I was reminded of the Olive Matuka the other day. This was a very popular streamer pattern back “in the day”?
On a trip into the West Yellowstone area, I stopped in all the fly shops in town. Not a single Matuka pattern.
I spoke with Aaron at Arricks fly shop. He said that some year he intends to use all the old patterns as he is sure they will still work well…yet, he doesn’t carry them.
I would post a picture of one the way I tie it, but haven’t had time to tie any lately.
This used to be a very good producer for me on the Western waters.
I have used Matukas in the last few years, but generally reach for a Slumpbuster instead now. They seem to portray much the same baitfish, but the Slumpbuster has more action and I seem to get more hits on a Slumpbuster.
I tie and use matukas in the Eastern Sierra Nevada lakes. In fact, the Little Virginia Special fly sold at the lodge store is an olive matuka with a red throat, as I remember it. I’ve caught some dandy trouts on that pattern. I tied up a bunch for a swap on here a few years ago. The photo is one of those. Olive and red. Jim
At my urging, we tied some in the fly tying class last fall. There was a young lady who had never tied before did some beautiful flies! I have some I tied that are going to get tossed around tomorrow.
I think they are a great fly.
Mike
Was skimming old magazines for streamer patterns and came across an A.K. Best Matuka that he ties with Coq de Leon. The last 3 times I have ordered Coq de Leon the orders have come through backordered so I have yet to tie them although I do like the look but have never done a lot of streamer fishing.
You are obviously are not going to the right shops, because as other have reported, Matuka’s are still sold by some shops, especially destination shops where a local favorite is fished. Pattern is still found in most pattern books I’ve seen, although “modern” streamers have become much more popular lately it seems. This is hardly a forgotten fly, just one may be waning in some area, and no one should be surprised by this, because there are tons of patterns that come and go from commercial fly lists…introducing new flies is how you make sales, after all.
I guess I should of specified they couldn’t be found in Montana. At least in West Yellowstone. My buddy had a dozen tied at Arricks, and he was quite surprised anyone fished them anymore.
Most of the Matuka patterns I have come across, in the past few years here in CA, were seen in small shops on the Eastside of the Sierras that do not have an online store. A lot of folks still use them for lakes in the area. Brock’s, in Bishop, CA, which went out of business about a year ago, carried them. I believe that Culver’s Sporting Goods in Bishop may have them. I know that my bud Carolyn Webb, sells them at Virginia Lakes Resort, up in Bridgeport, CA:
Considering that PT has already given you plenty of examples, including a major national distributor that still carries your allegedly “forgotten” pattern that is impossible to find, I think the point has been made. West Yellowstone is a microcosm that is not necessarily representative of the entire nation.
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