From the start of this series, "The Bass Flies Of A. J. McClane" (<<<< link), we have examined the favorite bass flies of one of America's greatest fishing writers and sportsmen: A.J. McClane.
He spent 40 years as fishing editor for Sports Afield, and wrote what is now a classic, not-to-be missed book on the subject, "The Practical Fly Fisherman," first published in 1953.
This was a time when fly fishing for bass was generally considered second rate behind trout angling. But Mr. McClane didn't think so - he devoted an entire chapter in this monumental work to the pursuit.
Many of the patterns he recommends are likely unfamiliar to you. They are what we today would call, "old school," and a good number of them are wet flies, of all things. The majority of you reading this probably weren't born when these were hot, either. But that's okay, |because you can bet the bass haven't seen much of them, either!
He spent 40 years as fishing editor for Sports Afield, and wrote what is now a classic, not-to-be missed book on the subject, "The Practical Fly Fisherman," first published in 1953.
This was a time when fly fishing for bass was generally considered second rate behind trout angling. But Mr. McClane didn't think so - he devoted an entire chapter in this monumental work to the pursuit.
Many of the patterns he recommends are likely unfamiliar to you. They are what we today would call, "old school," and a good number of them are wet flies, of all things. The majority of you reading this probably weren't born when these were hot, either. But that's okay, |because you can bet the bass haven't seen much of them, either!
Here in part 3, we will conclude the series by first looking at a rather unque and mostly forgotten type of fly. Then we will move to surface "bugs," and even some dry fly patterns!
Lastly, with Mr. McClanes help, I will set the record straight about one the most iconic - and misunderstood - streamer patterns in the business.
----------- ↭ ---------
Spinner Fly
First up is a device that is both spinning lure, and fly, combined. It is primarily a near-surface offering, so it fits into this part of the series which deals mostly with surface fishing.
To say the spinner fly is an oddity today is no understatement; it is mostly unknown, except to a few.
But it was quite common in McClanes day, going back to just before the turn of the 19th Century. It is also quite effective, so why it is ignored is a mystery.
But it was quite common in McClanes day, going back to just before the turn of the 19th Century. It is also quite effective, so why it is ignored is a mystery.
And don't let the word, “spinner,” confuse you – it is in every sense of the word, a fly rod pattern.
This is because casting a lightweight lure, like a spinner, was only really possible with the fly rod in 1953. The bait casting gear of the period was out of the question for this work, and spinning tackle had not taken off yet. Interestingly, it was Mr. McClane himself who was instrumental in making spin fishing popular.
But, fly-specific spinners were a standard feature when McClane wrote "The Practical Fly Fisherman." My dad had them in his tackle box, too, and they are still around by the name, "Idaho Spinner". The Hildebrandt company continues to make them, as far as I know, following in the footsteps of their original creator, John Hildebrandt himself.
So, how can you have a spinner and a fly, together?
Well, purist notions aside, we are talking about a nearly weightless inline spinner, which can be cast with a fly rod....
The Idaho Spinner
In essence it is a nearly weightless inline spinner, which can be cast with a fly rod. To the spinner's rear section, you ad your own gaudy wet fly design and voila! You have a Spinner Fly.
McClane reminds us that the reason for the spinner is to both attract game fish with its flash and sound, and to simulate the darting antics of a minnow. "Bass especially," he tells us, "...are fond of such things."
However, he is specific as to what flies work best when making up a spinner fly:
“Only wingless, fat bodied wet patterns with long hackles, tied on straight, ring eye hooks are reliable for this kind of fishing.
Stiff upright wings, as found on many trout wet flies, cause the lure to twist and turn in the water, and the feathers often get snagged on the spinner blade.
But a 'hackled' pattern with a fat body is very lifelike and is easily manipulated. Long, flowing hackles and ringed-eye hooks...that's the stuff good spinner flies are made of.”
