... as described in the FAOL FOTW for 6-7-10 titled JC's Salmonfly ...

"I tied and fished the first version of this fly just a few days after Jim Birkholm passed away last year. I had originally given it a different name. When the fly proved itself on the water, I renamed it, dedicating it to JC in appreciation for what he and Deanna have contributed to the fly fishing community over the years, specifically with the FAOL website, and more personally, what they and FAOL contributed to my development as a fly fisher and fly tier and how I conduct myself on the streams and rivers I fish.

A companion fly, the LF Golden Stone, is tied using a shorter hook and changing the colors of the tying thread (yellow), antron (one yellow strand and two olive), foam (light tan), and antennae, tails, and legs (amber or light olive). It is my tribute to Deanna for her role in and contributions to the Fraternity of Fly Fishers."

In the ten years I have been fishing the LF Golden Stone, it has accounted for the largest Yellowstone Cutthroat ( from a Montana Rocky Mountain backcountry freestone river ), the largest West Slope Cutthroat ( from a northern Idaho freestone river ), and the only mature grayling ( from a SW Montana spring creek ) that I've caught. The two cutts were in the 20" range, and the grayling maybe 12-13".

Needless to say, the tribute fly has lived up to reputation of its namesake.

John