Fly of the Month
Black Wulff
Posted on January 05 2017
The Black Wulff is this month’s fly. Yes, the body color of the original pattern is pink. The fly was created by Dan Bailey of Montana. At the time, Lee Wulff’s new style fly was coming onto the scene. Dan Bailey became a promoter of Lee’s new high floating fly...
Sure Bet
Posted on December 01 2016
This month’s fly is the Sure Bet. It was created by Selene Dumaine right here in Maine. When asked by a local guide to make a fly that could be used on Northern Pike, she designed the Sure Bet to imitate yellow perch. Since then, it has proven effective...
A.P. Emerger
Posted on November 14 2016
This month's fly is the A.P. Emerger. A.P. stands for all purpose. The pattern was created by Denny Rickard of Oregon in the early 90's. It was used for copying the Damsel fly nymph on stillwater. I use it as a top fly nymph in larger sizes. It works...
Little Brook Trout
Posted on October 01 2016
This month’s fly is the Little Brook Trout. It was created by Sam Slaymaker of Pennsylvania in the 1960s. It was one in a series along with the Brown and Rainbow Trout. The fact is big Brook trout and salmon eat their own! This is a pretty fly like...
Brassie
Posted on September 01 2016
This month's fly is a variation of the Brassie nymph. The Brassie is a midge emerger imitation that is very effective in the fall when the spawning fish are feeding heavily on them. By adding a collar of CDC on the head of the fly you add a great deal...
Deer Hair Caddis
Posted on August 01 2016
This month's fly is the Deer Hair Caddis. This is the Elk Hair caddis tied with whitetail hair. The fly was created by Al Troth. It is a simple, but effective pattern and the standard for imitating the ever-active Caddis adult. It is best fished in the pocket...
Stimulator
Posted on July 01 2016
This month's fly is the Stimulator. It was developed by Randall Kauffmann of Oregon. This fly is one of the most popular dry flies in the western states. It is a standard for imitating stoneflies, but also is good for caddis in smaller sizes. This fly can be...
Letort Cricket
Posted on June 01 2016
The Letort Cricket is a terrestrial pattern that was developed by Ed Shenk of Pennsylvania. It was named after the spring creek that he spent most of his life fishing. This is a good summer time pattern. Hook – 2x streamer size 10-14 thread – black body – black...
Rusty Klink
Posted on May 04 2016
FLY OF THE MONTH This month’s fly is the Rusty Klinkhamer. For a while now I have been thinking about adding another color of the best-selling Klinkhamer Emerger. I have talked to fishermen who have had success with orange or rust colored ones. The color rust is used...
Early Black Stone
Posted on April 12 2016
This month’s fly is the Early Black Stone. I saw a video of this pattern on the internet and we gave it a try at our Saturday afternoon tying group. Early Blacks are one of the first bugs to appear in the spring, often before the snow is out...
Parachute Smelt
Posted on March 16 2016
FLY OF THE MONTH This month’s fly is the Parachute Smelt, created by Lou Zambello, a guide and part-time resident of Kennebago Lake. Lou talks about this pattern in his book Fly Fishing Northern New England’s Seasons. You want to fish this fly during the...
White Muddler Minnow - Fly of the Month
Posted on February 08 2016
We recently added the White Muddler Minnow to the store. It was created by Don Gapen of Minnesota in the late 1930’s. The fly was popularized and mass produced by Bailey’s Fly Shop of Montana. The white color is a spin-off of the original natural deer hair color. This...
Teal Strip - Fly of the Month
Posted on January 05 2016
This month’s fly is the Teal Strip. It was created by Rob Donald who for many years operated a shop in Jay, Maine. Rob closed his shop a few years ago. Many fishermen would stop on the way to Rangeley and pick up this unique pattern. The Teal Strip is...
Mansfield Bucktail
Posted on December 01 2015
This month’s fly is the Mansfield streamer. I know very little about the origin of this attractor pattern. It was in the Streamer selection when we bought the shop. Some fisherman will walk right to them and pick up a handful with confidence. Clearly this is a pattern with...
Ausable Wulff
Posted on November 15 2015
This months fly is the Ausable Wulff. The Ausable Wulff was originated by Fran Betters in 1964. He developed it for fishing the turbulent waters of the Ausable River in upstate New York. In our own area waters it is also used during the Drake hatches of mid-summer. Hook ...
Blue Winged Olive (or B.W.O.)
Posted on November 01 2015
This month’s fly is the Blue Winged Olive (or B.W.O.). The B.W.O. is an effective fly this time of year as the water cools before winter cold sets in. The B.W.O. and midges are the only surface activity that might be happening in November. As I sit here and write...
Beadhead Pheasant Tail Nymph
Posted on October 08 2015
This months fly is the Beadhead Pheasant Tail Nymph. I do not think that any nymph has caught more fish for me over the years than this simple pattern. The pattern was originated by Frank Sawyer of England but modified to what you see here as the American style. You...
