classic Michigan dry fly · 1940s
Houghton Lake Special
Disputed origin Bob Jewel and Ann Schweigert are both named. Deschaine's column records both claims and questions every Schweigert credit; two forum write-ups lean to Jewel but cite no sources and may draw on Deschaine's archive.
History
The Houghton Lake Special is a big, dark Michigan night fly that has been fished since about the 1940s. Black chenille, a silver rib, a red tail and a two-tone bucktail wing give it a streamer's build, and anglers fish it either floating or sunk, mostly for large brown trout after dark.
Who designed it is unsettled. Bob Jewel claimed the fly, and two tying forum write-ups name him as the probable originator; one says he was a school principal from Pinconning. Magazines and newspapers have also credited Ann Schweigert of Roscommon. Tom Deschaine reported that Jerry Regan, who knew her, had seen nothing to show she originated any pattern, and that she never claimed one herself, so the Schweigert credit is the weaker of the two.
One angler reports fishing it at night for big browns on the Au Sable near Grayling.
Materials
| Hook | Long-shank wet or streamer hook (Mustad 79580 or similar), sizes 2 to 4 |
|---|---|
| Thread | Black |
| Tail | Red wool yarn, short |
| Rib | Flat silver tinsel, medium or wide |
| Body | Black chenille |
| Wing | White bucktail underneath, with about twice as much brown bucktail on top, tied full |
| Hackle | Brown, heavy (two feathers) |
Sources
- Deschaine, T. "Jack & Ann Schweigert: A Michigan Legend." Fly Anglers Online, August 30, 2010.
- ScottP. "Houghton Lake Special SBS." Fly Patterns forum, Fly Anglers Online, February 4, 2017.
- "What Are You Tying Today? Part V," page 28. Paflyfish forum (poster and date not identified).
Know more about this fly's history, or spot a mistake? Send a correction.
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.