
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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