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We all have them. They are our "go to" flies. For Deschutes River summer steelhead one of my favorite patterns is what I call the H & H. That stands for "huck and hope" a term created by steelheaders who do a lot more casting than catching. The traditional "down and across" steelhead swing can be tiring and repetitive, especially on slow days. Old pros will tell the disgruntled to "have faith in your fly". My purple H & H exudes and improves confidence. It has moxi. This is not a pretty fly. I have hundreds of beautiful steelhead flies. They are works of art but they don't have "swagger".
The recipe for the H&H goes something like this.
1. I like a #6 and #4, down eye, 2x long, 2x strong hook.
2. Up front is an orange cone or bead.
3. Tie in a 2 inch strip of purple rabbit, Matuka style.
4. Add some soft black or purple saddle hackle for a throat.
5. Tie in 10 strands of purple flashabou that run down the fly below the rabbit strip.
6. Wrap on a body of purple or black crystal/sparkle/cactus chenille.
This fly in other colors is very good for silvers, chums and in all black, it is a standard, Alaska rainbow fly.
This essay is about steelheading on the Deschutes River in the Maupin area. Don't forget to take a couple ugly, purple flies.
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