classic Michigan dry fly · late 1940s to 1950s
Woodchuck Skunk
Unverified origin Only Deschaine's Fly of the Week column credits Ann Schweigert, and his own Schweigert column casts doubt on such credits.
History
A yellow-bodied version of Madsen's Skunk with woodchuck hair in place of the original's tail and wing. Tom Deschaine credited it to Ann Schweigert, the shop tyer at Jack's Rod & Fly Shop in Roscommon, and placed it with her other late-1940s and 1950s variations. He fished it down and across with short jerky strips and thought it most likely took fish as a hopper, though it was also used at night.
The credit is uncertain. In his own profile of the Schweigerts, Deschaine wrote that many patterns had been credited to Ann too freely, and he quoted Jerry Regan, who knew her, as seeing nothing to show she originated any fly. Her real strength, Deschaine thought, was tying many variations of existing patterns, which fits this fly.
Materials
| Hook | Mustad 9672 (3XL), size 6 |
|---|---|
| Thread | Black 6/0 |
| Tail | Woodchuck guard hair, short |
| Legs | White round rubber, tied in an X above or below the shank |
| Body | Medium yellow chenille |
| Wing | Woodchuck guard hair, down-wing, reaching just past the bend |
| Hackle | Brown, one or two turns |
| Head | Cemented |
Sources
- Deschaine, T. "Woodchuck Skunk." Fly of the Week, Fly Anglers Online, May 20, 2013 (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.