Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.

Martinez’s Goby in olive by Steve Martinez

Gobies represent a large portion of the diet of many predators that we like to target in the Great Lakes.  Especially if you like to fish shallow flats for carp and smallmouth bass.  This pattern could also carry over as a sculpin pattern in rivers, though I might tie the head thicker.

Best For… bass and carp            Could Also Be Used For… salmon, steelhead and trout

 ***Materials listed in tying order

Hook… Umpqua, TMC 200R, size 6

Eyes… medium dumbbell in red

Tail… rag yarn

Tail… 4 strands of copper tinsel

Body… flat gold tinsel

1st Collar… Hareline Dubbin, Hare’s Ice Dub in peacock

2nd Collar… rag yarn

Head… dear body hair in brown

References Links:

Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN) — information about round gobies.

Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.

Steelhead Fly Pattern, Glow Nuke Egg by Kevin Morlock

Egg flies are a top choice for steelhead and salmon.  The Glow Nuke Egg works well in high dark or dirty water… when you need a little more of an attention getter.  Using these flies in the daytime allows the sun to charge the material when ever they are out of the water, giving them the brightest glow.  You can tie them in any color combination and size but keep in mind that in high water, bigger is usually better.

Best For… steelhead, salmon and trout

 ***Materials listed in tying order

Hook… Mustad C67S, size 4-10

Body… Flashabou GLOW-in-the-dark

Wing… Wapsi egg yarn

Glow Nuke Eggs with the lights out

References Links:

West Michgian Fishing Report for November 10th, 2009.

Pere Marquette Fishing Report (Perfect PM River steelhead, steelhead fly — the Glow Nuke Egg)

Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.

Martinez’s Halloween Caveman (tube) by Steve Martinez

Sculpin flies can often be difficult and complex to tie but not this one.  Grau’s Easy Sculpin is the easiest sculpin pattern I’ve seen and best of all it produces fish.  The fish we like to catch in our West Michigan rivers love to eat sculpins and this fat headed, tapering toward the tail fly is just the right look for a sculpin.  More good news, sculpins look a lot like gobies.  Gobies are now a top prey item for most Great Lakes predators and I have used this pattern for Great Lakes smallmouth bass and carp.  For smallmouth and carp in the Great Lakes flats you really need to have the hook ridding up… 6-12 wraps of lead on the body or lead eyes makes this a good hook up carp and smallmouth flats goby fly.

Best For… steelhead, salmon            Could Also Be Used For… bass, pike and trout

***Materials listed in tying order

Tube… Eumer, small

Cone… bronze, medium

Tail… barred rabbit strip

Body… Hareline Dubbin, uv polar chenille, silver

Tinsel… pearl crinkle

Collar… barred rabbit strip

References Links:

West Michgian Fishing Report for October 30th, 2009.

Pere Marquette Fishing Report (Solid steelhead numbers but the PM River has high water)

Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.

Grau’s Easy Sculpin by Walt Grau

Sculpin flies can often be difficult and complex to tie but not this one.  Grau’s Easy Sculpin is the easiest sculpin pattern I’ve seen and best of all it produces fish.  The fish we like to catch in our West Michigan rivers love to eat sculpins and this fat headed, tapering toward the tail fly is just the right look for a sculpin.  More good news, sculpins look a lot like gobies.  Gobies are now a top prey item for most Great Lakes predators and I have used this pattern for Great Lakes smallmouth bass and carp.  For smallmouth and carp in the Great Lakes flats you really need to have the hook ridding up… 6-12 wraps of lead on the body or lead eyes makes this a good hook up carp and smallmouth flats goby fly.

Best For… steelhead, salmon, carp, bass and trout

***Materials listed in tying order

Hook… Dai-Riki #710, size 4

Tail… brown rag yarn

Body… dark orange yarn

Hackle… pheasant rump

Flash… copper Flashabou (6 or so pieces over hackle)

Head… brown rag yarn

References Links:

Walt Grau

Pere Marquette Fishing Report (Pere Marquette Steelhead, Grau’s Easy Sculpin)

Dan Bailey, Dai-Riki hooks (home page)

FlyMasters of Indianapolis (source for rag yarn)

Hedron Inc of Stillwater, Minnesota (makers of Flashabou)

Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.

Morlock’s UV Rabbit in brown by Kevin Morlock

This is a very good all around fly for Michigan salmon and steelhead, though the Pere Marquette River salmon seem to really have a thing for the uv tying materials.  With the bunny tail it has lots of action on a dead drift but really comes alive when it swings out.  While I tied this pattern for use on the PM River and other West Michigan Rivers for salmon and steelhead, I have used it successfully as a streamer for Michigan trout as well as Great Lakes carp and smallmouth bass.

Best For… salmon            Could Also Be Used For… steelhead, bass, carp and trout

***Materials listed in tying order
Hook… Mustad Signature R74, size 4
Eyes… large silver bead chain
Tail… natural brown rabbit
Body… tan yarn
Hackle… Hareline Dubbin, uv polar chenille, olive copper uv

Variations… I use this pattern in a dozen or more variations, including some that are very bright.

	Morlock’s UV Rabbit in purple/black
	Tying Morlock’s UV Rabbits

References Links:

Kevin Morlock

Salmon…The Right Way by Kevin Morlock

Pere Marquette River Fishing Report (Hot Pere Marquette River King Salmon Fishing)

Pere Marquette River Fishing Report (World Record Bowfin, Morlock’s UV Rabbit)

FlyMasters of Indianapolis (source for uv materials)

Feather-Craft of St. Louis (source for uv materials – home page)

Feather-Craft of St. Louis (uv polar chenille page)

Hareline Dubbin, Inc. (home page)

Hareline Dubbin, Inc. (page with uv polar chenille)

Mustad

Mustad Signature Fly Hooks, R74 Streamer

Visit our West Michigan Fly Index page for a quick look at our collection.

Martinez’s Steelhead Caveman by Steve Martinez

When tied bright (as pictured) is a good choice for high dirty water or when the fish are really on the bite.  Tied in natural colors it is a good choice in most conditions.

Best For… steelhead, salmon and pike            Could Also Be Used For… bass and trout

***Materials listed in tying order

Hook… Mustad Signature R74, size 4

Eyes… large bead chain eyes

Tail… yello, black or brown bunny strip

Body… crystal braid

Head… crosscut bunny strip, same color as tail

Reference Links:

Steve Martinez

Pere Marquette River Fishing Report (High dirty water on the Pere Marquette with goo steelhead numbers)

Mustad

Mustad Signature Fly Hooks, R74