In summary, the spinner fly McClane recommends is a palmered hackle wet fly without appendages or wings, tied on a straight eye hook. Think a symmetrical Wooly Worm type pattern with soft, flowing hackles, and you have the idea.
He is also not shy about the colors; he suggests what are almost circus-like decorations...
1. Yellow chenille/yellow palmered hackle/red tail
2. Orange chenille/white palmered hackle/red tail
3. The Woolly Worm, itself (seen also in part two as a recommended bass fly)
Finally, he says a great many flies will do in this role, as long as they are obnoxiously bright and have these construction features.
Bass Bugs
At this point, we leave the world of undewater flies and pop up to the surface with floating flies.
McClane begins here with the pattern style we call, “bass bugs.” He tells us this genre first started with swampers in Missouri and Arkansas. They stuck hooks and feathers in beer bottle corks, well before the 1900's, and a revolution was started.
From there, the type exploded into a zillion patterns, “... a significant percentage of which are worthless,”as McClane puts it.
He separates the group into two distinct sorts – soft bodied and hard bodied.
Soft Bodied Hair Bugs
Here McClane recommends several bass bugs based on deer hair as a material. These were common at the time, since foam and more modern synthetic materials were still off in the future.
Keep also in mind that at the time, there were few fly tyers compared to today. Certainly few were focused on bass, exclusively. The glut of materials, online shopping, and everyone on social media or Youtube angling for attention (and sales) well,.... that stuff didn't exist in 1953.
So most of what he talks about were commercial offerings, sold through mail order catalogs, or available from shops and retailers. Suppliers and designs come and go, however, and most of the vintage original makers are long gone.
With that in mind, I attempt to show an exact version from the period where possible, or something modern, but very near to them.
- Messinger Deer Hair Frog
Mr.McClane admits this is a good casting bug despite its appearance to the contrary. It is made with bucktail legs tied with the angled kink seen in the foto. These are paired with a soft, spongy deer hair body and leering, googly eyes.
Much is made of the pliant, “chewy' nature of these flies, something we mentioned in the last installment, Bass Flies of A.J. McClane, part 2.
The idea is that these patterns appeal to the fish because of they are, "toothsome" - they feel like the real thing in the mouth and so the fish hold onto them longer. And when it comes to bass, frog patterns are rightly at the top of the list.
- Tuttle Devil Bug
These beasties were large, as flies go, looking rather like giant beetles. The story goes that when Orley Tuttle's wife, Lottie, saw the first ones, she exclaimed, “It looks like the devil!”
The Devil Bugs were tied with a rounded, cotton twine underbody on the hook shank, over which was pulled a covering of deer hair. This was all bound at the rear of the hook with copper wire. The tips of the deer hair faced to the rear as a tail, with the headcut short and bristly.
The Devil Bugs were tied with a rounded, cotton twine underbody on the hook shank, over which was pulled a covering of deer hair. This was all bound at the rear of the hook with copper wire. The tips of the deer hair faced to the rear as a tail, with the headcut short and bristly.
Some of today's deer hair mouse patterns might stand-in for this pattern, especially if you tied them with the all-important, bushy deer-hair tail. The Tuttle Devil Bug from McClane's day was also 1-3” long, and rather unique as we can see from the pictures.
P.S. I have since learned that the Devil Bug is still with us, commercially. It is still hand-tied, too, and sold by Eppinger, of all people. Yes, this is the same Eppinger that makes the famous red-and-white Daredevle spoon. You have to contact them directly and ask for it, however, as it is a special order item and isn't cataloged in their regular line-up.
You can reach them at
Eppinger Mfg. Co.
6340 Schaefer
Dearborn, MI 48126
313-582-3205
email: jennifer@dardevle.com
If you want to have a go at tying your own Devil Bug, there's a good tutorial here:
https://raysfly.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/freshwatersweetwater-fly-of-the-month-julyaugust-2012/
- Deer Hair Bugs
Here we get into the realm of the more familiar, packed deer hair bass bug. These were treated as a group of patterns by McClane, and not a single, commercial model, so I include a picture of Jack Ellis's, "Fence Rider," to illustrate the type.
