Thursday, November 14, 2013

Promise Kept

THE BEAD HEAD AWESOME
Nothing Too Special
it was just hidden for the year
WALLPAPER:  THE BEAD HEAD AWESOME
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.. So, it has come to pass; we promised not to post this fly until fishing was closed in Yellowstone National Park and on the Firehole River.
.. This little, (or big,) nymph was part of an exercise in frugality. The neighbor kids decided to clean up their tying benches and use the scraps cluttering up the dusty corners of the area. There were dozens of flies tied and joked about. They were winsome and serendipitous and cute and - in this case "AWESOME."
.. As it turns out this fly was fished with amazing success on the Firehole River through the whole season and became a 'go-to' fly for a couple of the fishers. We were not privy to information about this fly or it's success until mid September and it was, even then, through a slip of the well lubricated tongue of one of the neighbors. Threats were made and believed and the promise extracted and kept.
.. This fly is simple and resembles so many other peacock herl flies. The hackle is cheap bits of imported hen hackle. The thing that sets this little devil apart is the single small white feather, (cut from the distal center of a white turkey flat.)
.. The AWESOME closely resembles a few of the neighbor's other favorite nymphs: the "$3 Dip," "Serendipity," and "Shop Vac." Those flies are of the smallish variety and usually tied on hooks of the size 16 and 18 variety. The bead head Awesome is a big brute, (the result of many hooks not used during the season.) It's a size 12, (or 10 - or - horror of horrors  --- size 8.)
.. The neighbors are fishing this fly right now in the happily accessible waters of the South Fork of the Madison River. Muddy roads are no detriment to neighborhood fishers of the dedicated variety. A little snow in the forecast will not slow them down. Deep snow will  bring out the sleds. For now it's San Juan Worms,  Woolly Buggers, and the giant AWESOME.
.. We've been offered a ride to the secret access to some deep pools where the runners are hiding. we'll give you the hint that we were given: "turn left at the dead elk."
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WALLPAPER:  LEFTOVERS