FE February Saltwater Lure of the Month: Mirrolure

 

FEBRUARY 2011

Saltwater Lure of the Month

MIRROLURE

The MirrOlure was invented by Harold LeMaster while he was still attending high school during the depth of the Great Depression.  While out walking one afternoon, LeMaster stumbled upon his future in the form of a fallen walnut tree.  Selecting a suitable portion of the tree, LeMaster carved the first version of his MirrOlure using broken glass and scraps of sandpaper.  He brought forth one lure and then dozens more, all carved by hand from the same walnut tree.  As the good word spread about his creation demand for the MirrOlure increased.  LeMaster soon partnered with a close relative to form the L & S Bait Company.  Today, the L& S is still responsible for painstakingly manufacturing this fantastic fish-taker.

Without question, the MirrOlure enclosed was the result of a burst of inspiration from a creative mind, and its handcrafted production was a labor of love.  Much of the hands on attention to the original prototype lives on today.  The L & S Bait Company puts the MirrOlure through no fewer than twenty-seven individual checkpoints in order to assure the highest level of quality possible.  Now primarily known as a productive saltwater lure, a significant segment of the MirrOlure’s market due to the lure’s durability and versatility, many freshwater anglers have rediscovered the MirrOlure.  The MirrOlure is yet another example of a true classic lure still hard at work for today’s anglers in all types of fishing conditions.

Featured Lure: The MirrOlure

Designer: Harold LeMaster

Manufacturer: L & S Bait Company

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FE February Trout Fly of the Month: Black Nose Dace

February 2011

  Fishing Enthusiast Fly of the Month

Black Nose Dace

The Black Nose Dace is a well traveled streamer first tied by author and angler Art Flick. Mr. Flick is the author of Art Flick’s Master Fly-Tying Guide (coauthored by Dave Whitlock), and the influential Art Flick’s New Streamside Guide, published in 1988.  Flick is also noted for his practice of planting willow trees along the banks of his favorite river, a practice continued today by a group of East Coast anglers.  As with his books, Flick’s Black Nose Dace is a pattern recommended by expert anglers from coast to coast.

The Black Nose Dace is an imitation of the 2 to 2.5 inch dace minnow.  The dace is most often found in small, rapidly flowing streams with gravel or rocky bottoms, but rarely in lakes or ponds.  Though not often found in still water, many anglers suggest that the Black Nose Dace is actually a viable still water selection.  Fishing the Black Nose Dace is very forgiving.  Cast your fly across the stream and allow it to naturally drop to the bottom.  When the fly reaches the end of its drift, retrieve with a fast, slow, or erratic combination.  From our experience, we have found that minnows generally swim with short bursts punctuated with pauses.  This habit leads us to believe that an erratic retrieve will produce the best results.

FLY TYING PATTERN:

Hook: 12

Tail: Red yarn

Head: Black

Body: Silver Tinsel

Wing: White, black, and brown bucktail

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