Hello Dolly! In the Flesh!
I am admittedly not a skilled fly angler, but I do like learning about the dark art. It’s a slow process since I rarely try it and while I recognize that I’m unlikely to take it seriously in the next few years, I vow that in my forthcoming retirement I will take lessons or otherwise learn the basics.
Nevertheless, I happily and semi-successfully muddled through three days with the long rod in Alaska and it was one of the highlights of my 2023 fishing campaign. One of the things that I’ve learned over my initial attempts is that it’s not always as complex or as effete as I previously assumed. For example, what they call “strike indicators” are actually just little bobbers, and while some flies are meant to replicate tiny gnats or intricate hoppers, others are just meant to imitate flesh.
Yes, flesh flies.
I “swung” flesh in Alaska and it got bit. In particular, we used a fly called the Dolly Llama. I admit that I haven’t used all that many flies (Ratface MacDougall, anyone?), bur right now the Dolly is my favorite, and catching big rainbows on it on remote Bristol Bay area streams was one of the highlights of 2023.
What Are Flesh Flies?
Flesh flies, as the name suggests, are tied to replicate the flesh of dying salmon. After salmon return from the ocean and spawn, they die off and make an easy meal. Forget those dainty size #18 flies that you can barely see, let alone tie on – these flesh-colored beasts are meant to imitate the skin of those decaying salmon. The trout are keyed in on these easy meals which are loaded with protein. That’s a reason they grow so big in Alaska.
What is “Swinging”?
We’re certainly not expert fly casters or technicians, but much of our time using the long rod learning to make a drag-free presentation. As the fly drifts downstream, we “mend” so that the offering proceeds down the river without any drag on it. When it reaches the bottom of that run, we cast it back upstream and start again. Swinging kind of throws that need on its ear – while we do let the flesh fly head downstream with nothing altering or impeding its progress, once it hits the end of its natural run we allow it to swing around on a natural arc and rise toward the surface, making for an easy meal. In some cases, we were instructed to let out extra line to extend the drift at the end.
Notes About Flesh Flies
Most of the flesh flies that we used were tan, light gray or white, or some combination thereof, often with some pink or orange highlights.
There are both standard and “articulated” versions – I need to find out when to use the latter over the former.
If you’re used to casting only smaller flies, or the bead/indicator combo, you’ll need to alter your casting effort to account for these bigger, bulkier flies.
In most cases, it was a thrilling visual strike, with a trout rocketing out of nowhere to grab the fly, either as it drifted or as it swung.
There are even “Barely Legal” Flesh Flies. Andre Moore would be proud. Alas, I could not find one called the “Fleshlight.”
If you’re determined not to take up fly fishing, but you still want to sling flesh, Zoom’s Flesh and Flesh with Red Glitter can be found at some special-order retailers.
Tales of the Flesh
There’s even a discontinued book called “Cannibal Trout: Tying and Fishing Flesh, Fry and Egg Flies” available for less than 10 bucks at Amazon.
Bill Murray Offers His Opinion
