Photo by Reejay
Al's Trico
During the first weeks of the trico hatch, trout are easy to catch as they gorge themselves with reckless abandon. As the season progresses, they become very selective, rising to the silhouette then refusing the fly when they see oversized wings or other mistakes.
Al’s pattern eliminates this problem. Al said selectively feeding trout are looking for what's right not what’s wrong. Since Al's Trico has no overdressed wings or tails to turn fish off, they rise to the silhouette and take the fly. The pattern works for duns and Spinners.
Al’s Rat
Al noticed adult midges hatch on spring creeks all year. When there are adults on the surface there are pupae in the film. When other insects aren’t available, spring creek trout have to eat midges. Al adapted to this scenario by developing Al's Rat. The fish take the fly for a midge pupa.
The dark brown monocord provides an excellent silhouette, the muskrat a simple thorax.
The "Rat" works all day, all year. For many it's the first fly they try every day all year.
Stories
Al liked to sneak cigarettes at the shop. He thought Elmira didn’t know he smoked but she was too kind to break his bubble.
One day Elmira stopped at the shop with one of her wonderful apple tarts. Al panicked. He thrust his butts into my hand for safekeeping and partook of his breath spray. Elmira gave him a knowing smile but said nothing.
I took Al shad fishing. I handed him a spinning rod, he began retrieving line by stripping it by hand. You could take the boy away from the fly fishing but you couldn’t take the fly fishing out of the boy!
The Little Lehigh and Rod Rohrbach had no better friend.
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