Welcome to Just Old Flies

Welcome to 'just old flies,' a section of flies that used-to-be. These flies were tied with the only materials available. Long before the advent of 'modern' tying materials, they were created and improved upon at a far slower pace than todays modern counterparts; limited by materials available and the tiers imagination.

Most books, and yes, even we here, bring 'new and improved' designs; however, in days long gone, fish readily accepted these creations; there existed a 'fraternity' of anglers who felt an obligation to use only the 'standard' patterns of the day. We hope to bring a bit of nostalgia to these pages and to you. Perhaps you will enjoy them. Perhaps you will fish them. Perhaps . . .

Part Five

Rainbow Fly

By "old rupe"

Rainbow Fly
This fly was a rainbow fly pure and simple. It was given to me by a nameless old man, this was 30 years ago, who was a rainbow fisher. That's all he fished for and he was successful.

I met him at the Shell livery on the Little Manistee in Michigan. I would stand on the bridge and spot rainbows in the river below, then move up stream and fish them. He helped catch rainbows there.

We would have a beer or two and spot the fish and then I would go upstream and place a marker, small red floss on my leader. He would spot while I wet fly fished the rainbows.

I never knew his name. A slick old man, a specialist. He only fished rainbows - but he did it with class. This was the fly that he used. Wet to do his thing.

He always had a full creel. I wish the same could be said on my tombstone. ~"old rupe"

Archive of Old Flies