Fly Of the Month
This years fly on the Month is going to focus on Mike Lawson’s Deadly Dozen. We plan on having videos of how to tie each pattern. We will also have kits on our online store that will have the materials needed for each pattern. We will offer a selection of the fly of the month offered at a discount. The first fly we are going to start with will be the Hen Saddle Matuka.
Matuka
The streamer game has changed drastically since I started fishing. When I started it was clouser minnows, muddler minnows and my favorite the spruce muddler. There were also matukas and woolly buggers. By today’s standards these streamers are small and not as impressive. Most streamers in our bins look more like a brightly colored Christmas trees or a 4th of July fireworks display. Don’t get me wrong, I fish them all. There is just something about a big fish crushing a streamer that looks like a dead cat being drug across the river! If you look in my steamer box today however, you will still find a few spruce muddlers and matukas. The word matuka comes from New Zealand and refers to the style that the fly is tied. The beauty of this tying style is the fly is less likely to foul. There is nothing more frustrating than when a streamer fouls. Tie the lead eyes on the top of the hook shank and invert the fly to finish. I think this pattern looks much like the sculpins that call the Henry’s Fork home. Tie this pattern in whatever colors you want. I would have them in black, green, yellow, olive and tan. February and March is a great time of the year to fish steamers. Fish them low and slow this time of the year. The water is cold and fish don’t chase as hard as they will when water temps get warmer. Be sure to check out our video “Down and Dirty Streamer Fishing.” Access can be an issue this time of the year as well. Just about every boat ramp in our area is buried in five feet of snow. A pair of snow shoes is a good idea. Once you’re in the river start at the top of the run, then cast across and down. I just let the current swing my matuka across the river. It’s a lot like steelhead fishing. The strike will not be soft, and it’s going to feel like a train crash. We have plenty of matukas in stock. Check out our online store for tying materials kits.
