Larry Myhre's 8 "Go-to" Flies
Larry Myhre is the former Editor of the Sioux City Journal newspaper and a very well known outdoor writer and experienced outdoorsman. For 44 years Larry wrote the Sioux City Journal's weekly column "Siouxland Outdoors" which covered fishing, hunting, trapping, wildlife and outdoor photography and anything else that involved outdoor sporting life. He has also written articles for Outdoorsmen Magazine, and he is the Co-host of the television series "Outdoorsmen Adventures Television", produced by Gary Howey. Larry is a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, and the Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers and was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in 2016. Needless to say he is an avid fly fisherman. In his spare time Larry somehow finds time to build beautiful, high quality and very fishable bamboo rods. At our April 2016 regular monthly meeting Siouxland Fly Fishing was fortunate to have Larry present a program to Club members in which he discussed his 8 go-to flies and how to tie them. Here they are.
The Gimph
Hook: Size 10 wet fly
Tail: Small bunch of dun hen hackle fibers
Body: Grey wool or dubbed beaver, or peacock herl
Wing: Two Amherst tippet "gimp" feathers tied flat
Hackle: Two wraps of dun hen
Cap's Cricket
Hook: Size 10 wet fly
Tail: Red hackle feathers
Body: Peacock Herl
Wing: Black hackle fibers
Hackle: Two wraps of black neck feather
Beaver Nymph
Hook: Mustad 2X Long Size 10
Tail: Two black hackle tips tied splayed
Weight: Lead wire
Body: Beaver dubbing wound thick
Rib: Black hackle trimmed
Hackle: Several turns of black hackle, trimmed top and bottom
Mallard Quill (unweighted)
Hook: Mustard 2X Long Size 10
Weight: Two lead wires tied horizontally along each side of the hook shank
Tail: Two black hackle tips splayed
Body: Mallard quill strip wrapped tightly
Ribbing: Two black hacker wrapped between each quill turn. At head make several turns to create legs
Trim top and bottom
Pheasant McGinty
Hook: Size 10 wet fly
Tail: Red hackle fibers
Body: Yellow and black chenille
Hackle: "Blue" rooster pheasant body feather (or brown hen hackle)
Black Ant
Hook: Size 10 wet fly
Butt: Fluorescent orange floss
Body: Two humps of black tying threat. Apply several coats of head finnish or one coat of 5 minute epoxy
Hackle: Two wraps of black hackle
Cased Caddis
Hook: Size 10 curved shank hook
Body: Grey wool
Rib: Two grizzly hackles trimmed
Head: Black Ostrich herl
Hackle: Two wraps black hackle
Foam Hopper
Body: Foam strip of desired color twice as long as hook and approximately 1/4 -inch wide
Hook: Size 10 1X Long dry fly
Wing: Deer hair or elk
Legs: Crazy Legs
Method:
Cover the hook shank in thread and coat with head cement or super glue to thread to shank. Cut strip from 2 mil foam twice as long as the hook shank, width about one-quarter inch. Attach foam to shank with thread wraps directly above the barb, leaving a piece extending back behind the hook. Wrap thread toward head to next segment, then tie the foam onto shank. Wrap the thread forward again to next segment and tie down the foam. Wrap thread to eye and tie down foam again, leaving the remaining foam strip extending forward past the eye of hook. At the last tie down point tie in a piece of deer hair or elk and spread out with thumbnail. Tie in a piece or rubber leg on each side of the fly. Fold the foam that is extending forward back to the most forward segment and tie down. Tie on a small piece of brightly colored foam as a sight indicator and whip finish the thread.