Kolzer Firefly Origin

Rather than hijack someone’s thread, I thought I would mention this in a different thread.

My understanding, from literature, is that the Kolzer a Firefly series of flies originated in Montana.

I have no personal knowledge so as to verify one way or the other. It is my understanding that a series were tied with differing body colors.

I always find the history of flies, and their origins, to be quite interesting.

For what it might be worth…

Flies of the Northwest, 1990 edition say this about the Kolzer Dark Caddis: “Oregonian John Kolzer originated this pattern to suggeset dark caddis flies that hatch on Oregon’s McKenzie River.”

Terry Hellekson in Fish Flies says about the Kolzer Firefly: “This series of flies originated in Montana. The original pattern had an orange floss body and was named Kolzer Dark Caddis by its originator John Kolzer, who created it for Oregon’s McKenzie River.”

So I guess Montana added fluorescent body colors and renamed it a firefly?

Montana has been the birthplace of enough flies. They don’t need to steal ours. LOL

Jay,
As I said, I find the history and origin of flies to be very interesting…and rarely free of debate.

I understand, Byron.

There is some information about John Kolzer in Skip Hosfield’s blog starting in about the 9th paragraph under My Early Fly Tying.http://www.skiphosfield.com/

It pretty much confirms that Kolzer lived on the McKenzie River, Oregon and originated the Kolzer Caddis. I have no idea who created the Firefly version or where.