, spiders and stone flies. It is also a tremendous generalized searching pattern. It may be used any time of the day, any time of the year and in all weather situations. It can be fished drag free or twitched or popped. Many Michigan fishermen will tell you that it’s the most productive fly they carry.
McClain’s Drake
I wrote a post about McClain’s Drake back in May here on FrankenFly. This fly was designed to be used during any time there are dark insects on the water.
As I said, more will be added later. I have other patterns in mind, I just need to work on getting them added to the store. Thank you for reading FrankenFly!
Filed under FrankenFly, Michigan, Trout flies
