The Fly Patterns Explained
Looking to buy some of my muskie and pike flies? Here is a breakdown of the Yard Sale, Slippery Devil, Slip n' Slide, and Devil Dancer.
Yard Sale
The yard sale is a mostly synthetic fly with a feather tail. It is a fairly easy fly to cast as it doesn't require a lot of material. The main action is a side-to-side walk the dog movement in still water or slower current. Creating this movement can take some practice. It is achieved by doing strong, long strips. This is important to get good energy into the fly, and the recovery after a long strip gives it the necessary pause for the fly to move to the side. The next strip should move the fly the opposite direction, creating the side-to-side movement. While it can be fished effectively with shorter, quicker strips, it really shines with strong, long strips. It also works well in current as the fly will turn to the side on the pause, but a consistent side-to-side action can be tough to maintain in medium/strong current.
Slippery Devil
The slippery devil is made with mostly natural materials, feathers and bucktail. Part of the head is laser dub which gives it shape, color, and a good foundation for the eyes. This fly is great for anglers of all levels. It is easy to cast, easy to create action, great in still water or current, and works well with just about any style of retrieve.
Slip n' Slide
The slip n' slide is similar to the slippery devil. The difference being a synthetic tail on the SnS. This gives it a larger profile in the water. It takes slightly more effort to cast and retrieve than the slippery devil due to the larger tail. A variety of retrieves will work, and I recommend putting good energy into the fly to overcome the drag a larger tail can create.
Devil Dancer
The devil dancer is the easiest to cast and retrieve. It is made mostly with feathers and bucktail, and finished with a craft fur head. This allows it to retain little to no water. It is effective with any style of retrieve. While it definitely works well still water, the weightlessness of the fly can really get kicked around in current...which is a good thing.