These "bugs" were very popular in McClanes time, being made of a readily available, natural material. Many had the front face coated with cellulose varnish to toughen them up.
He also mentions what we know about them in our time, too: they will absorb water after a while, and you need to have extras to tie on when they turn soggy.
Once removed from use, let them air dry on your fly patch. After a few hours, they are ready to go again. A light dressing of floatant was also recommended.
Nothing much seems to have changed with these from his time, to now. In fact, there is a modern resurgence around these vintage bugs. Many modern tyers have rediscovered both their effectiveness and a certain pride in creating what are literally works of art from deer hair.
Hard Bodied Cork Bass Bugs
- Peckinpaugh Feather Minnows
Ernest Peckinpaugh of Tennessee is credited with bringing some of the first commercially tied flies to the US market, and the familiar cork “popper” was among his initial offerings. These are recommended by MacClane.
But, that style eventually led to the development of what came to be called, 'feather minnows,' and McClane also directs our attention to those as bass flies.
These are basically a regular popper, but with the body turned around backwards. You can see that in the picture above. The popular name for these today would be a, “slider;” exemplified by such patterns as the “Sneaky Pete.”
About the only real difference then, from now, is the absence of rubber legs. This material was known in 1953, but it wasn't universally adopted like it is now.
Wilder Dilg Feathered Minnow
Wilder Dilg "Spook," clear plastic version
- Wilder-Dilg Minnows
This is another that earns a specific mention from MacClane. The Wilder-Dilg line of suruface bugs was inspired by the earlier Peckinpaugh patterns. As you can see, there is very little difference between them.
The story goes that B.F. Wilder liked the 'Peck' designs so much, he worried he might run out - so he had copies made by Bill Dilg. In time, these flies were marketed under the Wilder-Dilg name.
They are, again, the same bullet-headed, slider format, with variations in dressings and colors. The Wilder-Dilg line was eventually bought by Heddon and Sons, somewhere around the 1960's.
Dry Flies
During the Spring, its easy for the novice angler to get the idea that bass are easy to catch.
They're hungry, as they are either prepping to spawn, or have just finished. But, the season soon changes and settles into warmer grooves. Food becomes more varied and abundant, and the fish get more selective, even cautious. This is the time for a change of pace – the DRY FLY.
In the old days, if you could carve initials into a tree with a pocketknife, most any broomstick could be made into a bass plug. Most commercial lures were not much lmore than that.
Today, things are a bit different. I hesitate to use the word, “educated” with bass, but the modern bass we mostly go for are conditioned to the presence of plugs, plastic worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, umbrella rigs....Wow! The've seen it all!
And if they've lived a few years and haven't yet moved in with their deep water brethren, odds are very good they have been hook-bit, too.
So if endless casting for numbers, or weights of fish has lost its luster, it may be time for a change-up. And few switcheroos are as fulfilling as fishing a dry fly for bass!
Details
We should be reminded here that this DRY-FLY-FOR-BASS idea comes to us from 1953, and A.J. McClane, one of the most famous 20th Century American anglers. I just wanted to mention that, again, to make sure we are paying attention.
Even so, this idea of the dry fly for bass is probably only rarely considered in 2023 by The Wavers of the Fairy Stick, aka, fly anglers.
I'm well aware that fly fishing for bass has become a big fan-boy pasttime. Sure.
But, using bonafide dry flies over lurid, whopping big foam and hair creations is pretty far out of the box for most modern "fly bro's."
And more's the pity.
Why a pity? Because it means most are missing out on some great sport angling. Both large- and smallmouth bass are generally willing risers to large, dry-fly insect patterns in the shallows, and this holds true whether on stream or stillwater.
P.S. I have since learned that the Devil Bug is still with us, commercially. It is still hand-tied, too, and sold by Eppinger, of all people. Yes, this is the same Eppinger that makes the famous red-and-white Daredevle spoon. You have to contact them directly and ask for it, however, as it is a special order item and isn't cataloged in their regular line-up.
