The Frenchie is one of my go-to patterns. It's quick to tie, and fish love it. The Frenchie is my version, or my favorite color combination of a common competition fly. When I first entered the world of competition fly fishing I was introduced to many fly patterns that seemed too simple to work, or too flashy, gaudy & outrageous to take fish. Yet, my boxes are now adorned with similar atrocities. Anyway, the Frenchie was one that seemed tolerable.
Though I never had great success on standard pheasant tails, I had caught a few fish on them and I'd certainly taken note of the regularity with which customers purchased pheasant tails, so somebody was getting them to work. The first Frenchie style fly I saw used natural pheasant tail fibers for the tail and body and had a hot spot behind the bead which varied in color. I simply found a color combination that consistently caught fish utilizing the standard frenchie theme.
So, for clarification, I did not invent this style of fly. Egan's Frenchie is a variation of this style of fly.
- Lance Egan, Umpqua Signature Tyer
Though I never had great success on standard pheasant tails, I had caught a few fish on them and I'd certainly taken note of the regularity with which customers purchased pheasant tails, so somebody was getting them to work. The first Frenchie style fly I saw used natural pheasant tail fibers for the tail and body and had a hot spot behind the bead which varied in color. I simply found a color combination that consistently caught fish utilizing the standard frenchie theme.
So, for clarification, I did not invent this style of fly. Egan's Frenchie is a variation of this style of fly.
- Lance Egan, Umpqua Signature Tyer