There are dozens of books, magazine articles and u-tube videos that discuss dry fly fishing techniques. The fly is only part of the equation of success; the other important part is the presentation. All the usual dry fly methods can and are effective under the right circumstances. Upstream, across-stream and downstream dead drifts, as well as skating or swinging a dry fly down and across to create a wake, all catch fish.
New fly patterns are created every year but we often forget how effective older patterns are. One such pattern is the Bomber Fly.
The Bomber Fly was originally named the Commotion Fly. It was first invented by Reverend Elmer J. Smith from New Brunswick in the early 1960’s and was first fished on the Miramichi River for Atlantic Salmon. He got the idea while watching a young boy catch sea-run brown trout using a deer-hair mouse pattern.
Early versions of the Bomber Fly were all brown; but in the late 1970’s, various shades of dyed deer body hair became commercially available. White and brown bodies were decorated with red, orange or yellow hackles with various colours of calf body hair or calf tail for the fly’s front and back protrusions. Some colour combinations have come and gone but the brown body with white tails has been the most enduring and successful of all the variations.
The Bomber is a dry fly that uses only a few materials. All materials are tied on either a hook or a tube being sized to the target fish. Calf body hair or calf tail, hackle feathers and deer body hair make up this very effective pattern.
The body of a bomber is made up of deer hair. Deer hair is prized for its buoyancy due to its hollow nature. Not all hair on a deer is suitable for making the body of a bomber. Hair from the body of the deer is coarser than belly hair and is ideal for spinning. When selecting deer body hair, look for hair that is relatively straight and has a good mix of guard hairs and under fur. The length should be appropriate for the size of the fly.
The body of a bomber should not be too tightly packed being more effective to the fish, where bombers that have the deer hair body is too tightly packed and neatly trimmed with lots of hackle are the ones most effective at catching fly fishers. The fly should ride high and float well on the water’s surface.
Anglers that are devoted to the Bomber Fly will often make subtle changes to their bomber designs and their choice of colours. Sometimes it is tiny details that make all the difference between success or failure. Seasoned anglers may carry different versions of their Bombers to suit specific water conditions. Water clarity, light intensity, depth, currents, turbulence, structure, fish preference and the fishermen’s confidence level are all factors that must be considered.
The Bomber is very popular with steelhead anglers on the west coast, the Atlantic salmon anglers on the east coast of North America and also those anglers that are successful using Bomber variations targeting trout.
We are down to our last two tying sessions for the season! Both sessions will be a load of fun. See you Monday!
Regular Bomber
Hook: Daiichi 2117 Size 6
Thread 1: UTC 140 or UTC Gel Spun 200d White
Thread 2: UTC 70 Black
Front Wing: White Calf Tail
Tail: White Calf Tail
Body: Natural Deer Body Hair
Hackle: Saddle Cock Feather Brown
Mini Bomber
Hook: Daiichi 2117 Size 10
Thread 1: UTC 140 or UTC Gel Spun 200d White
Thread 2: UTC 70 Black
Front Wing: White Calf Tail
Tail: White Calf Tail
Body: Natural Deer Body Hair
Hackle: Saddle Cock Feather Brown
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