Cap's Cricket

[redman]

Here is a story that is true although he has the pattern a little off. The pattern shown is almost a black knat. The tail was two groups of black bucktail divided for legs then the extra bucktail was brought forward to the eye of the hook with peacock herl tied over it. The bucktail was then tie back over the body and a soft black hen hackle tied as a collar tied back.


http://m.siouxcityjournal.com/sport...50fb-a4bf-6bf0ec9bdcb5.html?mobile_touch=true

Cap and I tied four dozen of these for one of his customers one Saturday afternoon. Larry got it shortly thereafter. I got three of the ones that Cap tied and put them in a fly box of his that I donated to the Iowa Maritime Museum in Arnolds Park, Iowa. When you tie 24 of the same pattern at the hand of the master and originator of the pattern you don't forget.

True story as Cap told me he was going to show Larry the pattern. I have tied that pattern for the last thirty odd years and it will slap kill bluegill and bream when they are feeding on crickets. Mostly a early fall pattern in Iowa and would be a summer pattern in the southland. Crickets down in this part of the world tend to have more grayish brown color. The crickets up in Iowa were more black. Still to this day if I want to catch bream or bluegill I will fish a Cap's woolie jig black body with a grizzly hackle wrap on a 1/100 oz. Jig head.

Redman

 

[jiggerjohn]

Another GREAT story, Redman -thanks so much for the continuing inspiration! I've always loved a black gnat type fly, yet this cricket with bucktail (please give us more tales of bucktail use& fishing them !) makes so much more sense! I also enjoyed in that newspaper article the mention of the deadly effectiveness of rock-a-roo jigs; one time in a bay in saltwater (Outer Banks) my wife destroyed me while using one of these unique jigs!! I only have a small supply left of the originals ,and guard them carefully!

 

[Jig Man]

Thanks Redman...

 

[BucktailJiger]

I will vouch that Cap's Cricket will put a woop'n to pan fish !
I have tied many many dozen's of these .
I was Mentored by Redman on this pattern and one other of Cap's origional patterns that are proven fish catchers .
Thanks to you again my friend !
Quint

 

[BucktailJiger]

Here is the Cricket

 

[HairyMooseKnuckles]

Great Picture!

 

[Fatman]

Thanks buddy!

 

[redman]

Jiggerjohn you got to remember that Cap, Jim Stone, and most of the other tiers at the time were using what materials were around them. Bucktail was most plentiful so was used a lot in the upper Midwest. Pheasant, chicken, duck, partridge, grouse, squirrel, Fox, dog and cat were all employed. Tying thread was Coats and Clark silk from the five and dime for a nickel. The exotics were found from a old fancy hat.

Cap had plenty of exotic material as he traveled for Northup King seed corn company and meant farmer's who would have exotic birds and would talk them out of feathers from their birds. Cap kept a record of who had what so he would set up Lacey Gee with where the birds were. Tom Schumacher who bought Wapsi from Lacey started out raising Plymouth Rock Roosters for Lacey. Later worked the winter at Wapsi when he wasn't farming.

Cap's territory was in extreme northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota. That is where all the trout streams were. Cap would not go home on the weekends but would camp out on the streams and fish. This was disruptive with family life and caused his divorce in the late 1930's. He continued to lead a vagabond llifestyle until 1946. He had accumulated enough money to buy a small building with a very small house on it. Cap started his bait shop on the northeast corner of Linden street and highway 71 in Arnolds Park, Iowa. 1953 Cap moved across the street to the southwest corner of Katrina an Highway 71 when his good friend Don Reason sold Cap a building and remodeled the basement in to apartment for Cap and his new bride Kathy. A living room, bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. Small diggs but they made do until he sold the business in 1969 to Rodger Stewart.

Most of the time if you walked in to the bait shop Cap would be sitting at his tying bench tying jigs. There was a oval tin wash tub with the morning or late night catch. There was always three or four walleyes in the five pound class maybe some Small-mouth Bass, twenty or so jumbo yellow perch. During hunting season a brace of mallard ducks, bunch of squirrels about noon Kathy would come and clean them. Cap wanted to show that the area was rich with game.

I see that I have rambled way to long so will write more later. Fun Times for young kid or a very young adult.

Redman

 

[Jig Man]

Thanks RM....

 

[jiggerjohn]

Some really interesting background and history there, Redman !! Thanks so much for sharing -can never get enough of this early development of our jigging sport! Around here in Western PA, we also are blessed with a major hunting area for deer, so bucktail jigs quickly appeared. I well remember visiting one small shop in the mountain/forest area 2 hr north of my home- they sold a home tied thick bucktail jig that was very popular in that vicinity for river fishing. I'd asked in the tackle shop about a particular color of bucktail jig and the owner took me upstairs to his home & to meet the jig tier; it was his wife ,Grace, who was busy tying all day long while watching soap operas on TV, and the house-every room- had hanging lines draped to the max with drying,freshly tied& painted bucktails! What a sight& inspiration for a young fisherman!!! Loved those homey old shops!!

 

[davidriley]

All very interesting. I find stories about the origins of flies and info about some of the patterns of yesteryear fascinating. Thanks Redman.

David