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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.

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