Gray Hackle.
Posted on September 01 2015
This month’s fly is the Gray Hackle. This is an old pattern used for small trout and Atlantic Salmon alike. The Gray hackle is very simple to tie with only three materials. The simple soft hackle pattern is one of my most effective emergers during the fall spawn – especially...
Joe's Hopper - Fly of the Month
Posted on August 01 2015
Joe’s Hopper is one of the first grasshopper patterns. It was created first as the Michigan Hopper by Art Winnie in the 1940s. The name was changed in recognition of one of its greatest fans: Joe Brooks. This pattern also inspired the creation of the Dave’s Hopper pattern. This hopper...
Yellow Marabou Muddler
Posted on July 01 2015
This month’s fly is the Yellow Marabou Muddler. The marabou muddler is a spin-off of the muddler minnow created by Don Gapen of Minnesota in the 1930s. It is a very good attractor pattern. Yellow is my favorite color to use and is very good at drawing out the...
Electric Caddis Nymph
Posted on June 01 2015
This month’s fly is the Electric Caddis nymph. It was created by Mike Lawson of the Henry’s Fork area of Idaho. I first saw the pattern in an issue of Fly Tyer magazine, tied some up and fished it. It is a very effective pattern in early summer when...
Pale Evening Dun
Posted on May 01 2015
This month’s fly is the Pale Evening Dun. It is not known for large hatches like the Hendrickson and March Brown. It occurs during the end of the March Brown season, not large in number, but ever present. Thomas Ames, in his Hatches guide states that it is...
Ballou Special - Fly of the Month
Posted on April 01 2015
This month’s fly is the Ballou Special, a smelt imitation that was created by A. I. Ballou in 1921 . He is credited with creating the first marabou streamer fly. This fly is one more white marabou streamer to add to your springtime arsenal. Thread - Blackhook - streamer sizes 4...
WD-50 - Fly of the Month
Posted on March 01 2015
This month’s fly is the WD-50. I have fished this small nymph for a number of years and have come to depend on it when the fish get smart and picky. This pattern is a variation of the WD-40 which was created by Mark Engler of Colorado in 1982. It...
Hemingway Caddis
Posted on February 01 2015
Fly of the Month This month's fly is the Hemingway Caddis. This is a new Caddis pattern to the shop. I added it at the request of a customer. It is very similar to the Henryville Special except for the dun colored hackle and peacock thorax under the hackle. ...
Peacock Caddis - Fly of the Month
Posted on January 01 2015
This month's fly is the Peacock Caddis. I first saw this pattern in a book by Al and Gretchen Beatty called Rotary Fly Tying Techniques. Al told a great fishing story about the fly’s success that hooked me into trying it. I tied some and used them with sports soon...
Henryville Special - Fly of the Month
Posted on December 01 2014
The Henryville Special is one of the most effective flies for matching the spring green caddis hatches. The first caddis of the season are green and chunky in the larger sizes 12 – 14. This fly can also be retrieved wet after making its offering on the surface. The Henryville...
Shufelt Special - Fly Of The Month
Posted on October 01 2014
This month’s fly, the Shufelt Special, is named after its creator Robert Shufelt of Greenville, Maine. This fly is on my top five streamer list. As some of you may know I have a bias toward any streamer with large amounts of white marabou. The white mixed with “mickey-finn” yellow...
Griffith’s Gnat
Posted on September 01 2014
The fly of the month for September is the Griffith’s Gnat .The Griffith’s Gnat was first created and tied by Bob Summers of Michigan. George Griffith, who founded Trout Unlimited in 1960, and Bob fished together often so it was named after George [by the fly’s originator]. The fly is most...
Parmachenee Wulff
Posted on August 02 2014
The Parmachenee Wulff is a Wulff style version of the wet fly of the same name. This fly was created by Henry Wells and John Danforth of Parmachenee Lake, Maine in 1876. The fly was originally tied with a red and white married wing to imitate the...
Doodle Bug
Posted on July 01 2014
I remember as a boy catching my biggest trout on a Doodlebug. I had a large beaver bog near my house and would fish it regularly. It had a long dam that I would walk out along and perch myself on as I fished. I still remember clearly those...
Tri-Color
Posted on June 10 2014
This month’s fly is the Tri-color created by Bud Wilcox of Rangeley. The fly imitates the crayfish found in many of our local ponds and lakes. The streamer was introduced to the public in the March 1970 edition ofField and Stream magazine. Bud took the article’s author, Jerome Robinson, fishing...
Quill Gordon
Posted on May 01 2014
This month’s fly is the Quill Gordon. The Quill Gordon was created by Theodore Gordon from the Catskill region of New York. Gordon is considered the father of dry fly fishing in America. The Quill Gordon was one of the first dry flies in a world of wet flies. Every...
The Cased Caddis - Fly of the Month
Posted on April 01 2014
This month’s featured fly is the Cased Caddis. The Cased Caddis was originated by Gary LaFontaine and written about in his book “Caddisflies”. Have you ever been wading in one of our rivers in late spring and noticed those inch-long conglomerations of sticks and gravel laying among the rocks on...
