During the recent weekend in Roscoe celebrating the induction of Pete Hidy into the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum's Hall of Fame, I had the good fortune to meet member Dana Reed (Theroe) and swap a few flies. Dana was also good enough to gift me with some amazing original Darbee hackle feathers, some Allcock vintage hooks, and a small piece of a Southern Fur Seal pelt.
I have since spent some time attempting to mimic the Ivan's Varient pattern that Dana has introduced to us, a proven fish killer originated by his friend and mentor Ivan Willard. After several attempts and valuable guidance from Dana, I have finally produced a fly that I'm not ashamed to post here. The body is a trimmed hackle stem, the thorax is a blend of the seal fur and raccoon tail underfur, and both the tail and wing are barbs from the stem that forms the body. They are tied on a Size #10 vintage Allcock W173 hook.
![Image](https://images2.imgbox.com/ae/97/mXIuN5J5_o.jpg)
Some of the same morons who throw their trash around in National parks also vote. That alone would explain the state of American politics. ~ John Gierach, "Still Life with Brook Trout"