55 on the fly

Well folks it's turkey season and I love to be out there hunting the big birds this time of year.  This spring the hunting has been tough with all the rain and such.  Maybe I'm getting old but I hate hunting in the rain... Anyway, I got out to hunt yesterday with my good friend Clint and we had a great morning.  Clint had these birds figured out and he put this "Super Jake" right in my lap for an easy shot.  The gobbler had a 7 inch beard, 1/2 inch spurs and weighed 17 pounds. Lot's of good eating and fly tying materials, collected the old fashion way...

I designed this caddis fly to have a bubble back as an emerger. I use "Bug Bond" on the top of the thorax cover to produce this effect. Notice the bubble back effect of the tinsel and the  Bug Bond. Hook: scud #14-16 Thread: 8/0 Uni brown Rib: small copper Body: marabou fibers dubbed on waxed thread, ribbed and brushed out to create fuzzy body Wings/Legs: Partridge feather “V” cut and folded back for thorax cover Thorax: hares ear dubbing Thorax Cover: thin strip of holographic tinsel pulled forward over thorax cover... then apply a drop of bug bond on top and UV treat to harden. Variations include: bead head, opal tinsel ribbing then used in the thorax cover, tan body and pheasant feather for wing and legs with squirrel dubbing for thorax. This fly is very effective as a dropper here on my home waters in NY in size #16 and size #14 in MT.