The Pearl of Mosquito Lagoon
If I ever found myself in a one fly competition on the Smith River in Montana (which will never happen) I would most likely choose The Crazy Goof. In high school I was a pretty poor fisherman, I certainly didn’t realize it at the time but I was bad. There was a whole crew of us, and we were all bad at it. Relatively bad, as in we were probably better than most our peers but we just didn’t know what "better than what we were" should look like. I hope I feel the same way in 10 years about my skill level I currently have but… that’s off topic.
We fished the Smith River a lot. A friend of ours was the grandson of Bob Gruel who owned the Gruel Ranch in Montana, and on the Gruel Ranch there is a place called Franhaufers. If you’ve ever floated the Smith River, after you pass the Anderson Ranch (the place with a golf course, ice, and ice cream bars) on the river left you will see the Franhaufer cabins. That is where we tied hundreds of the Crazy Goof fly. We also shot potato guns and other stuff.
Bob Gruel actually taught us how to tie the fly, it being one of his favorite Smith River fly patterns. After we learned the original pattern endless variations began to develop. We really didn’t realize that it was originally supposed to be a dry fly. Only recently did I find this out. I got that information from a small book I got at a fly fishing auction published by the Spokane Fly Fishing Club. The book cannot confirm the original designer of the fly, or even its origin but maybe Bozeman?
We weren’t good casters yet so the fly quickly became a nymph. We heavily weighted it, added beads, and added rubberlegs. It was easier for us to catch fish on nymphs or slightly swung flies (mending?). We tied it in many colors, but yellow, at least on the Smith River was always best.
Sometimes we did fish it as a dry fly. I don’t know exactly what fish take it for because rarely on the Smith River is there a giant hatch of large stoneflies. Once in a while there is a big hatch but for some reason on that river fish like big dry flies almost all spring, summer, and fall regardless of the hatches. Maybe they eat as a hopper, or maybe Smith fish are just more open minded to culinary
adventures. I am not sure, nor is anyone else.
Our slight variation of the dry fly isn’t far from the original pattern, in fact, if you want to make it the original pattern just pull off the rubberlegs and remove the ice dub. However, we think the updates are a solid revival for this classic.
What makes this fly so good I think is the elk hair tail in the back. It makes the back of the fly float up high with air trapped in the elk hair on the back of the fly. The chenille on the underbody gets soaked and pulls the fly in to the water column, and the front hackle slightly sags in front like water logged wings. The fly floats well, and it’s very durable.
If you want to try tying it I recorded a short tying tutorial on the pattern as well.
Words by Sam Wike
TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA. JULY 16. 4:30AM. 89 DEGREES AND RISING
It feels like I was at the Costa sunglasses party only an hour ago. We'd been at fly-fishing industry's tackle show in Orlando, Florida, for the past week, and after full days at the show and late nights hanging out with brethren, we were ready to go find some Florida redfish. In fact, it’s been a quick six hours of sleep, sushi, and a short drive from Orlando to the 89-year old Casa Coquina Bed and Breakfast in Titusville. The Casa sits on the banks of the Indian River, and was a perfect location for us to start our redfish quest.
I woke up to the sound of a gong and the lights flipping on, couresty of our ringleader, Joe Lamantia, who's an avid turkey hunter and, to me, looks like a baseball umpire if baseball umpires have a stereotypical look. Along for the trip was Paul Considine, a House of Fly buyer, and Rob Bolke who is our HOF product developer. I quickly cleared the Costa party blur from my eyes and found myself in a "museum" of World Market items, all stuffed in a room called The Black Pearl.
This is a non-fiction post, so believe me when I say, Casa Coquina Bed and Breakfast, The Black Pearl room, and "the gong" are all real - Casa Coquina Del Mar
Coffee was already waiting for us, as was our guide, Scott Maccalla of Redfish On Fly. At a gas station II bought two hot dogs, slow roasted and perfect for brunch on the boat. Then wee all headed out to Mosquito Lagoon in search of redfish.
Mosquito Lagoon could be the most diverse estuary in North America. This is a unique location on the Florida coastline and conservation efforts aim to keep it that way. For over 10,000 years, it’s been a source of livelihood for the indigenous Timucuan tribe, who may have been the first to catch redfish. As a bonus (for some), the John F Kennedy Space Center sits nearby and can be seen in the distance while you are fishing. That's why the area is called "The Space Coast". We were real eager to catch redfish, and our guides, Scott and Troy, who know redfish as well as anyon, were the guys to get us on them.