Thin Mint
Posted on March 01 2014
The Thin Mint is a multi-color wooly bugger. The fly was created by Jim Misiura of Pennsylvania. This fly has been modified in many different ways. I am giving you the recipe for what I think is the most commonly used ingredients. This is a new pattern to...
Snowshoe Hendrickson Emerger
Posted on February 01 2014
The fly of the month is the Snowshoe Hendrickson Emerger. I have used this pattern for a number of years with good success. It’s really just a Pheasant tail using snowshoe hare as a way to suspend the fly in the film. I use this fly during the spring mayfly...
Parachute Hares Ear - Fly of the Month
Posted on January 01 2014
This month's fly is the Parachute Hares Ear. This pattern is credited to Ed Schroeder of California, who also created the well known Schroeder's Para-hopper. John Gierach, in his book Good Flies calls it the most versatile dry fly he fishes. The original recipe calls for elk hair as the tail and...
Montreal Whore - Fly of the Month
Posted on December 01 2013
I don't' know much about the history of this fly. It is believed to have been originated by a man named Lenny Loiselle and maybe gets its name from the flashy, glimmering color combination, The Montreal is my second go-to streamer behind the Black Ghost. I talked to...
Picket Pin
Posted on October 01 2013
The Picket Pin was created by Jack Boehme of Missoula, Montana in the early 1900’s. It was named after a gopher-like animal of the western prairies whose tail hair was used for the wing. We now use gray squirrel tail hair for it. This fly is one big hunk of...
Zebra Midge
Posted on September 01 2013
The zebra midge is this month’s fly. The midge insect is perhaps one of the most important food sources for trout and salmon. This small insect is a member of Diptera family and is present in the water 365 days a year. It becomes all the more important as a...
Turck’s Tarantula - Fly of the Month
Posted on August 01 2013
This month’s fly is the Turck’s Tarantula. The Turck’s was created by a guide from Jackson Hole, Wyoming named Guy Turck. I first used this pattern 15 years ago when I started guiding. I remember exploring the pools of the Kennebago one evening and catching my first big Kennebago salmon...
Paradrake
Posted on July 01 2013
The paradrake is this month’s fly. It is a drake imitation with a parachute hackle. This gives a low profile presentation as it rests in the film or slightly under water. The drake is the largest of all mayflies. It has a bulky body that leaves a large impression on...
E/C Cutter Caddis
Posted on June 01 2013
This month’s fly is the E/C Cutter Caddis. E/C stands for emergent/cripple and as you can see from the photo it is quite differently constructed than most hair wing caddis. It was created by Ralph Cutter who put a lot of time into the design and even spent time in...
Green Rockworm - Fly of the Month
Posted on May 01 2013
This month, there are two flies, but I will talk more about an insect than a fly. The insect is a green caddis called a Rhyacophila, but we just refer to it as a Green Rock Worm. This is the most common caddis on our waters in the early season....
Red Fox Squirrel nymph - Fly of the Month
Posted on April 01 2013
This month’s feature fly is the Red Fox Squirrel nymph. The “squirrel” nymph was created over 40 years ago by Dave Whitlock. It is what we call a suggestive pattern, that is, it doesn’t imitate anything totally, but a lot of bugs partially. The main feature of the fly is...
Purple Psycho Prince
Posted on March 01 2013
The prince is possibly the most effective and widely used attractor nymph in the world. When a new dubbing material called Ice-dub from Hareline was introduced, Mike Mercier from The Fly Shop in California knew he had to use it and looked for ways to incorporate it into some...
Dam Wammy - Fly of the Month
Posted on February 01 2013
This month’s fly was created many years ago by a long time resident of Upper Dam, Wes Miller. Like many flies, it was developed to copy something observed in nature and tinkered with over time to get the final product. One day, Wes was fishing a small dry fly similar...
X-Caddis - Fly of the Month
Posted on January 01 2013
Hook - 94840 dry fly hook sizes 10-18 Thread color to match body, 8/0 Tail - Z-lon, antron, or tri-lobel yarn Body - antron, antron mix dubbing Wing - deer hair The X-Caddis gives you a low profile caddis pattern. A pattern that rides...
Red Quill Parachute
Posted on December 01 2012
Hook – 94840 #12 – 16Thread – brown 8/0 or smallertail – brown hackle fibersbody – reddish brown stripped quillthorax – rust rabbit dubbingwing post – grey turkey flat featherhackle – brown, parachute style This pattern is from the John Gierach book Good Flies. I tried it for the first...
Kennebago Smelt
Posted on November 01 2012
This month’s fly is the Kennebago Smelt. It was created by Bud Wilcox of Rangeley and is best described in his own words: “I first tied the Kennebago Smelt either in 1951 or 1952. This fly I worked to get it [right]. I had seen too many big fish follow...
