The following article is an except from LaFontaine's Legacy: The Last Flies from an American Master . Ordering information can be found at http://www.btsflyfishing.com/ LaFontaine's Legacy: The Last Flies from an American Master Chapter 2 Bead Head Deep Sparkle Pupa I’ll never forget the first time I met Gary. It was in the early 80s and we were both featured presenters at a fly-fishing show. Gary was the headliner and I was just “one of the other presenters” but somehow we ended up sitting side-by-side at the head table during the banquet. Quite frankly I wasn’t sure how I should speak to a “celebrity” but Gary put me right at ease when he joined me at the table by saying, “Hi, I’m Gary LaFontaine. I’ve been looking forward to meeting you,” as he shook my hand. I was stunned he even knew who I was but anyway he immediately set the “tone” for a very relaxed, enjoyable evening. Little did I know he was setting me up for a real “jokes on me” situation that would take almost twenty years to unfold. At the time I wasn’t aware of his incredibly sharp memory or crazy sense of humor. During the course of our conversation I shared with Gary that I really enjoyed his new book, Caddisflies and the Sparkle Pupa he included along with his autograph. I further explained I was a commercial tier and was having a heck of a time learning to tie the pattern. Gary just smiled and said something to the effect, “Practice, my friend, lots of practice!” I thanked him for his “inspiration” and switched to the standard small talk anyone who has attended a few fly-fishing shows often resorts to. A standard question involved a favorite fishing spot and I told Gary I enjoyed the headwaters of a river located not far from his home (at that time) in Deer Lodge, Montana. He showed a lot of interest in that comment and long-story-short we eventually met to fish together on some ponds in the same general part of the state. We had a great time and caught a lot of fish on several patterns including the Sparkle Pupa. I returned to my home in north Idaho from that show determined to learn how to tie that “darned fly.” In time I got pretty good at it and in fact sold a few to Gary in later years for his company the Book Mailer. When Gretchen and I got married in the early 90s we moved to Bozeman, Montana to guide and tie flies. One of the first larger commercial orders we landed was for a bunch of Deep Sparkle Pupa and its bead headed cousin. If I remember right the order was for a hundred, assorted dozen of each pattern When we started that order Gretchen had never tied the pattern before and the Antron bubble gave her fits! It fell to me to teach my new bride how to tie that “darned fly” (not her exact words but close enough for this discussion). I guess we really did love each other because our marriage survived the ordeal even after I more or less parroted Gary by saying, “Practice, my dear, practice; that’s all it takes is practice!” I won’t share with you her response but you can probably guess what her comment may have been. The years rolled by and we eventually moved to the Western Slope in Colorado where I went to work for Whiting Farms as their Marketing Director. While living there we met Paul and Char Stimpson at a fly-fishing show in Grand Junction. That meeting led to a video series entitled LaFontaine Originals, volumes 1 through 7. I guess this book is really a product of that meeting but there was a lot of water that had to pass under the bridge before it even seemed a possibility. Scripting the video series with Gary was a very special time for all of us. On a number of occasions we (Paul, Char, Gretchen, and I) traveled to Montana to decide what should be on the next video and the message Gary wanted us to bring forth regarding each pattern. The scripting sessions followed a loose but very formal process; 1) select the pattern and decide where in the video it would appear, 2) write down any of the comments Gary wanted presented during the taping process, and 3) tie the fly with the camera focused on the vise while Gary and Paul (or the person tying the fly) were on remote microphones. At the end of a session we would walk away with written notes and a video-taped fly with the Gary’s and the tier’s comments. Later the four of us would meet to capture the footage we needed to edit a completed tape; we used the information/recorded comments to help put together the final product. At one of the scripting sessions the Bead Head Sparkle Pupa was the topic of discussion. Gary asked that we use his daughter Heather to tie the pattern when we filmed it. We agreed but I had to ask why. He responded, “I never could tie that fly worth a darn (language cleaned up here), that’s why I always had Heather tie it for me!” I looked at him in stunned silence! And he started to laugh and went on to explain to everyone in the room how he had told me years earlier at a show to practice the fly a lot and I could learn how to tie it. Yes my friends, Gary “got me that day.” It wasn’t the first time his sense of humor OR incredible memory made one of us (me included) the topic of a joke but I’ll remember that one for a long time. So now I turn this fly over to those of you reading this book and don’t complain if you have trouble tying it. I’ll say to you like Gary said to me, ““Practice, my friend, lots of practice!” Here are Gary’s comments about fishing the fly from LaFontaine Originals volume 6: “The reason we [the Book Mailer] had to tie the bead head variation was the bead head craze hit the country after the publication of Caddisflies (1981) in the late 80s. We still do tie the non-bead version and I like to fish those patterns dead drift. But I’ll fish the bead-head variation when fishing a swinging fly. I love the way it cuts through the water. I mend, mend, mend to hold it in the current as long as I can.” Bead Head Sparkle Pupa Hook: Size 8 to 16, 1 x long nymph or dry fly Thread: Color to match the insect or black Bubble: Antron yarn, combed Under body: Antron Touch Dubbing, color to match the insect Legs: Soft hackle fibers (optional) Collar: Dubbing, color of choice (I used Hare’s Ear) Head: Brass bead (gold or color of choice) Step 2.1: Slip the bead on the hook and mount it in the vise. Attach the tying thread just behind the bead and wrap to the center of the shank. Clip off the waste end of the thread. Step 2.2: Select a section of Antron yarn and separate it into segments. Comb two of them out to separate the fibers. Tie one on the top and the other on the bottom of the hook using one turn in the center of the shank. The one turn allows you to move the fibers around under the thread until it is evenly distributed around shank. Wrap the thread to the back of the shank to anchor the Antron in place. Keep the application sparse per Gary’s instructions. Remove a few fibers if the Antron seems to be “over dressed.” Step 2.3: Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap it forward forming the under body. Here I’ve used clear Antron and a dark dubbed body for illustration purposes. You may find the actual insect in your part of the world has a darker “bubble” with a lighter body like many of the caddis do here in Idaho. Study the nymphs and the adults in your waters to develop your own color combinations. Step 2.4: Pull the Antron fibers over the brown dubbing and tie them in front of the body. I find if you pull the fibers forward tight, hold them in place with a couple of snug (not tight) thread wraps, and use a bodkin or scissor point to “pull out” the fibers the bubble is a lot easier to form. Step 2.5: After the bubble is formed apply several very tight thread turns to anchor the Antron. Trim away the excess fibers; I find using several snips going around the hook easier than trying to cut all of them at once. If you plan on adding soft-hackle legs now is the time to do so. I added a couple of turns of feather from a brown hen cape but any good soft hackle will work just fine. Step 2.6: Add dubbing to the thread (color of choice to match the natural) and wrap a collar between the hackle and the bead. Complete the fly with a whip-finish. Hatches Magazine Subscription Price: $6.95 for each issue The Premiere issue is ready for shipping & the Fall 2008 issue will be available September 1st. Hatches Magazine Subscription Price: $6.95 for each issue The Premiere issue is ready for shipping & the Fall 2008 issue will be available September 1st.