Two-spot redfish at Mosquito Lagoon.
By 6 a.m., I’ve botched three opportunities casting at redfish. Scott had dropped me off on a flat, probably hoping one of these fish would give me a pity eat, while he poled Paul into the first redfish of the day. That was not the way I intended to start two days of redfishing with Paul, and I knew I was in for some serious commentary from the peanut gallery. When Paul and I fish, there is a winner and there is a loser. And at that moment I was clearly the loser. When I got back on the boat, Scott called Troy on his cell and learned that Joe and Rob were crushing it as well. So, it was me to blame, and not the redfish. Luckily, Scott is a patient guide, and talented at getting anglers in “hard to screw this up” situations. As I sulked and roasted my hot dog on the deck Paul land another nice redfish.
On my first trip to the Bahamas, a long time ago, Ian Davis from Yellowdog Fly Fishing Travel told me, “The people that learn to have the most fun always do the best out here.” And that's what I tried to do . . . by getting into an aggressive verbal trash-talking session with Paul. Fortunately, we rotated positions on the casing deck after each redfish and it wasn't too long before I was getting in on the action, too. Honestly, how many fish do you need to catch to have a great experience? For me, that would be zero. But on this day, gratefully, the talley was much higher than that.
When we got back to the dock, Troy ate the other hot dog after I told him about my slow-roasting technique (100 degrees slow roasted in the Florida humidity). Rob and Joe had landed a dozen redfish and half a dozen trout as well. Afterwards, we headed for margaritas and stuffed jalapeños at a Mexican restaurant next to “The Pearl.” Flip Pallot was having dinner there; that’s a good sign.
After those margaritas wetook an Uber down the road to Port Canaveral and had dinner with Scott and his wife, Melissa. I didn’t think I liked oysters, but I guess I do now. Rob learned that the Buffalo Club is a real thing. Melissa and Scott have a newborn and have learned that life is real now. Joe learned that paprika shouldn’t be srinkled on crab legs. Paul learned that Rob was an easy target (Buffalo Club related). We all learned that the Mexican place next to the Pearl doesn’t have, per se, “to go” drinks, but you can get a drink and leave with it.
Paul Considine on the casting platform hooked up.
Captain Scott Maccalla with a Mosquito Lagoon Redfish release.
DAY 2 - STAY POSITIVE
The gong rang again at 4:30 a.m., two feet from my bed. Loudly. Melissa offered PB&J sandwiches. We skipped an incredible offer at the gas station where we could have bought 2/get one free hotdogs, and went straight to the lagoon. Paul caught a redfish in two minutes. I caught a redfish in two hours. I literally let four redfish spit the hook on me before finally getting it done. Scott was really impressed. Of course, we called over to Troy, who reported Rob and Joe landing more fish than they had the day prior. I put my little brain to work on some creative trash talk for Paul. Then I got my head back in the game and stuck some fish. It was a nice comeback and in the end, Paul and I tied. Dead even.
If you are in the Orlando area for any reason, it’s a half an hour over to Mosquito Lagoon to fish with Scott or Troy. If you want to know where all the hot mullet and catfish sighting spots are, you can contact me. I can point you in the right direction. I spotted tons of them in the lagoon. However, for redfish and sea trout, Scott Macalla and Troy Perez are a better option. A huge thank you to our guides, as well as Melissa. Thank you for making us those PB&J’s and for offering some incredible hospitality.
Scott's hat says "Stay Positive", and that rubbed off on me. You might see it on some future Fly Project's apparel drops - The Fly Project Apparel
If you want to fish Mosquito Lagoon and don't know where to start, send us a note and we'll help you get to the right spot with the right people. Let's talk about a Redfish Trip
We try to stay ahead of the best and most current redfish patterns so if you're curious here's the good stuff - The Greatest Redfish Collection of All Time
The gong is real.
House Of Fly is going to Rockport Texas, and we’re inviting you to come with. Three days of fully guided fishing in Texas grass flats for redfish during the day then spending the evening with your friends hanging out at camp or exploring all that the Texas coast has to offer. Two trips are available.... come to one or stay for both!