Rocky Mountain Fly

I first discovered Wrightway Sports products three years ago while looking into Cicada patterns for an upcoming trip to the Green River . I found some cool pre-cut black foam bodies that were exactly the right size and shape for what I was tying so I bought a few packs at the fly shop and sat down at the vise. Thirty minutes later I was looking at a dozen size 8 Cicadas and was thinking how much time I saved by using the pre-cut bodies. I also noticed how nicely the perfectly-cut bodies made my flies look.

When I returned from my trip to the Green, which was quite successful, I picked up the phone and dialed the number on the foam package to find out more about Wrightway Sports and what other products they carried. Owner Kip Hirrlinger answered the phone and proceeded to talk to me about foam for the next hour. Kip lives for foam.

“I think simplicity is one of the biggest points that I like about foam. I have found that using foam I can make some pretty nice bugs with very little effort. Whether wrapping foam for a comparadun/caddis body or using it for a colorful look on your PMD split back nymph, it will look good and be easy to tie,” he said.

Kip bases Wrightway Sports in Rexburg , ID , ten minutes from the South Fork, fifteen from the Henry's Fork, and an hour and a half from the Madison . His close proximity to so many great waters has allowed him to test his products regularly and has allowed him to gain a valuable understanding of what works and why. “I am a fly fisherman first and I think that it helps me relate to the needs of both sides of the spectrum, both business and consumers. Wrightway Sports is a company that is different from other companies in that we do not sell just a few color combinations or sizes. I will do custom color combos to meet the needs for everybody because I understand that Montana is different then New Mexico ,” he said. My fly boxes are now filled with flies tied with Wrightway Sport's products and I'm not alone. Tiers all over the Rockies (and world) are using Kip's innovative products to create new fish-fooling patterns. “We have a product that we call Micro Foam Strips (MFS) that come in one-, two-, and three-color combinations. Larry Kingery out of Royal Gorge Anglers in Colorado takes our one color MFS and wraps them on the hook, adds some hackle and hair and has created a great caddis dry pattern. Blue Ribbon Flies in West Yellowstone has a great beetle pattern called the Tiger Beetle. It's a three-color foam strip cut 6mm x 2mm and it has made tying a beetle pattern so easy because you do not have to tie in or glue a dot indicator on the fly. Phil Broadhead, a school teacher in Utah , is using the smaller three-color strips to tie split-back nymphs and dries. They work great for wing casings,” Kip says.

While the effectiveness of its products is certainly a compliment to Wrightway Sports, the best feature of the company can be discovered by taking the time to call or e-mail them --you get to talk to Kip himself. “I have been very fortunate to be able to meet some well-known tiers as well as some outstanding regular Joes to bounce ideas off each other. I will talk to everybody that calls or e-mails me because that is how we come up with all of our products,” Kip says. I personally have spent several hours talking to Kip about ideas for foam flies. I usually head straight to the vise after hanging up with him, too because he has filled my head with new ideas to try.

Wrightway Sports does not sell directly to the public, but numerous fly shops around the Rockies carry their products. So visit your local shop to check on availability. To see the full line of Wrightway Sports' products, visit their website at http://wrightwaysports.com.  

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Showcased below are just a few pictures and recipes of flies tied with Wrightway Sports' foam products. I regularly use all of these flies with great success.

 

Yellow Foam Sally
Hook: TMC 2499, #12-16
Thread: 6/0 light cahill
Body: Wrightway Sports Yellow Sally Body
Wing: Montana Fly Company Gator Hair, golden stone color
Hackle: grizzly, “V” clipped underneath

 

Foamback Beetle
Hook: TMC 100, #10-14
Thread: 6/0 black
Shell: Wrightway Sports three-color foam strip
Body: peacock herl
Legs: three black deer hairs
Indicator: Wrightway Sports micro three-color foam strip

Foam Para Adams
Hook: TMC 100, #10-16
Thread: 6/0 gray
Post: white Widow's Web
Tail: moose
Abdomen: Wrightway Sports foam strip, Adams-gray color
Thorax: gray dry fly dubbing
Hackle: grizzly

 

Foam Hopper
Hook: TMC 5263, #8-12
Thread: olive 6/0
Body: Wrightway Sports three-color ant foam
Legs: Montana Fly Company speckled chartreuse Centipede Legs
Wing: elk
Eyes: dots made with a black marker

 

Foam Wing Caddis
Hook: TMC 2499, #12-16
Thread: 8/0 black
Wing: Wrightway Sports Foam Caddis Wing
Overwing: orange Antron yarn
Hackle: black, clipped underneath

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JD Miller is the Managing Editor of Rocky Mountain Fly and a guide for Henry's Fork Anglers. He lives in Island Park, ID.