This photo of Joe Howell’s Orange Heron came from Garren Wood at the Ultimate Hook website. Joe owned the Blue Heron Fly Shop for over 30 years on the North Umpqua River. Unfortunately Joe retired and closed the Blue Heron in 2010. The North Umpqua is a tributary of the Umpqua River in the southwestern portion of Oregon. Many called the Blue Heron Fly Shop an institution and spoke very highly of Joe Howell. Things like, “Very helpful guy who was never too busy to talk.” or “Joe was friendly, helpful and genuine.”
Howell’s Orange Heron is a beautiful fly and now stands proudly to help carry on Joe Howell’s legacy and may just help many remember that institution on the North Umpqua River.
Here is recipe:
Body: Rear half – gold tinsel. Front half hot orange seal’s fur
Rib: Gold tinsel
Hackle: Dyed orange blue eared pheasant
Throat: Guinea
Wing: Four matched hackle tips, dyed orange
Cheeks: Junk Jungle cock feathers
Head: Hot orange
Well, I don’t have much use for steelhead flies in Colorado, but they certainly are beautiful.
I know what you mean Howard and I agree, they sure are beautiful.