Michigan Flies

Flies / Streamer

Feenstra's Reflector

A

Kevin Feenstra, Muskegon River

Feenstra's bright-day leech: a marabou tail, olive Ice Dub body palmered with schlappen, mallard collar, bead-chain eyes and a wing of holographic gold flash topped with red, gold and green. A very bright fly for a bright, sunny day; if an aggressive fish is in the run it will draw attention in the sunlight. Swing it on the Muskegon when the low winter sun is on the water.

#2–6Olive and goldBlack and goldBrown and goldclear watermidday
What the pattern looks like
Reference photos of the Feenstra's Reflector tied by others, shared by their photographers. Not our flies; our own product photos replace these as they are shot.

Photo © Feenstra Guide Service, used with permission · Reflector

Season
Months this pattern is in play across Michigan, derived from what it imitates.
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Imitates

Forage

  • Leech
  • Sculpin (slimy and mottled)
Fish it for
SteelheadBrown trout

Setups

  • Swinging flies (spey / switch)
  • Streamers
How it's tied
A
Reflector. A very bright fly for a bright, sunny day. From the tier's published pattern sheet. Recipe by Feenstra Guide Service (2015).

Materials

Hook
Daiichi 2461Sizes 2 to 6.
Tail
Black, chocolate brown, or olive marabou
Hackle
Olive schlappen palmered through the body
Body
Olive Ice Dub
Collar
Large mallard feather
Eyes
Medium bead chain eyes tied under the hook2 to 4 beads.
Head
A clump of olive Ice Dub on top of the hook behind the eyesOlive or peacock.
Flash
Holographic gold Flashabou, topped with a mix of red, gold, and green Flashabou

Steps

  1. 1.Cover the hook with thread and lash the eyes to the bottom of the hook, a quarter of the shank behind the eye. Bring the thread to the rear.
  2. 2.Tie in a marabou feather for the tail.
  3. 3.Lash in a schlappen feather ahead of the tail, dub a body forward over two-thirds of the hook, and palmer the schlappen through it.
  4. 4.Wind a mallard collar in front of the body.
  5. 5.Tie in the flash above the body, gold first, topped with the mix of colours.
  6. 6.Just behind the eyes, add a clump of Ice Dub as a head. Olive or peacock is ideal.

From the tier

  • A very bright fly for a bright and sunny day. If there is an aggressive fish around, it will draw his attention in the sunlight.

Fly Pattern Sheet: Reflector (PDF) Transcribed from the guide service's pattern sheet.

Materials to buy
Everything one Feenstra's Reflector takes, each item once: 8 items. Quantities are for a single fly. We do not sell components yet; when we do, these will link to them.

Hook and hardware

  • 3XL streamer hook1

    Sizes 2 to 6 · Daiichi 2461

    Hook

  • Bead chain eyes1 pair

    Medium

    Eyes

Feathers and fur

  • Marabou1 feather

    Black, chocolate brown, or olive

    Tail

  • Schlappen1 feather

    Olive

    Hackle

  • Mallard flank1 large feather

    Collar

Synthetics, flash and legs

  • Ice DubA pinch each

    Olive for the body, olive or peacock for the head

    BodyHead

  • FlashabouA few strands each

    Holographic gold, red, gold, green

    Flash

Thread and finish

  • Tying thread1 spool

    HookHead

    Not named on the sheet.

Sources