Andrew Evans

For steelhead anglers who prefer the swung fly, Idaho’s Clearwater River stands out as one of the premier fisheries in the Lower 48. It’s a big, broad river with a reliable return of large fish and offers miles of prime water that’s tailor-made for spey casting.

To the uninitiated, fly fishing is not commonly associated with competition, or for the targeting carp for that matter. However, there is such a competition for this quarry in the flats of Eastern Washington. Every Summer, a clandestine group of anglers diverge onto an unnamed lake for a two-day tournament: The Schmoots Clooper.

As you can see there are many patterns in the Galloup fleet of flies both in dries and nymphs that are proven and have been in use for years. Not only this but we are just scratching the surface, Kelly has other patterns not included in this list that can be found in his forementioned books and videos.

To the uninitiated, fly fishing is not commonly associated with competition, or for the targeting carp for that matter. However, there is such a competition for this quarry in the flats of Eastern Washington. Every Summer, a clandestine group of anglers diverge onto an unnamed lake for a two-day tournament: The Schmoots Clooper.