September Freshwater Fly of the Month: Streamer- Thin Mint Wooly Bugger - Beadhead

September Freshwater Fly of the Month: Streamer- Thin Mint Wooly Bugger - Beadhead

The woolly bugger is always listed as one of the top ten flies you should have in your fly box. This is one of the most productive and popular wet flies for a variety of species of fish. The woolly bugger is an awesome sub-surface fly that imitates a variety of baits. Leeches, minnows, nymphs, and sculpins begins the list of what this fly can represent to a hungry trout, steelhead, bass or panfish.

"The Woolly Bugger is so effective, it should be banned from some watersheds. I suspect its effectiveness is due to its resemblance to so many edible creatures in the water--nymphs, leeches, salamanders, or even small sculpins. Its tail undulating behind a fiber, bubble-filled body is just too much for most fish to resist. It just looks like a meal!" – Bill Hunter, The Professionals' Favorite Flies

Trout spend most of their time on the bottom of rivers, near the rocks and in the cover of structure.  The advantage to anglers using bead-head flies, is the fact that the weight of the bead, sinks the fly. Bead-head flies can be especially effective in rivers with fast, deep water. Keeping your hooks around the fish is a sure way to get more strikes, and ultimately, catch more fish. 

Most anglers would agree that a common nymph rig with an indicator and additional weight is perhaps the easiest way to catch fish in moving water. However, many sporting fly fishers also enjoy fishing a large dry fly with a bead-head dropper attached.

Bead-headed flies became popular in the eighties and have been catching fish since then. Bright gold, silver and copper metal beads are most commonly used, but flies that include glass beads are also very effective.

Every conceivable nymph pattern has been tied with a bead at some point. Mayflies, stoneflies, midges, and many more imitations of aquatic species have bead-head variations. Limited only by imagination, beads can be used in many ways to add to the effectiveness of a fly. As the popularity of flies with beads increases, bead manufacturers have begun to increase a fly tier's options with colorfully anodized and painted versions.  

September Freshwater Lure of the Month: ACME KO Wobbler

September Freshwater Lure of the Month: ACME KO Wobbler

The History of the ACME Tackle Company:

The Kastmaster is a popular and deadly spoon-type lure for both fresh and salt water. Many anglers use this lure or know about it. But very few anglers know the story of Art Lavallee, the man who discovered and perfected the Kastmaster and put it on the market.

Art Lavallee was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1918, and as a young boy liked freshwater fishing. After returning from W.W. II where he served on submarines in the Pacific, he resumed freshwater fishing and in 1947 he caught an 8 3/4 lb. largemouth bass that held the Rhode Island state record for many years. But when he caught his first striped bass in the ocean, striper fishing became his primary fishing interest.

In 1949, Art Lavallee and his brother Al formed the Spencer Plating Company, which polished and electroplated jewelry. Art took some of the jewelry and bent and changed their shapes to create metal fishing lures. He and his friends enjoyed successful angling results with these inventions, so Art decided to enter the fishing tackle business and founded the Acme Tackle Company in 1952. Then Art learned about a lure called the EDA Splune developed by the Engineering Design Associates of Severna Park, Maryland. This metal lure was the forerunner of the Kastmaster. The Acme Tackle Company entered into a royalty agreement with EDA and acquired the rights to market the lure. Art field tested the lure and then modified it, making it longer and giving it the jewelry like finish for which Acme lures are famous.

The Kastmaster was quickly accepted by both fresh and saltwater anglers and is now used to catch all kinds of fish. An amazingly versatile lure, the Kastmaster is equally deadly whether cast, trolled, or vertically jigged. It casts like a bullet, and its unique side-to-side darting action is something which pursued baitfish do, but which ordinary spoons do not.

In 1980 Acme purchased the former Seneca Tackle Co., and now makes the popular Little Cleo and Sidewinder spoons, as well as many other types of metal spoons for fresh and saltwater fishing.

Today, Acme continues to manufacture, assemble, and package all of its lures at its Providence, Rhode Island plant, under the daily management and supervision of Lavallee family. Acme's company goal is the same as it was in 1952 -- to produce the world's finest metal fishing lures.

The Fishing Enthusiast Freshwater Lure of the Month is the ACME Tackle Company's Wobbler Spoon. This lure excites by sight and sound! Gamefish are sensitive to the vibrations created by baitfish on the move K.O. wobblers MIMIC this sound with their precision-Engineered 'Sonic Flipper Tail'.

September Saltwater Lure of the Month: Clarkspoons Gold Classic Clark Spoon

September Saltwater Lure of the Month: Clarkspoons Gold Classic Clark Spoon

"These spoons catch everything ! They work so good it's hard to try anything else love then even for trolling work like magic!! Gotta have them!"

"The standard of the Clarkspoon family"

The Clarkspoon company was founded in America in 1927 and sought to create a series of better saltwater spoons for offshore fishermen.  In the nearly 100 years since the companies inception, the company has created dozens and dozens of innovative new baits, including (of course) the original Clarkspoon, but also Flashspoons, Spoon Squids, Clark Caster, Mackerel Duster, Mackerel Tree, Trolling Sinkers and many others.  Their attention to detail and quality have allowed them to stay ahead of the competition 

The Clark Spoon original is a legendary spoon that has stood the test of time.  With a fast action and strong life like motion designed to be trolled or casted, this bait is a favorite of blues.  It's also a a hands down favorite for Spanish Mackerel, Striper, and other game fish.  They are proven for both salt and freshwater fishing.  

Equipped with special built-in swivel with red bead and reinforced strong, stainless steel hooks, the fast acting lures feature a bright finish and a fast live action flutter.  Rigged Silver Clark Spoon is tied with a 24-ft., 30-lb. test leader and a No. 3 snap swivel. Wound on a 4" wheel.

Available in both chrome and gold.

FEATURES:

• Original Clarkspoons
• Fast-acting with realistic motion
• Great for trolling or casting
• Chrome or gold plated
• Built-in swivel with red beads
• Stainless steel Eagle Claw® hooks
• Clarkspoon