Scott Howell’s Squidro Flies are now availableApril 20, 2011 (San Francisco, CA): Scott Howell’s new steelhead fly pattern, the
Squidro, is now available for purchase exclusively at Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters. Swinging for steelhead will never be the same.
New Thinking: Tirelessly tinkering with ways to catch more steelhead on the swing,
Scott Howell has taken the proven intruder fly pattern and incorporated new materials that bring the best out of the intruder design. The result is the
Squidro - a resilient fly that offers more fish-catching options to the steelhead angler, regardless of the fishing conditions.
The Fly: Scott believes the bulk of a steelhead’s diet consists mainly of squid. As a result of this dietary preference, all of the
Squidro patterns mimic the silhouette and action of a smaller squid. Scott’s belief is that it’s much easier to hook a steelhead when offering them something familiar. Even if they are not hungry, a familiar shape and color might entice a grab from an otherwise lethargic fish.
Materials: Unlike traditional steelhead flies, which primarily use natural materials, the
Squidro pattern incorporates rubber legs. The rubber legs not only offer a broader array of color options, they also provide added flash, a bigger fly profile, lifelike underwater action and improved durability. The brighter colors and faster sink rate of the
Squidro allow steelhead anglers to fish water that was previously considered “blown” (off color and high).
The Options: Scott’s Squidro pattern options have all your steelhead conditions covered. When fishing for fresh sea-run fish, the
Squidro “Sea Food Series” provides more life-like color options for hungry fish, fresh from the ocean salt. When fishing summer-run steelhead, the “Summer Series” is sized slightly smaller with lighter-weight eyes and with more subdued colors. The “Winter Series” is larger with a more pronounced profile. The heavier-weighted eyes keep the fly down deep in the strike zone, while the brighter colors make the fly noticeable, even in darker water.
The Man: Scott Howell’s passion for steelhead began at a very young age. His singular dedication to this fish has elevated his name as one of the foremost fly fishing guides for steelhead. Based in Oregon, Scott puts his clients on the best runs of the best rivers year round as the season dictates. Scott walks the fine line of staying true to the heritage of fly fishing, while always pushing the envelope in tackle, flies and techniques.
The Fish: The steelhead is truly the fish of a thousand casts. Finicky by nature and challenging to catch, the wild Pacific steelhead returns to some of the most beautiful rivers on earth. If you haven’t fished for steelhead before, you should. If you already do and want to increase your catch, make sure to try Scott Howell’s Squidro.
Bottom Line: The
Squidro Series steelhead flies provide an unmatched combination of profile, movement, sink rate, castability, durability, and versatility.
About Leland: For 26 years, Leland Fly Fishing Outfitters has serviced fly anglers from around the world with their proven education program, innovative fly fishing gear selection and travel destinations. Scott Howell will be visiting the Leland Sonoma Ranch for his annual steelhead weekend. Be sure to check with Leland for dates and rates.
Contact: Burke White at burke@flyfishingoutfitters.com or 415-781-3474
Squidro Fly ReviewSkagit Master: Steelheading Outside the BoxScott Howell VideoSpey RodsSwitch Rods
In Major League Baseball’s American League, one player in each team’s line-up is paid millions to do one thing and do it well; the designated hitter is employed to put runs on the scoreboard. Similarly, in the sport of fly fishing, the Designated Hitter fly pattern is a stonefly imitation designed to catch big trout – and nothing else.
Professional fly fishing guide and accomplished fly designer and tyer, David Hill, constructed the “DH” Stonefly during the 1990s while guiding clients in the Missoula, Montana area, and this highly productive fly pattern is built to last, cast after cast.
The Designated Hitter Golden Stonefly is a fantastically attractive and durable imitation of an emergent or adult Golden Stonefly. It’s got rubber legs for the ultimate bug factor, a ragged dubbed body, closed cell foam butt, and a stiff deer hair wing for visibility and flotation. When it comes to effective stone fly imitations, this fly pattern’s got all the bases covered!
Quick Hits- This fly was developed for Umpqua Feather Merchants by well-traveled professional fly fishing guide David Hill
- The fly is constructed with a butt of closed cell fly tying foam, realistic wings, attractive rubber legs, and stiff deer hair for high floatation
- Golden stonefly imitation in the emerger or adult life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Drift the fly through different water types; faster riffles and shallower water near the banks of a river with moderate to slow currents are the most productive water types for this fly
- Golden stoneflies are available to trout all year long in trout water throughout North America
- Hatches occur consistently and with long duration throughout the daylight hours
- Strikes on golden stoneflies are often far from subtle because trout must often be prepared to rip these strong clingers from their rocky homes
- When approaching a shallow water environment with a stonefly imitation, be extremely careful not to spook happily feeding trout
Blane Chocklett tapped the knowledge and ingenuity of his friend and former Virginia Tech professor, Harry Steeves, to create his famous Gummy Minnow. The new partners in fly fishing decided they needed to develop a new non-traditional synthetic material that would make fish go crazy! The gamble worked and Sili Skin was born. Today, the Gummy Minnow is taking both anglers and bass by storm!
Chocklett’s Tungsten Gummy Stonefly - Black Stonefly (Giant Salmonfly) is not a streamer pattern used to catch striped bass, but it incorporates the very same Sili Skin that has made the Gummy Minnow so effective. The Gummy Stonefly also uses the added weight of tungsten to help keep the fly low in the water column – where it should be. This fly pattern is extremely realistic, and the perfect answer to fishing those prolific early season giant salmonfly hatches in fast water!
Quick Hits- This fly pattern was developed by fly tyer and Virginia-based fly fishing guide Blane Chocklett
- Black stonefly (giant salmonfly) imitation in the mature nymph life stage
- Use as either an impressionistic searching fly or as a realistic imitation when matching the hatch
- Drift the fly through different water types; faster riffles and shallower water near the banks of a river with moderate to slow currents are the most productive water types for this fly
- Black stonefly nymphs are available to trout all year long in trout water throughout North America
- Hatches occur consistently and with long duration throughout the daylight hours
- Strikes on black stoneflies are often far from subtle because trout must often be prepared to rip these strong clingers from their rocky homes
- When approaching a shallow water environment with a stonefly nymph, be extremely careful not to spook happily feeding trout
- Added weight of tungsten will keep the fly low in the water column
- Sili Skin gives a unique, buggy appearance to this fly patternTo read more about Chocklett's Tungsten Gummy Black Stonefly or to add a row of these badass bugs to your fly box, click
here.
If you'd like to browse all of Leland's hand-selected trout flies, click
here.