MOPPING THE RIVERS!!!
By Montana Grant

Posted: October 7, 2021

Occasionally, a Secret Fly gets exposed. For years, One Fly Competitions were being won by durable and unique flies. The San Juan worm, Glo Eggs, and other bulletproof flies were always in the mix.

The Mop Fly is the latest in this box of tricks. I am sure that someone must have been snowed in and bored, one long Winter Day, looked over and saw a Mop in the corner. “That would make a great, durable fly!”

Every fly tier has invented flies using their pet’s hair, random craft materials, and other simple ingredients. The goal is to tie a fast fly that never dies but catches a lot of fish.

I once made lures out of Beer Can zip tabs. My brother and I were picking them up and throwing them into a pond that was stocked for opening day. Brook trout were going crazy as they sunk. Our Kid minds figured out how to wire the tabs onto a hook. The next morning, our first casts were with our custom Zip Tab Specials.

The Mop Fly is just as silly stupid. You can find dozens of YouTube videos on how to tie one in less than 30 seconds. Mop material comes from the cleaning product section of the hardware store. You will never visit a Home Depot and look at this aisle the same way. A quick snip and a few wraps on the hook, and you are in the money.

Lefty Kreh always taught me that the most important thing, in fishing, is to make a natural presentation. He would brag that” they will eat a cigarette butt if floated like it has no line or hook on it.” I watched him prove this on Hunting Creek. He picked up a butt off the parking lot, slid a small streamer hook into it and tied it on. 2 perfect casts later, he was reeling in a fat trout.

The Mop fly is a perfect fly to begin fly fishing with. It requires simple fly-tying skills but works well. You may feel stupid when you first tie this fly on. Kind of like you did when you first used a rubber band worm, yarn egg, or Zip Tab. The mop fabric moves a bit. It sinks slowly and looks tasty to the fish. It will catch warm and cold-water fish.

It is also perfect for ice fishing. I put one and added some fish scent to it. A limit later proved that it worked. I did not even add a maggot or worm. The fish went crazy over the Mop Magic.

Now I am sure that some fly-fishing purists may be embarrassed using this crazy fly. If the fly is not presented naturally, it won’t work. You still need fishing skills to make the fly work.

Mop up your favorite fishing hole!

Montana Grant

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