Made a few flies out of bear fur and ruffed grouse feathers

[caddisguy]

I often make similar flies with green or brown feathers and shiney green or brown chenille. We use them as general attractor while for trolling lakes in the early spring. It has always worked very well to help us key on rainbows. They are probably taken for dragon fly nymphs or leeches. Anyway, this year I saved some bear fur and ruffie feathers. Should be neat catching some fish with bear

[horshur]

I often make similar flies with green or brown feathers and shiney green or brown chenille. We use them as general attractor while for trolling lakes in the early spring. It has always worked very well to help us key on rainbows. They are probably taken for dragon fly nymphs or leeches. Anyway, this year I saved some bear fur and ruffie feathers. Should be neat catching some fish with bear

they will kill.

[ruger#1]

Nice flies Caddis. A couple of weeks ago I was looking for cutties. They are in the sloughs. Those would be good with the shinny flash for them.

[caddisguy]

Nice flies Caddis. A couple of weeks ago I was looking for cutties. They are in the sloughs. Those would be good with the shinny flash for them.

Thanks guys! I used to catch a lot of large (sea-run?) cutties Harrison Lake with similar flies that we would make up. Worked good in Jones for cutties and bows. Deer Lake (Harrison area) a few weeks after stocking it was pretty ridiculous too (though a trout pellet imitation might have done just as well! lol) ... we had two rods going and were on double headers for most of the day.

I don't think these bear-grouse flies will be quite as productive, but I don't need to get into that many fish to have fun. I think there is some satisfaction to be had in using flies made up with some materials we gathered ourselves. I'll whip up a few more of these and we'll give it a go for a trip or two in March-April before bear season is in full swing.

That bear hair is not as flashy but it sure does look buggy. There is varying amounts of lead wire underneath to offset the bear fur and get us to varying depths at varying speeds. Works for getting down into deeper pools for river bows and bull trout in the summer too.

Would be really cool to make some hooks out of bone one day for that 100% natural DIY fly... one day...

[ruger#1]

Thomb Thumb is what I used for imitation pellets. Used to fish the Harrison. By half moon bay. Lots of fun. Morris lake on the west side in April. 27" cuttie on a fly . That was when you could drive down and camp at the lake. Weaver creek flows through that lake. Might be why all the cutties. I caught him by the log dump. I also caught a few dollies. 14" long. That was the early eighties.