Mark Willigar Flies

Orange Forbsie
Mark Willigar Flies

Just a little home grown pattern, the copper is the key, not a lot of traditional fly pattern options for the color of copper, other than the Copper Killer. This fly produced 2 salmon the first day I used it. Copper is a color that salmon that are used to flies, don't see very often and may be different enough to attract the salmon's interest, especially on a sunny October day.

One of the older gents that took me under his wing when I first fished River Philip, Forbes Smith, a very large and fit man for 75 yrs old, was well known for his sense of humor, his ability to keep you laughing, and also in your place. He came to the biggest pool in the river one evening, early in the fall season, when the first few salmon enter the river in the tidal pools. A buddy was with me, Brian, who had never met Forbes before, and he was promptly addressed as the pup. Forbes quickly flipped my fly box out of my vest and wondered what he would appropriate as tonight's fly. He took the original pattern for this fly, and told the "pup" to come with him and he'd show him where the salmon take best in the pool. He walked down with Forbes and watched the old pro raise four, hook two, and land one, and when he got his turn, he landed his first salmon on a fly rod, his first day with a license.  When they returned I claimed it must have been that great fly, Forbes claimed it wasn't, it was just his know how, there, I was in my place, but he did demand that I tie him up some more of them. Sadly Forbsie passed away last year at the age of 91. This picture is the Orange version, but I will give the original material list.