Fly Fishing Insider Newsletter featuring Moose Turd Waking Fly

FISH LONG & PROSPER !!!

Topics
Moose Turds
Floating Bait Fish
Steelhead School
All pictures are "mouse-over".

At The Fly Fishing Shop, our fly selection is constantly evolving. New patterns are added by customer demand and as production is available. These new patterns are then added to our on-line catalog as time permits. The flies displayed on this page have also come on-line in our regular fly catalog.

The Moose Turd Waking Fly
Washington angler, Bill McMillan is credited with developing a "bomber" style steelhead waking fly called the Moose Turd. The Moose Turd has perhaps become the most popular steelhead waking fly used in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. The starkly contrasting black and white colors make this fly visible in nearly every light condition. The stiff up-turned front wing gives this pattern a lot of lift so that it slides across the current. As with most waking flies, Moose Turds perform best when riffle hitched and fished across glassy tailouts. Moose Turds also fish well without being "hitched". They are often effective when fished on textured surfaces. On the average, smaller Moose Turds will out fish larger ones.

Fly Pattern	Size	Price
The Moose Turd Waking Fly	6	3 for $6.85
The Moose Turd Waking Fly	8	3 for $6.85
	The Moose Turd is perhaps the most popular steelhead waking fly used in the Pacific Northwest.

Floating Bait Fish Flies

A Floating/Feeding Minnow lurks, waiting for a bass.

Sometimes bait fish are suspended in the water feeding near the surface. This is when they are most vulnerable to feeding game fish, not when they are hiding near the bottom. Startled bait fish that panic and race across the surface are often eaten by larger fish out of reflex.

Floating/Feeding Minnow patterns are designed to be fished with a floating line in the surface film. To make them most effective, make them dart around like they are feeding or are wounded and then let them rest suspended at the surface. You will be amazed at the strikes you can get from a variety of game fish. In rivers the Floating/Feeding Bait Fish patterns can be retrieved with very fast strips which will make the fly wobble like a swimming fish.
The Floating/Feeding Minnow can also be fished with sinking lines and are best retrieved with a strip-pause motion to simulate a bait that is crippled in the depths.

Fly Pattern	Size	Price
Floating/Feeding Smallmouth Fry	4	$2.75
	Smallmouth Bass are notorious cannibals. On a recent float down the John Day River we witnessed several little bass being eaten by larger bass. We fished this fly with a floating line and 6' leader. Retrieve it fast and watch the action. Hang on.

Fly Pattern	Sizes	Price
Floating/Feeding Shad	2	$2.75
Floating/Feeding Shad	6	$2.75
	This fly simulates a number of feeding baitfish. Juvenile shad, shiners, stickle backs and trout often hang suspended just under the surface feeding on tiny emerging insects etc. While in this mode they are extremely vulnerable to attack from below.

Fly Pattern	Size	Price
Floating/Feeding Bluegill Fry	4	$2.75
	Young bluegills often school suspended on the edge of weed beds and dart after small insects and water fleas. Big trout, crappies and bass often ambush them. This can be a deadly Smallmouth fly.

Fly Pattern	Size	Price
Floating/Feeding Rainbow Trout Fry	4	$2.75
	Big trout and bass eat little trout.

August 16 Summer Steelhead School Report

Brian Silvey explaining steelhead fly fishing basics to the class.

Jim Andrews plays his first (of many) Deschutes steelhead.

The Fly Fishing Shop's August 16-Hour Summer Steelhead School was attended by: Jim Andrews, Jeff Hunt, Keith Danielson, Randy Kane, Pat Wicker and April Wicker. Jim Andrews landed the only steelhead. He got it with a Purple Wooly Bugger and a spey rod.
The instructors felt that every student got a passing grade for focus, hard work and great attitudes on a day when river was very crowded & the fish were shut down. Thanks for this great letter Jim, you know if anyone writes anything nice about us, we're probably going to print it:

A salute to Mark Bachmann and Brian Silvey for a great Steelhead School on the Deschutes River yesterday. The instructions and demonstrations were thorough and professional. The BBQ steak at lunch was tasty and the afternoon nap most welcome. But, most important, I landed my first Deschutes steelie after more than 20 years of unsuccessful attempts on my own. And what a marvelous wild fish it was: something under 15 pounds yesterday when I released it, I find it has grown to something under 20 pounds this morning and I would not be surprised to find that it is something under 25 pounds by weeks end. One Suggestion: the curriculum should include instruction on holding the Spey rod and the fish for the photo so the student doesn’t fumble the fish too many times before the guide can take the photo.

Thanks for a great fishing experience.
Jim Andrews

Be sure to check out our ALL NEW Fishing Reports Section !!!

The Fly Fishing Shop, Welches, OR

1(800) 266-3971

To Top

www.flyfishUSA.com

Fish long & prosper,
Mark Bachmann & Patty Barnes