J. Stockard Pro Tyer: Paul Shurtleff, Springville UT, You can find Paul @: www.instagram.com/insectinside/, www.facebook.com/pauliescustomflies
I’ll start off by saying that I don’t know much about this pattern other than it just plain works… I am unaware of the history of this fly and I don’t know who the inventor is or how long it’s been around. What I can say, is that I first caught glimpse of and heard of this pattern a few years ago during my search for fly patterns to tie in preparation for a fishing trip in Alaska. I am giving my ex brother-in-law, Bradley Bonnett who is an Alaskan fishing guide, full credit for introducing this fly pattern to me. Thanks Brad! As with most fly patterns I come across and adopt, I have since modified this pattern slightly from the original one that Brad gave me and renamed them as simply “Monsters” because of the versatility and color combinations this pattern has to offer. I’ve also used them in other places than just Alaska with great success…
A lot of Alaskan fly patterns, particularly the patterns for Alaskan salmon are tied “Intruder Style” meaning there is a stinger hook attached to a straight hook shank or Waddington shank by means of either a braided line or intruder/articulation wire typically. Fly patterns of this style are tied like this mainly for the versatility of being able to change out the hook when needed versus changing out the entire fly, which is how these Monsters are tied. Other than the tying style, there is really nothing super special about this pattern except for the ease of tying it and how well it performs. It is basically a “Bunny Leech” with lead eyes and a Cactus chenille head. Where I’ve modified it, is that I’m using an actual Intruder Shank with 15mm Plush Chenille with UV properties from Semperfli for the head. I’ve also added quite a bit of flashabou for fish catching attraction and added the new ML091 barbless Intruder/Tube Fly hooks from Moonlit Fly Fishing… What makes the Monsters special is that because of the way they’re tied, they’re not size specific and can be tied in many different colors/color combinations as well. more…
A Christmas fly doesn’t get much better than a Royal Stimulator. So for the J.Stockard Fly of the Month for December of this year, we bring you a Royal Stimulator beautifully tied and photographed by John and Katie Demuth. Merry Christmas!
