the DARK MAGGIE...

Well It's Now Fall, and for a great many of us, Our Thoughts turn to pursuing Steelhead. Steelhead can be caught most every month in some River out West, but here in California, Fall and Winter are the prime times for Steelhead making their epic journeys up Rivers from the Ocean. I haven't targeted Steelhead in a number of years and This Year the urge has been Great, so I inspected my Steelhead Fly Box and realized my Stock of Wetflies was very low (this most likely from my giving out flies to folks who mentioned going steelhead, besides the Customary sacrificing them to the river gods).

Tying Steelhead Flies is an enjoyable area of Fly Tying for me, as they are often colorful and larger then Most Trout flies.... When one gets going at them, we often realize we've tyed up a healthy amount in a short time... I made up a list of what patterns to restock and the usual ones where on the List: Assassins, Silver Hiltons, Orphans, X-Longs, Brindle Bugs, Thors, Fall Favorites, Muddlers, etc.... These are my California Standards and I am happy with how all of them have preformed for me over these many years... so they remain in my Box...

However, as effective as these Standards are, Steelheaders are always looking for something else that will perform as well, and often save a rather dismal day.. So We experiment with materials on a Hook, often recalling features from other patterns and applying them to the Hook in hopes the end result will be effective... So it was over 10 years ago when I came up with the DARK MAGGIE.

The Dark Maggie is a somber Pattern; not all black, but certainly not Bright and flashy. There's flash, the tag of Gold Mylar reflects sunlight and it's just enough to get a steelhead's attention. The Blue Peacock Breast feathers used in the tail and Hackle are a Beautiful iridescent and Certainly will get noticed by a Steelie... But the Black Wing and Wine colored body are somber and not likely to spook a Cautious Steelhead...

The Dark Maggie came together over the course of a week's time, as I experimented with Various Materials, Materials that I have faith in and used in other patterns. The Clincher was the Peacock Breast feathers, they where being used on a Spider type nymph and just happened to be Setting there as I was working at the bench.. with the addition of the breast feathers the Pattern came together and I was very happy with the end result... Would the Steelhead approve of my new concoction???

I tyed up a handful of them for my Box.. and figuring I was not going to go Steelheading anytime soon I thought of Friends who are confirmed Steelhead Junkies and tyed up an number to send to them.. and get their Views and opinions, besides the Steelhead they fished for.. One Friend in particular Makes the ideal Steelheader to send new patterns to for Field testing. This is DON ROBERTS, founding Editor of Flyfishing the West magazine (now it's Flyfishing & Fly Tying Quarterly Journal) and a Hard Core Steelheader.. Don is always willing to swim my latest designs and put them thru their paces and see if they are up to the task of tricking Steelhead..

Don reported back that the Dark Maggie worked well on a number of Rivers He frequents for Steelhead, it swam well and the Steelhead responded to it positively.. I did send him an additional handful for his "work"...

My own experience has shown that in the right location and at the correct time, the Dark Maggie has what is needed to get Steelhead to bite... Other Friends reported similar experiences with the pattern..

Here's the dressing ...:

HOOK : Partridge "Bartlett Traditional", #CS10/1. Sizes #1/0 ~#6

THREAD : Danville 6/0, Wine..

TAG : Gold Mylar, 3 wraps

TAIL : Blue Peacock Breast Feather, length about hook Gape (or a bit more)

BODY : Lagartun French Silk Floss, burgundy.

HACKLE : Blue Peacock Breast Feather, tyed in by the tips and wrapped 3-4 times.

WING : Black Arctic Fox

Steelheading with wetflies is most enjoyable, as the takes are usually arm jarring hits and one can cover a run fairly well. While we do not imitate food for the most part with the Wetfly, we are working to incite a Steelhead to react and attack our offering... Having faith in the Fly One is fishing is very important, as a Steelheader will not fish the fly productively if they lack faith in the pattern...

When I knot on a Dark Maggie to my Leader, I have the utmost faith that if the Steelhead are willing and I swim the fly just Right, I will connect.. That keeps me going.....