The Thief
Hook - Mustad 9672 or equivalent
Thread - Black
Tail - 2 sections of red duck or goose as long as hook gap or red hackle fibers (depicted)
Body - Flat silver tinsel
Wing - Small bunch of grey squirrel tail hairs reaching to end of tail. Over this is a fairly wide sections of oak mottled turkey wing just as long
Head - Several turns of black wool, slightly built up*
*Original called for black chenille head.
Notes: Bates describes this pattern as a darker version of a muddler minnow that was originated by Dan Gapen of the Gapen Fly Company located in Anoka, Minnesota. The pattern was designed as a minnow imitation with the intention of fooling crappies into biting. The fly proved to be a winner when it came to large black crappies and success followed on several other species including rainbow trout.
Originated by - Dan Gapen
Streamer Fly Tying and Fishing - Joseph D. Bates, Jr.
