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This page is devoted to those things which I find to be especially good and noteworthy. From time to time I'll post different products, ideas, techniques, or destinations that I think are outstanding and worthy of your notice. Please understand that any topics that I bring up are my choosing and are here solely at my discretion. These are my opinions and don't reflect in any way on other manufacturers, guides, lodges or anything else. This is just my opinion.

Sincerely,

Hawk

New Hawkins Guides Flies Available at Orvis.com

After the first of the year Orvis will be selling some more of our patterns to the public. The new offerings join the Nutcracker, Hat Trick and the Little Rascal as some of our favorites that are now easily available to you.

Ed McCoy is one of the best dry fly tyers I have encountered, Ed’s educational background and his knowledge of entomology gives him a great insight to what the trout look for in bugs. His offerings this coming year are some of the best patterns for surface fishing that I use. Ed has shared these patterns with us for years, and now he is sharing them with you.

His two Hex patters, the Real McCoy Muck Bug and the Foam Belly Hex are two flies that you don’t want to be without in June, early July in Michigan. The Muck Bug is a fly that I have used extensively along the Manistee as a searching pattern. Some very big trout have come up from the depths to eat that fly when bugs haven’t been on the water. The Foam Belly Hex is a great hatch matcher when there is a lot of pressure (when isn’t the pressure huge during hex season). It is a good floater and realistic looking.

Ed’s Real McCoy AP (all purpose) Drake is a fly you need a few of in your box all season long. It can represent both Mahogany's and Isonychias effectively. Both of those hatches are arguably the two best hatches on our northern rivers because they last so long and most importantly trout love them. A great pattern all day long, that brings all sizes of trout to the surface. Make sure to purchase both sizes, available in size 10 and size 14. Because your going to want to make sure to have this pattern all summer long!
The next bug in the line isn’t a bug, it’s the Clown Egg. This pattern has quickly become the number one fly in Hawkins boats for steelhead. They can’t resist it. Mounted under a float, this fly will get eaten! Currently Orvis is carrying the clown in three different colors, watermelon, lemon parade, and original clown. All three will work for migratory fish and resident trout. When fish are on the egg bite this fly is a winner.

Finally the Triple Double, a fly I created because of input from another Hawkins Guide, Russ Maddin. Those of you that have had the pleasure of fishing with Russ may have been lucky enough to listen to him about fly construction and design. Russ makes the point that much of a trout’s diet is made up of things that are camouflaged to look like their surroundings, mostly the bottom of the river. When you look at the bottom it is generally mottled and exhibits a variety of colors. I agree with Russ and the goal of mottling is what gave me the idea for the Triple Double, two rabbit strips wrapped like a barber pole with a Mohawk of a third color, Triple Double.

Currently Orvis is offering the Triple Double in Rainbow trout, brown trout and black leech colors. If the pattern sells I hope Orvis also presents the fly in Pancora Crab colors as it is one of my top two flies in Argentina.

Click on these hotlinks and pick up some of these flies. Ever one of them belongs in your arsenal

Hawk