"....now who designed that fly?.......Really?"

I am always intrigued by the names of flies as well as the history behind them. I find it very interesting to know what the originator had in mind when he or she designed the fly. There's always something that seems to make the difference , whether a technique or new material, or whatever, some flies seem to possess a knack for catching fish when other flies fail. But when you consider how many flies are available now versus twenty years ago, the choices are limitless. And finding out some of the information about the original design, the tyer, and the philosophy behind the fly can seem an impossibility. Fortunately, that's not true of all flies, and certainly not of a contemporary nymph favorite, the Copper John. It is the Copper John, isn't it? Well,....despite popular opinion its actually called a Copper Bob. The Copper Bob was first.

The Copper Bob is the original fly, and was developed by Bob White. Bob grew up in Southern Illinois and started tying Flies long before he ever saw his first trout. His passion for fly fishing eventually would take him to Alaska, where he started guiding in 1984. He's guided 27 seasons between Alaska, Argentina, and Chile. In 1988 he was presented with Fly Rod & Reel Magazine's second Guide of the Year Award. His signature Copper Bob series was developed in the late 80's (long before the Copper John by John Barr) and has been designed to meet all the requirements of a "guide fly". They have fooled the wariest trout and steelhead from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Bob now designs fly patterns for one of the West's best custom fly suppliers, Montana Fly Company- -which is owned and operated by well known angler, guide, and fly designer Adam Trina.

So there you have it. The next time the question of who's fly is that comes up you'll have at least one answer.......the Copper Bob. That's a tidbit I am sure Umpqua Feather Merchants would rather not be known.....but its true!