The Thief

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 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., 1966)