You can reach them at
Eppinger Mfg. Co.
6340 Schaefer
Dearborn, MI 48126
313-582-3205
email: jennifer@dardevle.com
If you want to have a go at tying your own Devil Bug, there's a good tutorial here:
https://raysfly.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/freshwatersweetwater-fly-of-the-month-julyaugust-2012/
"The Fence Rider"
By Jack Ellis
By Jack Ellis
- Deer Hair Bugs
Here we get into the realm of the more familiar, packed deer hair bass bug. These were treated as a group of patterns by McClane, and not a single, commercial model, so I include a picture of Jack Ellis's, "Fence Rider," to illustrate the type.
These "bugs" were very popular in McClanes time, being made of a readily available, natural material. Many had the front face coated with cellulose varnish to toughen them up.
He also mentions what we know about them in our time, too: they will absorb water after a while, and you need to have extras to tie on when they turn soggy.
Once removed from use, let them air dry on your fly patch. After a few hours, they are ready to go again. A light dressing of floatant was also recommended.
Nothing much seems to have changed with these from his time, to now. In fact, there is a modern resurgence around these vintage bugs. Many modern tyers have rediscovered both their effectiveness and a certain pride in creating what are literally works of art from deer hair.
Hard Bodied Cork Bass Bugs
- Peckinpaugh Feather Minnows
Ernest Peckinpaugh of Tennessee is credited with bringing some of the first commercially tied flies to the US market, and the familiar cork “popper” was among his initial offerings. These are recommended by MacClane.
But, that style eventually led to the development of what came to be called, 'feather minnows,' and McClane also directs our attention to those as bass flies.
These are basically a regular popper, but with the body turned around backwards. You can see that in the picture above. The popular name for these today would be a, “slider;” exemplified by such patterns as the “Sneaky Pete.”
About the only real difference then, from now, is the absence of rubber legs. This material was known in 1953, but it wasn't universally adopted like it is now.
Wilder Dilg Feathered Minnow
Wilder Dilg "Spook," clear plastic version
- Wilder-Dilg Minnows
This is another that earns a specific mention from MacClane. The Wilder-Dilg line of suruface bugs was inspired by the earlier Peckinpaugh patterns. As you can see, there is very little difference between them.
The story goes that B.F. Wilder liked the 'Peck' designs so much, he worried he might run out - so he had copies made by Bill Dilg. In time, these flies were marketed under the Wilder-Dilg name.
They are, again, the same bullet-headed, slider format, with variations in dressings and colors. The Wilder-Dilg line was eventually bought by Heddon and Sons, somewhere around the 1960's.
Dry Flies
During the Spring, its easy for the novice angler to get the idea that bass are easy to catch.
They're hungry, as they are either prepping to spawn, or have just finished. But, the season soon changes and settles into warmer grooves. Food becomes more varied and abundant, and the fish get more selective, even cautious. This is the time for a change of pace – the DRY FLY.
In the old days, if you could carve initials into a tree with a pocketknife, most any broomstick could be made into a bass plug. Most commercial lures were not much lmore than that.
Today, things are a bit different. I hesitate to use the word, “educated” with bass, but the modern bass we mostly go for are conditioned to the presence of plugs, plastic worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, umbrella rigs....Wow! The've seen it all!
And if they've lived a few years and haven't yet moved in with their deep water brethren, odds are very good they have been hook-bit, too.
So if endless casting for numbers, or weights of fish has lost its luster, it may be time for a change-up. And few switcheroos are as fulfilling as fishing a dry fly for bass!
Details
We should be reminded here that this DRY-FLY-FOR-BASS idea comes to us from 1953, and A.J. McClane, one of the most famous 20th Century American anglers. I just wanted to mention that, again, to make sure we are paying attention.
Even so, this idea of the dry fly for bass is probably only rarely considered in 2023 by The Wavers of the Fairy Stick, aka, fly anglers.
