Drew Chicone's Peyote Palolo

Match the emergence

Every year in the Florida Keys, usually near the end of May, millions of small, crimson-colored worms emerge and create a tarpon feeding frenzy.  There are now hundreds of Palolo worm imitations on the market, but Chicone designed this one with tarpon in mind.  Chicone says it must have the right hook, so this fly has a heavy short shank hook.  He experimented a lot with other tail materials such as bunny that have great movement but ultimately went back to his fettuccini pasta cutter to create the foam on the back of the fly.  The foam gives the fly the correct “V” wake you see from the natural palolo worm in the water and keeps the fly suspended in the water just like the real ones.  The head used diamond braid and fox to create the right color and shimmer to imitate the natural ones.