FLUFF
THE REAPER T H E S K I N N Y O N A L P H O N S E H E A D G U I D E , A L E C G E R B E C ’ S D E A D LY P O P P E R PAT T E R N F O R G T S Photo Andrew Burr
The Mission (TM): Who came up with the fly? Is it one of those collaborative efforts among guides or is this primarily your baby? Alec Gerbec (AG): This is a fly that I came up with after a couple of seasons of guiding at Alphonse, where you just know that Geets are in the area but need to ring the dinner bell loudly to draw their attention. Dealing with clients for nine months a season, on your boat you see every variation of every saltwater fly and you find little things you like in each to create your own. The idea of the Reaper came to me this way and if wasn’t for my guide team helping with the R&D it wouldn’t have become what it is now. TM: What’s the story behind the name? Are there Terry Pratchett fans among you or was it simply so deadly that GTs could not say no? AG: As a fly tier, one always has to get into the tying zone, whether it’s listening to music, sipping on a whiskey, or watching something on your computer in the backdrop of your vice. I was in the middle of a marathon watch of the Sons of Anarchy while creating this fly, and it is always a challenge coming up with an original name for a new fly, one that hasn’t been used before. I tied the fly on a Gamakatsu SL12S size 10/0 and it reminded me of a sickle, but the name only stuck once we saw how effective it was on the water. If the fish are there they are definitely going to have a look.
TM: Was it designed for specific GT behaviour around Alphonse and St Francois? AG: I designed this fly having seen what happens when a conventional popper is fished to Geets off a boat. We were traditionally throwing smaller poppers and having to fish them quite quickly to keep the fish interested. I wanted to slow down the presentation and create the noise and smoke trail similar to that of a rooster popper. I have no doubt that this fly will work anywhere in the world where GTs want something off the surface. TM: Was it inspired by or based off existing patterns? Were the fish turning down the NYAP (Not Your Average Popper)? AG: I had seen a couple flies over the years that had a round head to them but I wasn’t impressed by their profile and often they wouldn’t stay seated when being popped (skipping out of the water). James Christmas›s NYAP is undoubtedly one of the most effective flies we have used but, if tied improperly, it will spin and skip, making for a frustrating session. The NYAP is what opened my eyes to the behaviour of Geets towards surface flies, and the wheels started turning on how I could come up with my own. It doesn’t matter what kind of popper it is, none of them are enjoyable or easy to cast, so I wanted something that made a deeper noise than the NYAP and wouldn’t twist my client’s fly line as often.
TM: Has the pattern evolved? AG: There have been minor tweaks to the pattern over the last couple of years, just to keep things interesting. I used to use a flat stick on eye which was fine but I was finding they were losing their pupils depending of the variety I was using. I switched over to Flymen Fish Company’s 3D style eyes and was instantly impressed with the look of the pattern. Colours have also really opened the door to evolution. Depending on where I am fishing or the water conditions, I will go with something to “Match the Hatch”, be it bonefish or fusileers. Dirtier water conditions typically call for the darker flies. The latest addition to the fly is a rattle, just to put it over the top a bit, and to add another form of vibration for those fish to feel in their giant lateral line. The fly consists of a Gamakatsu SL12S size 10/0, which I found to be very important for the size head I am using. It acts as a keel of sorts with plenty of weight to keep that fly on the water and riding true. The gap of this hook for the fly is vital for better hook up ratios as these fish often eat a popper coming right at you, not giving you the luxury of turning away, which makes for an easy hook set. The tail is SF blend, coloured according to the popper head, with a solid amount of flash then tied on top of it. I want the glisten of the flash but I want to travel through the translucent material to dull it down a bit.
“THE SOUNDS IT MAKES AND THE AMOUNT OF WATER IT PUSHES, SETS THE REAPER ASIDE FROM ANY OTHER POPPER FLY I HAVE SEEN COME THROUGH ALPHONSE. IT MAKES QUITE A LOW THUD SOUND AS OPPOSED TO LIGHTER, LESS AGGRESSIVE POPS YOU HEAR COMING OFF OTHERS.” 100
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