GEAR
Brains & Beauty Creative materials and intellect result in smartly designed fly patterns BY D E B B I E H A N SO N
Dan Blanton’s Tropical Punch baitfish has a reputation for juicing up snapper, snook and juvenile tarpon. No need to limit solely to saltwater though; the bright hackle colors and glistening crystal flash do a fine job of attracting largemouth bass.
$5.25, customsaltwater flies.com
14 HUNT & FISH | SUMMER/FALL 2018
The StrawBoss subsurface bucktail pattern was designed for largemouth bass on the lakes of Florida, but is also effective on snook and redfish in the saltwater backcountry. As it falls through the water column, the buck tail wings produce a back-and-forth tilting motion. $9, joemahler.com
$20, saltyflytying.com
Mama’s Cornbread was baked up by tier Paul Beel to attract largemouth and smallmouth bass in river environments. His proprietary recipe includes a 1/0 90-degree jig hook that bumps along the bottom, spraying the pattern’s fur and rubber legs outward around the body. $3.99, orvis.com
PROVIDED BY THE COMPANIES
Charlie Craven developed the Charlie Boy Hopper while guiding on Colorado’s Tarryall Creek for trout. This dry fly meets all the requirements of a traditional hopper pattern, but Charlie Boy’s supreme flotation and visibility set it apart, making it a wise choice when fishing fast-moving mountain streams. $2.99, theflyfishers.com
Chicone’s Tranqu-Hillizer Shrimp is a saltwater bonefish pattern intended to be fished in deeper water. Weighted with dumbbell eyes, this fly creates an attention-grabbing puff of sand as it’s stripped along the bottom. Chicone’s flies are custom-tied for specific fishing scenarios. $12 to