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Sheep Creek Special fly pattern
Wet · #179 of 532

Sheep Creek Special

Imitates: Leech, small baitfish, and attractor wet-fly forms

Quick Reference

Best Sizes
#6-12
Best Season
Spring through fall
Best Conditions
Lakes, reservoirs, trolling or stripping, trout cruising shoals and shelves
Water Temp
48-68°F
Recommended Tippet
4X-5X

How to Rig It

Fish on a floating or intermediate line, alone or in a two-fly stillwater team.

How to Present It

Use steady strips, slow figure-eights, or troll it gently behind a float tube or boat.

Why It Works

The peacock body and swept wing suggest movement and life without locking the fly into a single food category.

History

A classic stillwater wet fly of the West, the Sheep Creek Special has long been a reliable searching pattern on lakes and reservoirs.

Pro Tip

If trout are cruising but not obviously keyed on chironomids, start with a Sheep Creek Special and vary retrieve speed until they tell you what they want.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Sheep Creek Special imitate?+

It is mostly a suggestive searching fly — part leech, part baitfish, part general stillwater attractor.

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