Voodoo Sparrow
The magazines gods that dropped off the paper fishingporn to my house have been including articles about “Go2 Flies,” “Top Ten Flies,” and “Must Have Flies” which got me thinking. What kind of flies are the best producers and what is in my box.
A Pere Marquette guide, John Kluesing, introduced the Sparrow to me. John had me use the original version in its natural colors. After having great success with that fly over the years, I had to know more. The Sparrow was invented by Jack Gartside and is always a top producer for me. I found this information on Jacks web site
http://www.jackgartside.com/ and it shows how he ties it.
“Jack Gartside is counted one the most innovative and prolifically inventive fly tyers of the modern era. He got his first fly tying lesson in 1956 from Ted Williams, the great Boston Red Sox outfielder. Ever since he's been tying and fishing, accumulating an extraordinary range of fishing experience in fresh and salt water. He was one of the first fly tyers profiled in Sports Illustrated magazine (Oct. 12, 1982). Jack's best-known original patterns include the Gurgler, Sparrow, Soft Hackle Streamer, and the Gartside Pheasant Hopper.”
But I really found my tying style after I bought a video from Bear Andrews. His flies are very innovative, easy to tie and very effective. If you love to tie flies you must purchase his DVD’s. His site is
http://www.bearandrews.com/. His fly tying videos and DVD’s are the inspiration for this fly.
“Jeff "Bear" Andrews is the creator of many effective, unique, and attractive fly patterns for trout, steelhead, and salmon. He recently produced the first in a series of fly tying DVDs, and publishes a monthly Michigan Fly Box Article on fly patterns in Michigan Out-of-Doors magazine.”
The first is a variation of the Sparrow that I call the Voodoo Sparrow. It’s a hex pattern. It’s a pattern that you can tie fast and it resembles a hex. The Voodoo Sparrow has a dubbed thorax and eyes in front of the normal Sparrow collar. Simple but effective. Here is a photo and the recipe.
Hook: Daiichi #1710 size 6-14
Thread: Uni-thread 6/0 to match body
Tail: Fluff from base of pheasant rump feather
Body: Spirit River Squirrel Blend Sulphur
Hackle: Pheasant rump
Collar: Aftershaft feather from pheasant rump
Head: Spirit River Squirrel Blend Sulphur, Mono Eyes
