Moose and Ruffed Grouse

[ginkylady]

Here in Maine the last few days of the fishing season (end of September) now coincide with the first few days of the bird hunting season. This created a new holiday weekend for a "cast and blast" that is already common in many other states.

For this I used moose mane and ruffed grouse (what we call partridge in Maine) that were harvested on the same day back on my first moose hunt in 2018. Since the last weekend in September this year is scheduled to be my Bachelorette weekend I figured it needed some extra special flies to fulfill the whole "something old" AND "something new" category. It's also my first time using moose mane for a body.


size 14 dry fly
2 strands of moose mane covered in thin UV resin
3 wraps of ruffed grouse tied tip first
black danville 6/0

[Theroe]

WOW

Somebody has a lot going on - congratulations all the way around (marriage, moose, etc.) !!!!!!!!


Nice fly, too........

Dana

[Mike62]

Living in the farthest northern regions of the state of Maine, I find that I do not have the same fondness for the animal that I hear others speak of. Adversarial, contentious, malignant..., moose are all of these things and more. Their ability to destroy miles of fence lines is legendary. Their refusal to simply step over them as deer do (polite animal, the deer) creates chaos and pandemonium. They are the soccer hooligans of the animal kingdom. They scatter cow herds to the wind with their romps through my pastures.

Would that I could, I would gladly, gleefully, provide each and every one of you with a lifetime's supply of moose parts and pieces. The only good moose is the one cooking on the grill at camp. To paraphrase Arnaud Amalric "Shoot them all and let the taxidermists sort them out!"

I encourage you all to apply for a permit in our annual moose lottery. I'm literally begging you here. The success rate for harvesting one of these swamp donkeys is astounding, you won't be sorry. You'll be doing me, and every other farmer, a favor. Please.

It's easy. The trick is to plunk a beach chair down at the edge of a picked broccoli field after a hard frost, bring a thermos of coffee and the paper; they'll be along. Nothing smells worse than a picked broccoli field. It is ambrosia to a moose, they can't resist.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Very nice, Gretchen. The end of September is closing all too soon for me.

[Fishnkilts]

Congratulations Gretchen! I wish you the very best in your marriage.

Moose for body material? That's something I have never considered, but looking at your fly I'm considering it very much. I like the "zebra" looking stripes it makes.

Well done.

By the way, if any of you do hunt moose & would like to sell me some hair, I'd be grateful.

[DUBBN]

They are smells worse than a picked broccoli field. It is ambrosia to a moose, they can't resist.

If it is anything like cabbage fields, it has to smell horrible.

[hankaye]

Howdy All;

Close cousin to the cabbage and turnip is the rutabaga. Had a farmer
that always planted a field of'em near us when I was growin' up. Those
things truly have a nasty stench to'em. Supposed to taste like broccoli.
Hated having to wait for the bus when those were due to be picked

hank