Ben Smith’s Mini-Hopper & John Barr’s Bouface Streamer

Ben Smith's Mini Hoppers and Golden Stone Fly Patterns.
Ben Smith’s Mini Hoppers and Golden Stone Fly Patterns.

A couple of years ago I went Quail hunting with Ben Smith owner of Arizona Wanderings  which is a blog where he posts a lot of cool stuff.As a thank you Ben sent me an Arizona Wanderings T-Shirt and some flies.I fished a few of his “mini” Hoppers last year and guess what? they worked.The Elk River Cutties gobbled them up.According to Ben so do the Arizona Rim Country Brown Trout.Why ? because I thing they look like a lot of different terrestrials,stoneflies and caddis

This small stream cutty ate a Mini Hopper
This small stream cutty ate a Mini Hopper

to Mr Trout.An added bonus is that they are relitvely easy to tie.Checkout the video below to tie or send Ben some love and purchase them from his Online Store while you are at it  get an AZ Wandering T-Shirt.

Black Bouface Streamers
Black Bouface Streamers

One of my favorite fly tying books is John Barr’s  “Barr Flies” his patterns are fast and easy to tie,plus they are super effective.I have blogged quite a bit about The Slumpbuster  and how effective that pattern is.This year I am on a Bouface kick which is even easier to tie than the Slumpbuster.The Arizona Bass have been chowing it.I have been tying an all white and an all black (original) with great results.

This  AZ LM Bass ate a Black Bouface Streamer
This AZ LM Bass ate a Black Bouface Streamer

Fishing it over weed beds and tight to structure,stripping and pausing with most eats coming as the fly drops ..nice.I think this fly will make a great trailer when fishing  a double streamer rig.I can’t wait to try it out on The Missouri River later this month.Checkout the video on how to tie it.

A White Bouface Streamer fooled this LM
A White Bouface Streamer fooled this LM
This Bass was Boufaced!
This Bass was Boufaced!