As you can see by the photo, there are at least two of
the "incredible" minnows. The top one is the original,
created by Al Giradot of Detroit, Michigan. In an article
in the March, 1965 issue of Sports Afield, Maury Delman,
prominent outdoor writer from Flushing, NY says:
"Properly fished, the Silver Minnow is
the quintessence of deadliness. In Labrador I coaxed
landlocked salmon from their white water lies when all
other flies failed commonly. In Iceland the fly evoked
hard strikes from sea trout. Manitoba's heralded God's
River gave up lunker brook trout in heavy water. It has
given me furious action from smallmouths and educated trout
in eastern streams - and even walleyes. When Al first tied
the fly he did not weight the body, so the streamer momentarily
floated, requiring vigorous stripping in to sink it. He
wanted a minnow mimic that would travel the route of natural
bait. By adding the lead and tinsel, he got precisely what
he wanted."
Incredible Silver Minnow
Hook: No. 6, 2XL
Tail: A small bunch of gray stripped mallard herl or
grizzly hackle.
Body: Wound tightly with lead wire. The wire body
is covered and tapered with silk floss of any color. This
is covered completely by a double overlay of embossed flat
silver tinsel.
Throat: A small bunch of long crimson rooster hackle,
the longest ones extending to the point of the hook.
Wing: A very small bunch of white bucktail, over which
a very small bunch of blue (dyed) impala hair. Over this is a
gray mallard flank feather tied on flat on top of the hair so
it surrounds all of the hair. The elements of the wing extand
half again as long as the hook.
Head: Built up to minnow-shape with 00 nylon thread,
painted silver. Small painted black eyes, with yellow dot
in center.
For the 'incredible 2', leave the 'roof' off. My thanks
to the reader who suggested this fly - forgive me, I lost your
email. The number 2 is very similar to the fly we used very
successfully trolling for silver salmon (coho) in Lake Michigan.
Credits:
Photos from Forgotten Flies by Paul Schmookler and Ingrid
V. Sils; Recipe and text from Streamer Fly Tying & Fishing
by Joseph D. Bates, Jr. ~ DLB
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