I'm well aware that fly fishing for bass has become a big fan-boy pasttime. Sure.
But, using bonafide dry flies over lurid, whopping big foam and hair creations is pretty far out of the box for most modern "fly bro's."
And more's the pity.
Why a pity? Because it means most are missing out on some great sport angling. Both large- and smallmouth bass are generally willing risers to large, dry-fly insect patterns in the shallows, and this holds true whether on stream or stillwater.
However, if you are willing to put down your Gamechangers and craft beer to step this far out of the box, only a couple things are needed to make it happen:
1. Proper type waters: the typical weedy, stump ridden “pond” environment.
2. Timing: certain periods of the year and day.
The latter point is variable. You cannot know with absolute certainty the exact time to tie on a juicy floating fly. It might be the one to start with, or the one to use when all the other methods fail. Thats the challenge behind this change of pace.
When going for bass dry flies, there is one glaringly obvious difference to keep in mind – they are tied huge, gargantuan even, compared to their trouty counterparts.
For hook sizes, we're talking anything from 2-8, with size 6 a good average.
McClane also stresses that you tie them bushier for bass.
At this point, McClane gives an extreme example of bushy and shaggy in the classic olf pattern, "The Powder Puff."
There are modern patterns that copy this name in some form, but this is the version first tied and fished by Fred Geist, in 1940. It is nothing but deer hair, spun and packed on a hook in the usual way. BUT, it is NOT trimmed to shape; it is left in that state. The fly is essentially a hairy ping-pong ball.
A modern pattern called the, "Drunk and Disorderly" copies this method for the head, but adds whopping big tails - cool idea, but not the same.
Mr. Geist and his creation came to the attention of McClane sometime around 1944, and he has this to say about the Powder Puff.... “Despite its bulky appearance, The Powder Puff has little weight or air resistance. It sits down gently, and 'works' on the water with just a few twitches of the rod tip. Geists' brainchild has a long record of bass killing and belongs in the kit of every fly rod angler.”
I think that clinches it...we want bigger and bushier dry flies for bass.
Besides the Powder Puff, Mr. McClane goes on to recommend the following dry flies for bass:
- Bivisibles, both brown and black (work some foam strips into the underbody for a longer float, if you want)
- Big hairwing patterns, exemplified by the Grey and White Wulff. These would be my choice.
- Patterns with close-shaved deer hair bodies, like the white-winged McDougal or Irresistible.m chiunky and hairy
- Pretty much most any dry fly you can make big, chunky, and hairy. I show a Black Gnat as an example.
Black/white Bivisible
Gray Wulff / White Wulff
MacDougal
White-Wing Black Gnat
Bass Hackle Fly
A fly McClane did not recommend, but which I think would fit quite well into this line-up, is one I call a, "bottle brush fly," also known in earlier times as a, “Bass Hackle Fly.”
I gather they weren't unknown in 1953, as I've seen them in books from the early 20th Century. I've tried them with orange-dyed hackle and caught fish as handy as you'd like.
This drawing and description is from George Herters book(2), and gives a good start...
Bass Hackle Fly
Muddler Minnow
Last but not least we come to McClanes big bad boy - The Muddler Minnnow. No other pattern in his book gets the same glowing praise as this classic.
The Muddler Minnow was originated in the mid-1930's By Don Gapen of Anoka, MN. 90 years later, it needs little introduction in fly fishing circles. It has a following around the world, and appears on nearly all Top 10 Flies list you'll find.
It can be a surface fly, a hopper, a swimmer, a bottom scrubber, and it has beentied tied in a zillion variations.
And thats where the little problem with it starts.
In McClanes day, the Muddler Minnow was a rather different beast than the thick, bullet-headed model seen today. That variation was a modification from the original, intended to imitate a grasshopper. It appeared only after the fly moved out West in the late 1950's.
