Colonel Bates
989-6
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The Colonel Bates is one of Maine's dignified classics—a streamer named for Colonel Joseph Bates, the historian who literally wrote the book on the genre. Its creamy yellow featherwing rides beneath barred hackles over a silver body, with a red tail flag and brown hackle beard completing a dress that is equal parts attractor and baitfish.
The barred overwing is the pattern's quiet genius: it breaks the bright yellow silhouette into the scattered, scaled look of a live baitfish, keeping the fly convincing in clear water where solid-color attractors get inspected and refused. Landlocked salmon, brook trout, and browns have taken it for generations.
Best for:
- Landlocked salmon and trout in rivers and lakes
- Clear to lightly stained water
- Swinging current seams or trolling shorelines
📌 Pro Tip: Fish it on the swing through current seams with an occasional twitch of the rod tip—the barred feathers shudder convincingly with each pulse, and the strikes come mid-swing when the fly broadsides the fish.
