classic Michigan dry fly · 1940s
Doodlebug
Unverified origin Deschaine's two columns are the only sources, and his account of where Jack fished it is secondhand. Unlike Ann's credits, Jack's is not disputed.
History
Jack Schweigert left a Saginaw foundry job for the Au Sable and opened a tackle shop in Luzerne in 1939, about fifteen miles east of Grayling, before moving the business to Roscommon in 1949. Tom Deschaine credited this attractor to Jack's Luzerne years; he had been told that Jack fished it on Luzerne Pond, Pretty Lake and the Au Sable.
It is a peacock and yellow fly with a red tail, a woodchuck wing and a clipped deer-hair top-knot, meant for times when nothing is on the water. Deschaine fished it dry or sunk, in moving and still water, and noted it had not been sold in shops for many years.
Materials
| Hook | Mustad 94840 or 94833, sizes 8 to 10 |
|---|---|
| Thread | Black 6/0 |
| Tail | Red hackle fibers |
| Underbody | Yellow wool yarn (or a better-floating poly dubbing) |
| Overbody | Peacock herl |
| Rib | Fine gold tinsel |
| Wing | Woodchuck body hair |
| Head | Deer body hair, trimmed to a top-knot |
Sources
- Deschaine, T. "Doodlebug." Fly of the Week, Fly Anglers Online, August 30, 2010 (reposted May 31, 2014).
- Deschaine, T. "Jack & Ann Schweigert: A Michigan Legend." Fly Anglers Online, August 30, 2010.
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No photo yet. Every photo on michfly is of a fly tied for the site, so they're added a few at a time.
Original recipe cards for many Michigan patterns are kept at the Michigan Dry Flies archive, built by the late Tom Deschaine.