Bennett Spring Fly Recipe

[Wayne SW/MO]

Kay is semiretired as far as I know, but I believe Ed is working at Larry's, in the park. I believe they still rent the cabins and rooms at their place on 64, but I'm not absolutely sure of that. They owned the Springview tackle shop there before closing it.

[laker67]

The "russell fly" is a crackle back. Does anyone know what happened to Russell? I haven't seen him on the creek for about 3 years. Hope everything is well. Back in the 70's, a super hot wolly pattern was this, an olive body, fine chenile, a red finished head, and just a tuft of gold floss for a tail. I will bet 10 dollars that it is still red hot when used in a skipping retrieve.

[fishinwrench]

Some of the "old school" dry woollys were huge....like a #8, weren't they ? I never fished them but I remember seeing them in the fly bins, way back when.

[snagged in outlet 3]

Thanks Laker

Is there a hackle?

Snagged

[laker67]

Thanks Laker

Is there a hackle?

Snagged

It must be this crs problem I have. Of course, it's brown and palmered back. Thanks for catching that error Pete.

[laker67]

Some of the "old school" dry woollys were huge....like a #8, weren't they ? I never fished them but I remember seeing them in the fly bins, way back when.

Mustad 9671 and 72's. I liked size 12. 8's would probably work, anything that pushed some water around.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I think 12's were probably the standard. I seem to remember black, brown, olive, yellow dyed grizzly and olive dyed grizzly as popular colors in hackle with a body to match. A chenille body with silver or gold tensile in it worked well at times also. To me the fish seemed just as picky about size and pattern when skipping as they are about drys.

[Bruegy]

That's the technique known as skipping that can be deadly at Bennett. The best woolies were tied a little on the sparse side to help them go under. Its a good technique to learn and have available, it can be deadly at times. There is a right way to do it and if you're not right on its not near as deadly. I never could get the retrieve just right, but Kay could do as well as anyone fishing it.

What exactly is the technique of skipping woolies? ive heard of it but never understood what it was.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Its pretty simple really. You cast an unweighted wooly, which should float, and then jerking it under the surface, then retrieve it by quickly stripping the line back in equal lengths. The fly should be just under the surface. It always seemed to me that the speed and cadence was important.