Fran Betters' Haystack Series

This pattern is really about a method or concept in a fly, and hence why it is a "series". You can tie this pattern with many color combinations to suit specific bugs or general colors that hit many bugs that trout eat.

It is a "guide" fly in the sense that it is easy to tie, not fiddly, a simple set of materials, and inexpensive. You can tie it to match mayflies, caddis, stoneflies...

Vary the hook size, tail, and or wing size, wing angle, and position to suit your needs or what you want to imitate.

The fly was originally aimed at fishing the Ausable, which is a fast water freestone stream with pocket water and riffles with plenty of white water. The fish there need to see the fly and will move to a fly with action so that is how it was fished.

A lot of the story and history of this pattern outside the books was provided by John Ruff, who is a great tyer and guide in the Adirondacks. John tied for Fran's shop, fished with Fran, and was his friend. His website is: https://ruffwatersflyfishing.com/

Fran's Dad had a great set of angler friends - one included Ray Bergman who showed Fran often how to tie. John recalled to me a story about bringing Fran down to the river in his wheelchair in his later years and Fran overshooting the pocket he wanted to hit with his cast...so Fran just dragged the "haystack" on the end of the line to the right pocket and wham he got a fish. The fly is a true AP fly (all purpose) add floatant to ride high to be a dun. fished in the film it is an emerged or spent spinner or even a cripple, let it sink and a nymph.

The authors and anglers Al Caucci and Bob Nastasi credit the Haystack as the inspiration for their pattern, the Comparadun, which was intended for selective fish on slow rich limestone streams.

While Fran's book creates details for this fly, like many authors and sellers of flies and fishing-related stuff, they need to "market" themselves and their products in a detailed, special way in order to sell them...but the reality is the pattern was likely never tied the same twice.

Thanks for the time John Ruff!