About the Brown Leech Trout Fly

In 1997, the ice on White Lake cleared on April 17. After a long, snowy winter, the craving was strong to dip a fly in that fabulous rainbow lake. It wasn't until Sunday the 20th that I was free to try my luck. I had tied up several brown leeches modified from a commercial version that was rather successful in early spring of the previous year on White. As luck would have it, just as we arrived at the lake, a steady rain started to come down. We waited for a time but the urge to fish was just too strong and even though I had forgotten to bring my rain pants, we headed out on the water. And pour it did, alternating between a steady drizzle and violent downpours! After an hour or so, my jeans felt like I had walked through a car wash and the wind gusts began to feel oh so cold. However, just as we were talking about heading in, a strike rocked my fly rod and about a 3 pound White Lake rainbow leaping wildly behind the car topper, my brown leech embedded in its jaw. The fish fought stubbornly in the steady down pour but when I began to think about the landing net, a quick flip and the rainbow was free. The barbless hook had either worked loose or I was not diligent in keeping a tight enough line.

Expert Tip:

We tested the merits of the brown leech again on the following Thursday and it did not disappoint us. I had four solid strikes and again failed to land a fish but my fishing companion, Skip Wheatley, managed to land two beauties on a similar pattern, one fish weighing a good 4 pounds!

Creator of this trout fly: Don Haaheim

Tier of this trout fly: Don Haaheim

Country of origin for this trout fly: Canada

Dressings

• Hook : Size 6 or 8.
• Tail : Red cotton embroidery floss.
• Body : Rust chenille.
• Head : Small gold bead.
• Wing : Deep brown marabou.
• Thread : Invisible mending.

Start by crimping the hook barb in order to slide the small gold bead through to the fly eye. I buy a lot of my fly tying materials in sewing shops, including the embroidery floss, the beads and the invisible thread used to tie this fly. I tie some of these flies weighted because in the first few weeks after ice-out, the fish are often deep.