The Polamalu

"Although I am a trout angler and have the entire dry fly fisherman's prejudices, I forget them all when fishing for bass." - Ray Bergman, 1942

You may know of  Craig  "crawdadcraig" Riendeau's "Hairy Fodder Fly" from Tim Holschlag's book River Smallmouth Fishing. The Polamalu is the pattern it has evolved into. The palmered cross-cut rabbit fur gives you the great movement rabbit fur's known for but is much easier to cast than most rabbit strip flies. In clear to slightly stained water, work it methodically bumping bottom. In heavier stain, strip it in erractically and let the pyrex rattle call them in.  I won't argue that it's a great Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass pattern.  It is...  definitely! 
























Largemouth caught on the all black Polamalu Fly.

However, as I tied these flies and jigs for customers, feedback started to come back to me.  My customers were telling me that The  Polamalu worked incredible on walleye!







































Angler John Tucker with a fine walleye using a all chartruese Polamalu Fly.

Whenever I mention that I fly fish to a fellow angler, he (or she) inevitably inquires whether I prefer fishing for trout or smallmouth bass. When I answer that trout and smallmouth bass are both just awesome to fish for, but that I also enjoy catching walleye, they look at me like I just deplaned from a spaceship. True, fly fishing and walleyes are not often used in the same sentence, but the times they are a changing. Fly fishermen who think outside of the box catch all varieties of fresh water fish on flies. I live on and fish the North Branch Susquehanna River, and have personally caught fallfish, catfish, carp, smallmouth bass, suckers, northern pike, AND walleye all on The  Polamalu in both fly and jig version.

Walleyes seem to look at things a little differently than other fish when it comes to color. Most of the Walleye patterns I use do not resemble the forage fish, in color at least, at all. I use a lot of chartreuse, mixed in with darker colors like brown and black.  It gives a good contrast on both dark or bright day. In addition I use a whole lot of Krystal Flash, rabbit fur, and silicone Silli Legs.  All that action combined with the color scheme just makes one helluva jig or fly!

Walleyes seem to be creatures of different habits than other fish. I've caught them in shallow riffles, in swirling cut backs, on the back side of river bends, near structure, such as trees or large rocks and suspended just off the bottom, in the middle of the main channel. The only thing in common was the river current and depth. They seem to prefer deeper water with a fairly strong current. They have a tendency to use structure to break up the current, which disorients the smaller bait fish they feed on. So that's the type of water I look for, strong running water, with structure of some kind breaking the current or deep pockets behind rocks or trees in shallower riffles. Getting the  Polamalu into those areas usually involves casting at a 90 degree angle to the current and then working the  Polamalu in the current into those areas. Sound like a lot of work or a challenge? I never said it was going to be easy, but the payback of hooking onto a decent sized walleye is one you'll never forget!
























Purple with Black Accented Polamalu Fly on a 2/0 Mustad Hook.

The most important part of fishing and a key factor of success is showing up.  There are always 100 reasons not to go fishing, other things to do, the weather isn't perfect, or the river is too muddy, but if you don't make it to the river you may be missing out on the experience of a lifetime.