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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)