1. Proper type waters: the typical weedy, stump ridden “pond” environment.
2. Timing: certain periods of the year and day.
The latter point is variable. You cannot know with absolute certainty the exact time to tie on a juicy floating fly. It might be the one to start with, or the one to use when all the other methods fail. Thats the challenge behind this change of pace.
When going for bass dry flies, there is one glaringly obvious difference to keep in mind – they are tied huge, gargantuan even, compared to their trouty counterparts.
For hook sizes, we're talking anything from 2-8, with size 6 a good average.
McClane also stresses that you tie them bushier for bass.
At this point, McClane gives an extreme example of bushy and shaggy in the classic olf pattern, "The Powder Puff."
There are modern patterns that copy this name in some form, but this is the version first tied and fished by Fred Geist, in 1940. It is nothing but deer hair, spun and packed on a hook in the usual way. BUT, it is NOT trimmed to shape; it is left in that state. The fly is essentially a hairy ping-pong ball.
A modern pattern called the, "Drunk and Disorderly" copies this method for the head, but adds whopping big tails - cool idea, but not the same.
Mr. Geist and his creation came to the attention of McClane sometime around 1944, and he has this to say about the Powder Puff.... “Despite its bulky appearance, The Powder Puff has little weight or air resistance. It sits down gently, and 'works' on the water with just a few twitches of the rod tip. Geists' brainchild has a long record of bass killing and belongs in the kit of every fly rod angler.”
I think that clinches it...we want bigger and bushier dry flies for bass.
Besides the Powder Puff, Mr. McClane goes on to recommend the following dry flies for bass:
- Bivisibles, both brown and black (work some foam strips into the underbody for a longer float, if you want)
- Big hairwing patterns, exemplified by the Grey and White Wulff. These would be my choice.
- Patterns with close-shaved deer hair bodies, like the white-winged McDougal or Irresistible.m chiunky and hairy
- Pretty much most any dry fly you can make big, chunky, and hairy. I show a Black Gnat as an example.
Black/white Bivisible
Gray Wulff / White Wulff
MacDougal
White-Wing Black Gnat
Bass Hackle Fly
A fly McClane did not recommend, but which I think would fit quite well into this line-up, is one I call a, "bottle brush fly," also known in earlier times as a, “Bass Hackle Fly.”
I gather they weren't unknown in 1953, as I've seen them in books from the early 20th Century. I've tried them with orange-dyed hackle and caught fish as handy as you'd like.
This drawing and description is from George Herters book(2), and gives a good start...
Bass Hackle Fly
Last but not least we come to McClanes big bad boy - The Muddler Minnnow. No other pattern in his book gets the same glowing praise as this classic.
The Muddler Minnow was originated in the mid-1930's By Don Gapen of Anoka, MN. 90 years later, it needs little introduction in fly fishing circles. It has a following around the world, and appears on nearly all Top 10 Flies list you'll find.
It can be a surface fly, a hopper, a swimmer, a bottom scrubber, and it has beentied tied in a zillion variations.
And thats where the little problem with it starts.
In McClanes day, the Muddler Minnow was a rather different beast than the thick, bullet-headed model seen today. That variation was a modification from the original, intended to imitate a grasshopper. It appeared only after the fly moved out West in the late 1950's.
Did you get that? The Muddler Minnow you think you know came late to the party. It isn't the original.
Lets add it up:
25 years after origination + half a continent away + a different purpose = same name, different fly.
Flatly put, when “The Practical Fly Fisherman” was published in 1953, McClane was writing about a different Muddler Minnow than we think we know.
1. For starters, The Muddler Minnow in his fly box was tied on quite a long hook.
5, 6, 7XL wouldn't be wrong to create the lanky Muddler Minnow from the period.
2. Next, the "true" Muddler Minnow was tied with sparse dressing.
Compared to the shaving brush versions popular today, the mix of hair and feathers was pretty thin, and the Gapen Company still ties them that way.
3. What about that famous Muddler head?
The head and collar on McClanes fly were both formed from the same smallish, coarse clump of deer hair. That thick, slick, multi-layered head we laboriously shave into shape nowadays? It was unheard of.
