Somehow I got started on a two-material fly direction earlier this year.
Up until now it’s been mostly dry flies and nymphs.
This is my first two-material streamer?
There is a huge pod of walleyes crammed up against Holter dam on the Missouri right now, perhaps washed over the overflow gates on the dam this spring during near record high water. This is trout water (below the dam, all the way down to Cascade) and nobody wants those walleyes there. The fish and game declared “no limit” and the fly fishermen have been responding, with white or light colored streamers and big coolers. I’ve heard stories about guys catching 30 in two hours. Fill up a cooler and then head on down river to chase some (presumably) smarter rainbows and browns.
Why light or white is so effective right now is an unanswered question. But light or white is the best trout streamer right now too. It’s blowing and snowing sideways today. I hope I get to drive up there one more time this fall. We’ll see.
This quick-and-dirty two material streamer will catch walleyes and trout, in the Missouri, right now. At least until 2:00pm or so when the trout start to sip baetis in the soft water along the river’s edges. When the baetis start the trout stop looking for streamers. So switching to a dry fly/wet fly combo isn’t an aesthetic choice. Once the mayflies start it’s mandatory. Before the mayflies start light colored streamers are where it’s at.
recipe:
hook: #8 curve-shanked DaiRiki 280 hopper hook
weight: barbell eyes (ok, it’s really a three material fly) … choose your weight and size
body: pearl ice dub…at the tail and also as a dubbing loop around the barbell eyes
wing?: two cheap discount-quality white or badger hackle feathers
