Gummy Minnow-Umpqua

And the beat goes on for this amazingly realistic creation. Warm mid–summer waters, smallmouth aggressively attacked soft plastic baits, like Bass Assassins, and began to frequently ignore fly offerings. So it was to soft plastic resins that Blane turned to create a new style of fly that would have the realistic look and feel of these successful spin baits. The result was a very soft, flexible — and self–sticking – plastic called SiliSkin. Once mastered it is very easy to work with. Flies can be "assembled" quickly, with the end result being a very realistic baitfish imitation, one that has both color and translucency, is soft and decidedly realistic and finally, amazingly durable. (**A Gummy trick: sacrifice one fly and pull the tail right off. Now, push the broken ends back together, work it around with fingers, Voila! Re–attached. Now slowly pull on the tail end. It will still stretch a long way even though once broken.) Initially created in a clear color at the request of noted Carolina guides, Brian Horsley and Sarah Gardner. The effectiveness of this size and see–through color was proven for False Albacore when they fed heavily on micro–baits, what they call "jelly with eyes". It became their secret weapon and kept them always in the hunt. In other colors such as blue and chartreuse, this diminutive size should find success for many other fishy predators: stripers busting micro–baits of anchovy and silversides in late summer and even panfish.