4. It was not a tidy, well-groomed fly.
Words like “scruffy,” or “ragged,” come to mind to describe those ancestral Muddlers.
Just WHAT the Muddler Minnow is supposed to imitate also seems to have gotten 'muddled' since Gapen first tied it on Ontario's Nipigon River.
If you ask ten modern fly tyers, I'm betting bearly all will say the fly represents... drumroll please ...
A SCULPIN. That has been part of the lore for a long time.
In case you didn't know, sculpins are ugly, bottom dwelling fish that look kinda like Jabba The Hutt.... with similar personalities.
But, according to Mr. McClane, Don Gapen intended for his fly to mimic a DARTER MINNOW, which are svelte little fishes in the same general family as perches.
I know, I know, this flies hard in the face of current thought on the matter, and I'm sure argument will arise on this point. But, if there's one thing I've learned from researching in the old books, it is this:
Details often change from the early days.
Word gets passed around, someone repeats what someone else said, and people add their own spin to it.
It criss-crosses the country, people forget about the original as they come up with variations, and pretty soon the name is there, but the pattern has morphed.
Lets add it up:
25 years after origination + half a continent away + a different purpose = same name, different fly.
Flatly put, when “The Practical Fly Fisherman” was published in 1953, McClane was writing about a different Muddler Minnow than we think we know.
1. For starters, The Muddler Minnow in his fly box was tied on quite a long hook.
5, 6, 7XL wouldn't be wrong to create the lanky Muddler Minnow from the period.
2. Next, the "true" Muddler Minnow was tied with sparse dressing.
Compared to the shaving brush versions popular today, the mix of hair and feathers was pretty thin, and the Gapen Company still ties them that way.
3. What about that famous Muddler head?
The head and collar on McClanes fly were both formed from the same smallish, coarse clump of deer hair. That thick, slick, multi-layered head we laboriously shave into shape nowadays? It was unheard of.
4. It was not a tidy, well-groomed fly.
Words like “scruffy,” or “ragged,” come to mind to describe those ancestral Muddlers.
Just WHAT the Muddler Minnow is supposed to imitate also seems to have gotten 'muddled' since Gapen first tied it on Ontario's Nipigon River.
If you ask ten modern fly tyers, I'm betting bearly all will say the fly represents... drumroll please ...
A SCULPIN. That has been part of the lore for a long time.
In case you didn't know, sculpins are ugly, bottom dwelling fish that look kinda like Jabba The Hutt.... with similar personalities.
But, according to Mr. McClane, Don Gapen intended for his fly to mimic a DARTER MINNOW, which are svelte little fishes in the same general family as perches.
I know, I know, this flies hard in the face of current thought on the matter, and I'm sure argument will arise on this point. But, if there's one thing I've learned from researching in the old books, it is this:
Details often change from the early days.
Word gets passed around, someone repeats what someone else said, and people add their own spin to it.
It criss-crosses the country, people forget about the original as they come up with variations, and pretty soon the name is there, but the pattern has morphed.
This is made worse by the very technology we rely on.
We are accustomed to well-produced fly tying videos and written details that read like instructions for the space shuttle. No detail is left out; little is left to the imagination.
All that is required is one small slip up, one change from the original, and it is shared around the world before lunch. Pretty soon no one remembers anything about the original.
Well, it wasn't like that, back in the day.
It was worse.
Instructions came from those thing called books... you remember books, right? And in those arcane books, actual instructions were as obscure as UFO sightings in Russia. For the most part, those authors generally assumed you already knew the difference between a bodkin and a dubbing loop.
Illustrations were usually line drawings, fairly crude, and basic. Photographs, if there were any, were few in number, grainy, and out of focus. Materials and techniques had different names than we know, and were often mentioned only in passing.
Bottom line is, anyone today that can tie flies from the old books has put in the work to get there.
We are accustomed to well-produced fly tying videos and written details that read like instructions for the space shuttle. No detail is left out; little is left to the imagination.
