“Just swung one up on the Probasco Poacher!”
Any text from Mitch Baker, Swing the Fly’s Publications Editor, breaks through the monotony of another work-from-home day. Afternoons are particularly brutal when you know salmon are pushing through runs just minutes from your desk. At least there’s vicarious satisfaction in Mitch’s constant reports from the water.
Last winter, running characteristically late for a day of stealheading, I left Mitch waiting in my office while I scrambled for gear. “Check out what’s on the vise,” I called over my shoulder, hoping to buy a few more minutes.
I’d been consumed with tube flies that season, having largely abandoned traditional hooks for salmon and steelhead work. When Mitch lifted my adaptation of Marty Sherman’s Suskwa Poacher, I abandoned my waders mid-pull to share its origin story.
When I was done waxing poetic about my latest creation, Mitch said, “Yeah, you should totally call this the Probasco Poacher”. The name stuck immediately.
Sherman’s Suskwa Poacher had captivated me for seasons. Mark Shamburg, the respected Olympic Peninsula guide, first pointed me toward the pattern, and I began noticing it in fly bins throughout the Pacific Northwest. While various tying tutorials exist online, my version departs from tradition in meaningful ways.
The Probasco Poacher transforms Sherman’s original into a tube fly, substituting contemporary materials for classic components. A Pro Sportfisher Ultra Sonic Disc head replaces wound chenille, French Flatbraid eliminates the need for epoxied tinsel, and the imitation jungle cock eyes add that essential flash point.
What Makes This My Confidence Pattern
After years of pursuing steelhead, most anglers develop their core arsenal – patterns that transcend conditions and consistently produce. While the quest for the perfect steelhead fly never ends, certain ties earn permanent residence in your box through proven performance, irresistible action, or the endorsement of trusted fishing partners.
The Probasco Poacher has achieved that status in my selection. Its blend of black, purple, and blue, punctuated by strategic flash and capped with that distinctive pink Ultra Sonic Disc head, embodies everything I believe appeals to salmon and steelhead. This color combination succeeds because it remains visible across varying conditions – whether the river runs chocolate or gin-clear, whether you’re fishing first light or last.
In salmon and steelhead fishing, confidence matters as much as technique. Standing waist-deep in December currents, casting into what often feels like empty water, faith in your fly selection becomes psychological armor. The Probasco Poacher has earned that trust through consistent performance – and in steelhead fishing, that’s the highest praise any pattern can receive.
Materials
Head:
- Fluorescent Pink Pro Sportfisher Ultra Sonic Disc, Large
Collar:
- Kingfisher Blue Silver Pheasant
Body:
- Pro Sportfisher Jungle Cock
- Purple marabou
- Hareline Flat Diamond Braid – Bright Blue
- Black Estaz
- Black intruder prop
Flash:
- Smolt blue Krystal Flash
- Electric blue Flashabou
- Copper Flashabou
Step-by-Step:
Step 1:
Tie in 2-3 wraps of black Estaz. This will help support the intruder prop. Then tie in the intruder prop and wrap the feather.
Step 2:
Tie in the copper and electric blue Flashabou. There should be two strands on each side, and they should be the length of the intruder prop.
Step 3:
Wrap the tube with about an inch of bright blue Hareline Diamond Braid.
Step 4:
Add two more wraps of the black Estaz to help prop up the rest of the materials.
Step 5:
Next, add another intruder prop feather, followed by two to three wraps of purple marabou.
Step 6:
To bring some more flash to the fly, add two strands of smolt blue Krystal Flash to each side of the fly. The flash should reach the end of the intruder prop.
Step 7:
Add three wraps of Kingfisher blue silver pheasant.
Step 8:
Next, tie in a small Pro Sportfisher Jungle Cock “feather” on each side of the fly and whip finish.
Sept 9:
Finally, finish off the fly with a pink Pro Sportfisher Ultra Sonic Disc