Michigan Flies

Flies / Streamer

Feenstra's River Chicken

A

Kevin Feenstra, Muskegon River

A layered swing fly from Feenstra's favorites: a peach or pink rabbit tail, polar chenille through peach Estaz, and a wing of mallard flank sandwiched with grizzly marabou. The mallard turns semi-transparent in the water and the fly wobbles like a baitfish. A big-water fly for the Muskegon and Manistee when steelhead are aggressive in spring and fall.

#1–4Peach and olivePeach and tan
What the pattern looks like
Reference photos of the Feenstra's River Chicken 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 · River Chicken

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

  • Sculpin (slimy and mottled)
  • Chub (creek chub and hornyhead)
  • Dace and other coarse minnows
Fish it for
SteelheadBrown trout

Setups

  • Swinging flies (spey / switch)
  • Streamers
How it's tied
A
River Chicken. From the tier's published pattern sheet. Recipe by Feenstra Guide Service (2015).

Materials

Hook
Size 1/0 to 4, 4XL to 6XL streamer hook
Tail
Pink or peach rabbit strip, or natural Australian possum strip
Body
Olive, tan, or brown polar chenille or Hackle Flash wound through peach Estaz
Wing
A small concave mallard flank feather, a yellow, tan or olive grizzly marabou feather, another mallard flank, and one last grizzly marabouLayered in that order, bottom to top.
Collar
Mallard flankRubber legs optional.
Pectoral fins
Two grizzly marabou feathers
Head
A clump of Australian possum fur

Steps

  1. 1.Coat the hook with thread and tie in the rabbit strip or a bit of Australian possum as a tail.
  2. 2.Tie in the polar chenille and wind it through the body, covering about two-thirds of the hook.
  3. 3.Tie in the wing, sandwiching layers of mallard flank and grizzly marabou. The mallard flank turns semi-transparent in the water, making a natural-looking fly that wobbles.
  4. 4.Tie in the collar, with rubber legs if you like.
  5. 5.Add the fins.
  6. 6.Tie in a clump of possum for the head and finish the fly.

From the tier

  • The mallard flank becomes semi-transparent in the water, making a very natural-looking fly that wobbles.

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

Materials to buy
Everything one Feenstra's River Chicken takes, each item once: 8 items, plus 1 optional. Quantities are for a single fly. We do not sell components yet; when we do, these will link to them.

Hook and hardware

  • Long-shank streamer hook, 4XL to 6XL1

    Sizes 4 to 1/0

    Hook

Feathers and fur

  • Rabbit strip1 short strip

    Pink or peach

    Tail

    Or a natural Australian possum strip.

  • Mallard flank3 feathers

    Small and concave for the wing, larger for the collar

    WingCollar

  • Grizzly marabou4 feathers

    Yellow, tan, or olive

    WingPectoral fins

  • Australian possum furA clump

    Head

Synthetics, flash and legs

  • EstazA length

    Peach

    Body

  • Polar chenille or Hackle FlashA length

    Olive, tan, or brown

    Body

  • Rubber legsoptionalA few strands

    Collar

Thread and finish

  • Tying thread1 spool

    HookHead

    Not named on the sheet.

Sources