Visit our Michigan Flies page for all of our patterns and recipes.
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Michigan Stonefly… Easily Stoned by Phil Cusey Easy to tie and very effective is Phil's Easily Stoned pattern. This is Phil's go-to stonefly patterns for his home river of the Muskegon but would also be an effective patterns for any stream. As good size and profile match to the spring stoneflies that hatch throughout Michigan. Best For… steelhead and trout ***Materials listed in tying order Hook… Daiichi 1530, size 8 |
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Steelhead Streamer… Steve's Foxxy Brown Steve has been working on a streamer that mimics a small brown trout. The Foxxy Brown looks great in the water, tracks well and most importantly, steelhead want to eat it. This fly is also a very easy tie. Best For… steelhead and trout Could Also Be Used For… salmon, pike and bass ***Materials listed in tying order Hook… spey style hook, size 4 to 6 Notes – 1) Steve ties the second tinsel on the opposite side of the hook from the first, this makes it easier to have them fall next to each other and not overlap. 2) Steve sometimes omits the tail and hasn't decided which version he prefers. |
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Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.
Steelhead Tube Streamer… Fred's Ugly Bug (Tube Version) This trout and steelhead streamer is one of Fred Davidson's favorite, Fred is a local Pere Marquette fly fishing guru. Fred ties his on a long shank streamer hook like the TMC 300. Indigo guide Steve Martinez converted Fred's fly to a tube version using an aluminum rivet. The aluminum rivet has a bit of weight and a flat head that really makes the materials pulse. Steve watched Aaron McDaniel use rivets at a Northern Kentucky Fly Fishers meeting and has used the idea since. Best For… steelhead and trout Could Also Be Used For… salmon, pike and bass ***Materials listed in tying order Tube… aluminum rivet (pin removed) glued over plastic tube (ends mushroomed) *SEE NOTE Note – Glue and insert a plastic tube that will fit inside the rivet, a Q-Tip shaft often works perfect. Trim to length and mushroom near a flame. References: Third Coast Fly, Pere Marquette Fishing Report -Dec 21st
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Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.
Steelhead Tube Fly… Basic Bucktail Tube This is Kevin's bread-and-butter steelhead streamer for fall and winter. It is extremely basic and easy to tie but absolutely effective. The lower section of many of the west Michigan streams like the Pere Marquette, Muskegon and Manistee are basically snags with water running through them. Kevin doesn't even flinch when he breaks-off and quickly ties on another. Other considerations are that this fly will cast with the ease of a small fly but has a big profile. It also allows Kevin to use his favorite steelhead hook, the Gamakatsu octopus 02408 in size 4. Being able to vary the weight with added cones and making minor color changes with bead choices allows a lot of versatility. Kevin originally tied this Clouser type fly on traditional streamer hooks but switched to a tube style because the long flash wraps and tangles on the hook shank and bend. Best For… steelhead and pike Could Also Be Used For… trout, salmon and bass ***Materials listed in tying order Tube… whatever plastic tube you like Note – Kevin makes a point to wrap tight and heavy and then glue at both ends of the tube. This keeps materials from sliding off and also reduces tube splitting. References: 1) Kevin posted a series on our Third Coast Fly site on how he streamer fishes for fall and winter steelhead. 2) You might also like the video Michigan's Fall Steel.
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Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.
Steelhead Fly Recipe… Spring's Wiggler by Ron(?) Spring This is a west Michigan classic but it remains a perfect steelhead fly because it is an easy tie and fish still love to eat it. As far as a little internet reaserch produced the fly was the creation of Ron Spring who operated a sports shop in Muskegon. I like my Spring's Wigglers bushier and with a thinner body than most that I see for sale in local shops. I tie them in a variety of colors and in sizes 4-6. Best For… steelhead and salmon Could Also Be Used For… trout and carp ***Materials listed in tying order Hook… TMC 200R, size 4-6 Note – After you lash down the back make several wraps under the lashed squirrel tail near the hook eye. This will stand the hair up to look more like a head. |