All that is required is one small slip up, one change from the original, and it is shared around the world before lunch. Pretty soon no one remembers anything about the original.
Well, it wasn't like that, back in the day.
It was worse.
Instructions came from those thing called books... you remember books, right? And in those arcane books, actual instructions were as obscure as UFO sightings in Russia. For the most part, those authors generally assumed you already knew the difference between a bodkin and a dubbing loop.
Illustrations were usually line drawings, fairly crude, and basic. Photographs, if there were any, were few in number, grainy, and out of focus. Materials and techniques had different names than we know, and were often mentioned only in passing.
Bottom line is, anyone today that can tie flies from the old books has put in the work to get there.
So it is not hard to see that the transition from the original to what we know today has not been smooth. Put another way, things got "muddled" around from the original.
But since this is about McClanes chosen bass flies, from HIS place in time, I'm going with the original Muddler Minnow. This means a relatively slim, scruffy, sparsely tied streamer that mimic's a darter minnow.
Take a look at the accompanying photographs to see what I mean.
What we are trying to imitate is this guy....
darter minnow
Not this guy...
sculpin
Which leads us to an original Muddler Minnow, as tied by Don Gapen....
Here's one packaged for sale, circa 1960's....
And here's what Gapen Fly and Tackle Co. has on their website as of today...
Epilogue
I never thought I'd write an epilgoue to a blog post. But it has been five years since I started, "The Bass Flies Of A.J. McClane,"...this, my bass fly journey.
Many things have come down the road to side-track me, and if I'm honest with myself, it was an arduous undertaking for which I was unprepared - I bit off more than I could chew.
But it never stopped bubbling in the back of my mind, nagging at me to be completed.
I suppose every writer goes through this, having a folder of half-starts and almost done pieces...or maybe it's just me. Regardless, there is always something to work on.
However, this particular journey draws to a close.
It is not completely over, of course, because there are other chapters in McClanes book from which we can draw inspiration. "The Practical Fly Fisherman" remains one of those timeless superlatives to which you can return again and again.
But for now, I wish to thank you for joining me in this epic, and being here with me at the destination.
------------------------- ↭ -------------------------
I never thought I'd write an epilgoue to a blog post. But it has been five years since I started, "The Bass Flies Of A.J. McClane,"...this, my bass fly journey.
Many things have come down the road to side-track me, and if I'm honest with myself, it was an arduous undertaking for which I was unprepared - I bit off more than I could chew.
But it never stopped bubbling in the back of my mind, nagging at me to be completed.
I suppose every writer goes through this, having a folder of half-starts and almost done pieces...or maybe it's just me. Regardless, there is always something to work on.
However, this particular journey draws to a close.
It is not completely over, of course, because there are other chapters in McClanes book from which we can draw inspiration. "The Practical Fly Fisherman" remains one of those timeless superlatives to which you can return again and again.
But for now, I wish to thank you for joining me in this epic, and being here with me at the destination.
------------------------- ↭ -------------------------
Writers should always strive for a job well done... even mediocre ones like me. So if you found value in this article, please like, comment, and share it.
Would you like to add the catching pattern(s) seen here to your own fly or tackle box? Do you have questions, gripes, or suggestions?
If so, email me at...dahutist@gmail.com
© All rights reserved, David Hutton/Palmetto Fly N Fish 2023
References
1. “The Practical Fly Fisherman,” Albert Jules, “A..J.” McClane, 2nd Edition, 1975, Prentice Hall
2, “Professional Fly Tying, Spinning and Tackle Making Manual and Manufacturers Guide,” George L. Herter, 17th Edition, 1968, Herters, Inc.
3. Fly Anglers Online – www.flyanglersonline.com
4. “Black Bass Lore,” Wallace Gallagher, 1937, Van Rees Press
5. http://www.bassfly.com/oldbassfly/peckandbetts/pecksandbetts.htm
6. Google, google, and more google
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