Time on the water isn't spent. It's invested. (Unknown)
My Marabou Muddler
Commenter Sam started it by throwing out an innocent remark about tying the Muddler Minnow. That started a chain reaction with me. It's been years since I've bothered to tie one let alone fish one. The tying part ended today and it ended with my favorite style of Muddler - The Marabou Muddler.
Dan Gapen, a Canadian, invented this fly in the late 1930's and it took over fly boxes all over North America. Gapen's original looked like a novices attempt at fly tying with that goofy, untrimmed deer hair head and odd wing placement but it still caught fish and lots of them. But it didn't stop fly tyers from "improving" the bug by trimming the head to perfection and mounting turkey quill wings which ALWAYS seemed to separate and fall apart after a fish or three. It seemed that we would be fishing this forever as a sunken fly (weighted) OR as a dry (deer hair floats) fly to imitate hoppers and stoneflies but then something happened!
In no time at all the Wooley Bugger tossed the Muddler right out of the "best fly ever" rankings down to an afterthought for many. Muddlers still have their believers but they are hard to tie (fly tying trainees in Asian fly factories are always taught the Wooley Buggers first because they're easy) and if something easy comes along that's a fish magnet we will choose it.
Dave Whitlock's Marabou Muddlers
Enter the Marabou Muddler! I first saw this critter in McClane's New Standard Fishing Encyclopedia. It was the creation of the genius Dave Whitlock and it had some things going for it. First, it had that lifelike marabou tail which the Wooley Bugger stole and second, that waterlogged marabou offset the buoyancy of the deer hair and got it subsurface quickly without too much weight. I've caught many trout with this pattern and it was my go-to subsurface fly for smallmouth on Wachusett Reservoir.
My subsurface Muddlers have a very trim head to cut down on the buoyancy whether the fly is weighted or not. Ones that will be fished on or near the surface will get less of a hair cut.
I don't, as you see in my photo, use streamer hooks on Muddlers. I want that material to move around in the current and a size 8 wet fly hook works fine. The fly is small enough so the trout will take it in one gulp. BTW, I've gone almost totally away from streamer hooks for bait fish imitations and use marabou for almost all of those imitations. Another BTW, I can't wait to be on the EB or the Millers during a sunny day in early June when the damsel flies hatch. This fly will kill them.
It looks like you readers have gotten used to the new Fly Page as pageviews have really gone up and sales are coming in. Thank you!!
And don't forget to book your Spring and early Summer trips!!!
Ken
8 comments:
I used to tie muddlers but got away from it. To make them sink quicker I would put on a deer hair collar but use wool or fur for the head. Same nice profile but sinks like a rock.
Bill R.
Hi Ken - I hope you are doing well ! I wish you good luck with the Muddler. Should be good on the Miller’s this spring. I went to the Swift today, of course expecting a crowd, but man was it packed. I think the most that I have seen it. I took a walk way downstream from Candy Lane to lose people and then ran away. No kidding, 8 people at the pipe. It’s really become ridiculous. I feel that people should not accept this behavior change. You can’t fish both sides of the river at that pool and I feel that once you tolerate this people think it is ok. I fully understand, and accept, the Swift is a crowded river, but pretty soon there will be bad vibes on the water. I hope that this was just a function of an unusually warm and beautiful day in the middle of Feb. I don’t know how people were enjoying the fishing today. Up top every spot was taken, I can’t believe there was on fishable spot, though I went way downstream when I saw it. We’ll regret this popularity, IMHO.
Bill R.,
Good idea with the wool.
Falsecast,
I stopped going to the Swift on warm winter weekends because it's too crowded. There was a Sunday back in January where one angler counted 60 cars between Rt 9 and the Pipe. The sad thing is that many people don't mind the mob scene. I'm fortunate enough to be able to fish the Swift on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays when it's not packed. Soon we will have other rivers to fish.
Ken
Wow, could the mighty Swift on warm winter weekends turn into the zoo that the Salmon river (Pulaski) is on Columbus day weekends,or has it already? Oh and muddlers I haven't tyed any in years,it was one of first I made when I started. I think I still have some and will give them a try.
Try substituting mottled hen for the shoulder veiling and trimmed, tightly palmered hen for the head. Works!
I have a question about the fishing between the big bend after Cady Lane and the Swift Reservation? I am thinking of buying a cheap pontoon boat. The banks are high and the water deeper which makes wading a bit tough. My idea is to float from Cady Lane to the Reservation, then call an Uber to drive me back up to get my car. My hope is that this is both opens up a lot of water I ignore and, perhaps a solution for crowded days. Do you think the fishing is worth it? I literally have never gone to most of that water. Any info on floating would be helpful. Thanks.
Andrew
Hi Ken,
Hope the Florida fish treated you well!
The Marabou Muddler is my favorite streamer for trout and landlocks. It has accounted for lots of chunky rainbows and browns in the Bliss Pool. I usually tie it with a silver or gold crystal chenille body behind the head. This gives it a bit more flash, may push a bit more water, and seems to help prevent the marabou strands from fouling on the shank.
As you've written before, sometimes dead-drifted streamers bring vicious strikes, and the marabou provides great movement as the fly drifts.
Best wishes,
John
John Strucker,
I am sold on marabou for my streamers. Marabou breathes, fixed wings don't. P.S. Haven't gone to Florida yet.
Falsecast,
Could you park at the boat launch and paddle upstream and then drift back down?
Unknown,
I'll try it.
Gary,
The Swift has always been crowded especially on a weekend day in late February when it just reeks of Spring.
Ken
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