TOP TEN STEAMERS FOR SW MONTANA

Ten proven trophy trout catching streamers I don’t hunt the big ones without!

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1) Wooley Bugger- First developed to imitate crayfish for Pennsylvania’s Susquahanna. I keep them in several sizes and  with and without coneheads #10-#4 black, brown, olive  and variations like the Yellow Yummie or JJ Special.

2)  Zonker-Developed here in SW Montana by Dillon native and long time Beaverhead guide now deceased Al Troth. This baitfish imitation has a belly weighted braided mylar body so it rides hook point up. Rabbit tied over the hook shank along with painted eyes enhance it’s triggering characteristic’s. I keep an inventory of natural, olive, yellow and white in sizes #10-#4.

3) Mini Loop Sculpin- This has become one of my favorite streamers of late. This dumbell eye fly with trout’s favorite food items.  I use both olive and natural in size #4. It’s large barred pectoral fins provide a realistic profile and imitates one of a trout’s favorite food items.

4) Flash Fry- Shane Stalcup developed this baitfish imitation for Solitude Fly with dumbell eyes, clear gooed head, double rabbit strips and lot’s of flashabou. I use both  nat/white, and olive/white size #4.

5) Sculpzilla- A bullethead gets this pattern gets down like a spark plug. Articulating action and a barred rabbit strip bring strikes from large aggressive brown’s. Effective in size #4 and a junior size #8 in olive , natural and white.

6) Sex Dungeon- Developed by Michigan author turned Montana Outfitter Kelley Galloup, this dumbell eye articulated two hook monster calls for a 6 or 7wt. In brown, yellow or olive/yellow this fly brings big trout to the party.

7) Wooley Sculpin-This Galloup creation is a Wooley Bugger variation with a packed and clipped deer hair head. Cactus chenille body wrapped with dyed grizzly schlappen hackle. The non-weighted versions need to be fished with a sink-tip or copious amounts of weight must be added to get this fly down.

8) Ice Pick- An articulated double hooked beast with barred rabbit and holographic flashabou over Hareline UV pearl dubbed body finished with the new FishSkull head by Flymen Fishing Co.  Size#1/0 yellow or white.

9) Exasperator- Articulated steelhead sculpin with dumbell eyes. Moose mane pectoral fins topped with rabbit and flashabou underbody and stinger hook. Size #4 in natural, olive, black/blue and black/purple.

10) Rattlesnake-Michigan’s Ray Schmidt created this streamer pattern combining a clipped deer hair head and rabbit strip body with two opposing hooks separated by a string of beads. I like both articulated and not in size #4 in olive, natural or yellow.