Drains 20, a full season fly?

[Dave McNeese]

I'd like to hear from any of you that fished the Drains 20 this last year...

Time to finish gathering opinions.

Cheers!

Dave

[FT]

Dave,

As usual, great tie of one of the older, more technique required steelhead flies.

Although I've never fished the fly, it is still one of the finest examples of Wes's innovative steelhead flies in my opinion. Heck, I even fish the area of the Skagit where he caught the big fish the fly got its name from (it is only 11 miles from my front door to this run). I really like the color combination and the way Wes used materials and color pallette it it.

I strongly suspect it never got the large following flies like the Skykomish Sunrise, Purple Peril, Skunk, Polar Shrimp, etc. acquired is because it takes a bit more skill and time to tie it than the old standard hairwings, or the now commonly seen marabou spiders and bunny flies.

I prefer to use Glasso's speys, a G.P., Ally's Shrimps in a few colors, a few classic dees, or a handful of married wing classics for winter fish. And for summer runs, I prefer using a few smallish Irish Shimps, small Ally's Shrimps, a few classic low-water featherwings, Glasso's Silver Spey or Black Spey, a skated dry, Lady Caroline, your Pale Peril, or Bob Arnold's Spade.

[Skilly]

Dave

I did try the one you sent me last year. I caught some Cutts on it but no Steelhead. I fished it in tandem with the fly I normally fish both in the up position and the down position. It just seems that where I fish the fish seem to like black best. I have not tried it for a winter fly.

Thanks
Skilly

[David Dalan]

Haven't fished it myself, but I love that dressing. I can't imagine it would be any less effective than any other hairwing. And it has the magic (hahahha) winter run color on it :)

[Norseman1]

Hi Dave.

Sorry for the negative feedback from me too......blew my knee last May, operated on it in August and I can still feel it. So unfortunately I too did not get an opportunity to fish mine.

I will be hitting the upper Columbia hard in March, and I promise to give it some honest swing time.

Thanks for such a wonderful pattern, masterful.

Best regards
Paul