No this isn’t a blog post about Breaking Bad. Ya know, that TV series some time ago? Although it was a pretty decent show. Instead, I wanted to write a piece on the Heisenberg streamer pattern we produce here at FM.
USDA Select Meat
Some years back, Cheech and Curtis over at Fly Fish Food put me in touch with a gentleman by the name of Nick Blanco. At the time, we were getting ready to build our catalog for 2016 and I really wanted some new streamer flies to put into the assortment. So, I reached out to Nick and he was more than happy to send me some bugs. I remember getting a package in the mail shortly after chatting and inside the envelope was a small Styrofoam packet with Heisenbergs neatly displayed like fine choice cuts you’d see at a butcher’s shop. He even slapped a USDA Meat sticker on it to seal the deal. I loved it!

This little articulated baitfish fly—in all of its color variations—is a pattern that I feel will stand the test of time. I’ve often found myself rummaging through my streamer box while fishing, looking for that one fly I know is going to entice a fish to strike and I always, ALWAYS find myself coming back to the Heisenberg. It just works.

The Baby Bow
My personal favorite color combo has to be the Baby ‘Bow color scheme. It’s just absolutely lights out for some reason. Is it the profile? The color scheme? I really can’t say. It’s probably a myriad of reasons that this one works so well but, it does.

How to Fish the Heisenberg
I can recount specific days in the dead of winter where this pattern was an absolute blank saver. Whether dead drifted and twitched, stripped directly downstream, or swung traditionally with little actions thrown into the swing to make the fly act erratically, it all works with this fly.
Usually when I am fishing this fly, I use two different lines. Standard floaters work well for a good number of presentations like slapped up against bank undercuts, over rocky shallows and in moderate depths. If you want to get down though, I would recommend a sinking line such as an Airflo Depth Finder in 200gr weight on a fast action 7wt rod. That’s the ticket for dredging depths.
Not only is this a great go-to pattern for trout applications, but it’s a phenomenal bass fly as well. It’s especially good in white and black.
Want to read more from Fulling Mill Technical Manager Eric Kelley? Check out his other work on the blog!