Photo Album

 Fletcher Floodwaters 

I felt lucky when the Bass started coming up to eat the Black Foam Divers on top so early in the spring.  I lost some bigger ones that wrapped me up in the much bigger fallen forest under the water.

Saginaw Bay Tributaries and the Estaz Bunny Leach.   When I started fishing Saginaw Bay Tributaries, the Estaz Bunny Leach was the best fly I had going.  It was great in the cold water and would take all comers: Largemouth Bass, Small to Medium Pike, the occasional Bowfin, Walleye or a couple of Channel Cats one day.  Purple was generally the best color but black could be better in the colder water of early spring.

The long Rabbit Strip Tail has a lot of action in a rip and fall retrieve.  The alternating turns of Rabbit and Estaz in the body give it a little flash.  It is tied with a heavy Bead Head to give it a lot of jig action.  It can be tied without the Bead Head, then when it is tied to the line with a loop knot, a heavy bead is included in that loop.  This "Swinging Bead" method will put weight on the flies nose to give it that rip and fall jig action.  In the vise, I shear off the "top" of body.  The fly will flip over and will fish hook point up.  A sparser sleeker fly will move more quickly through the water.