Flies by Gumbo

All flies tied and photographed personally by R. J. Brown, aka "gumbo".

I am not a professional fly tier, nor even a professional fisherman;
I am a computer consultant who just likes to fly fish and tie my own flies.

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Name:	Dahlberg Diver, olive, green, beige, yellow, and orange (Large, 6 in/15 cm)
Fish:	Bass, Pike, and Muskie
Notes:	Surface and subsurface. Dives when you retrieve it. The faster the retrieve, the deeper the dive. When the retrieve pauses, the fly floats back up to the surface. Especially good at sunset. The deer hair gradually becomes waterlogged, so keep several on hand.

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Name:	Bass Bug. black, orange, and yellow (Large, 6 in/15 cm)
Fish:	Bass, Pike, and Muskie
Notes:	Surface. Especially good about an hour before sunset. Cast and let sit for at least 30 seconds, then retrieve with short, quick jerks at least 15 seconds apart. Makes popping and gurgling sounds. The deer hair gradually becomes waterlogged, so keep several on hand.

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Name:	Bass Bug, green, yellow, and fluorescent chartruesse (Large, 6 in/15 cm)
Fish:	Bass, Pike, and Muskie
Notes:	Surface. Especially good at sunset and 1/2 hour after sunset -- low light conditions. Cast and let sit for at least 30 seconds, then retrieve with short, quick jerks at least 15 seconds apart. Makes popping and gurgling sounds. The deer hair gradually becomes waterlogged, so keep several on hand.

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Name:	Pike Persuader, black and white (Large, 8 in/20 cm)
Fish:	Pike, and Muskie
Notes:	Surface and subsurface. Dives when you retrieve it. The faster the retrieve, the deeper the dive. When the retrieve pauses, the fly floats back up to the surface. Especially good at sunset. The deer hair gradually becomes waterlogged, so keep several on hand.

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Name:	Bunny Bug, black and purple (#2 hook, 6 in/15 cm length)
Fish:	Northern Pike, Muskie
Notes:	In the book "Pike on the fly", by Barry Reynolds and John Berryman, the authors say, "The bunny bug gets my vote as the best overall fly for pike. Spring, summer, and fall, pike belt Bunny Bugs with abandon, but even large pike have a tough time mangling the rabbit skin with which the fly is made." Use with floating lines and rapid retrieves for shallow water, and with sinking lines and slower retrieves for the deeper water to go for trophies. The black and purple color is particularly popular in Wisconsin.

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Name:	Rabbit Zonker Streamer, black and white (#2 hook)
Fish:	Great Lakes Steelhead and Salmon, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike
Notes:	This is a good searching pattern for sunny days. Use in swift river flows, with a full swing, or in calm water with a fast or slow, jerky or smooth retrieve. This is a very versatile fly.

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Name:	Rabbit Zonker Streamer, red and yellow (#2 hook)
Fish:	Great Lakes Steelhead and Salmon, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike
Notes:	This is a good searching pattern for sunny days. Use in swift river flows, with a full swing, or in calm water with a fast or slow, jerky or smooth retrieve. This is a very versatile fly.

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Name:	Rabbit Zonker Streamer, white and chartruesse (#2 hook)
Fish:	Great Lakes Steelhead and Salmon, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike
Notes:	This is a good searching pattern for cloudy days. Use in swift river flows, with a full swing, or in calm water with a fast or slow, jerky or smooth retrieve. This is a very versatile fly.

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Name:	Rabbit Zonker Streamer, red and black (#2 hook)
Fish:	Great Lakes Steelhead and Salmon, Smallmouth Bass, Northern Pike
Notes:	This is a good searching pattern for sunny or cloudy days. Use in swift river flows, with a full swing, or in calm water with a fast or slow, jerky or smooth retrieve. This is a very versatile fly.

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Name:	Royal Coachman Nymph (#10 hook)
Fish:	Great Lakes Steelhead
Notes:	This is a good searching pattern for cloudy or overcast days. Use in moderate river flows, fished in a dead drift, and let it swing around until the fly starts to rise in the water.

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Name:	Caddis Nymph (#10 hook)
Fish:	Steelhead, Trout, Salmon
Notes:	This is a good pattern to "match the hatch." Use in moderate to swift river flows, fished in a dead drift, and let it swing around until the fly starts to rise in the water.

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Name:	Damselfly Nymph (#10 hook)
Fish:	Steelhead, Trout, Salmon, Perch, Bluegill
Notes:	This is a good pattern to "match the hatch." Use in moderate to slow river flows, fished in a dead drift or in calm water with a slow retrieve, and let it swing around until the fly starts to rise in the water.

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Name:	Scud (#10 hook)
Fish:	Steelhead, Trout, Salmon
Notes:	A scud is a freshwater shrimp-like animal. Fish this in early spring in backwaters of rivers, or in lakes near stream mouths. In still water, cast, let sink, then twitch slowly to keep it basically on the bottom.

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Name:	Scud, brass head, woven body (#10 hook)
Fish:	Steelhead, Trout, Salmon
Notes:	A scud is a freshwater shrimp-like animal. Fish this in early spring in backwaters of rivers, or in lakes near stream mouths. In still water, cast, let sink, then twitch slowly to keep it basically on the bottom.

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Name:	Stonefly Nymph, brass head, woven body (#10 hook)
Fish:	Steelhead, Trout
Notes:	Use this to match the hatch. When stoneflies are present, rocks on the stream bank will have their empty pupal casings littered about on them. Fish in a dead drift. Allow time to sink, but you want to keep this in the water collumn near the bottom, not actually on the bottom.

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Name:	Caddis Nymph, brass head, (#10 hook)
Fish:	Steelhead, Trout
Notes:	Use this to match the hatch. When caddis flies are present, they will fly in dense clouds over the water. They will seem to be everywhere. When this happens, get set for some heavy action! Fish in a dead drift, or with a very slow retrieve in calm waters. Allow time to sink, but you want to keep this in the water collumn anywhere between the bottom and the surface. You might want to try a caddis emerger pattern under these conditions also.

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Last modified: Thu Feb 7 13:08:49 CST 2002