Since it was Independence Day I figured the Patriot would be the perfect bow tie to flaunt. In a sport that often involves exact imitation, this bow tie stands out like a garish piece of costume jewelry. But it’s great for attracting the attention of fish that aren’t actively feeding on anything in particular. Pennsylvania legend Charles Meck invented the pattern three decades ago:
When I first tied the pattern I named it “RB Coachman”. The RB stood for “really blue” and the body was first tied together with barbules made from a blue marabou feather. Shortly after Krystal Flash came out, I replaced the body with this smolt blue product. When I first showed Art Gusbar the pattern, he looked at it and said we should call it “Patriot” because the pattern has red, white, and blue in it. I gave Art one of the patterns and asked him to try it. Art immediately followed the pattern and began pouring it on one of Pennsylvania’s upper underwater rivers, the Youghiogheny River, just below the southwestern Pennsylvania town of Confluence. On the second throw, Art hooked onto the Patriot with an 18-inch rainbow.
Meck passed away a few years ago and his friend Paul Weamer wrote this great memoir.) Here is a good video from intheriffle.com that shows you exactly how to tie this great attractor pattern.
patriot
Hook: 1X-long nymph hook, here a Dai-Riki 60, sizes 12-18.
Thread: Red UTC, 70 denier.
Wing: White calf body hair.
Tail: Brown hackle.
Body: Pearl flashabou and red thread.
Chop: Brown dry fly hackle.
Head: Thread and head cement.