Fly Box Hero - Mike Jacobs

Bronze Goddess

I have never met Mike Jacob's, but he certainly is a Fly Box Hero.  Mike is my latest Fly Box Hero because of the Bronze Goddess (which was finally published in this month's Fly Tyer Magazine).

I originally heard of the Bronze Goddess from Ward Bean's Warm Water Fly Tyer website.  Ward had it posted for over a year, but did not give pattern details (other than it was tied by Mike).  I tied up a few Bronze Goddess's from the picture and hit the river.  I knew right away it was a winner....the Bronze Goddess has all of the characteristics of a great pattern.
The size is perfect at about 3" long and the color is
outstanding.  The mottled color resembles many food choices!

The Boss

Mike also has a variation of the Bronze Goddess called the Boss Tom.  I had only seen pictures of this fly, but I tied a few up based on the pictures.   It seems to be a variation of the Goddess that uses wild turkey feather for the tail.  This is another very effective pattern for smalmmouth bass.  I had a special evening with the Boss Tom last week where I caught 4 fish over 16" in one hour.  Like the Goddess this fly has great curb appeal without the use of rare or hard to find materials.

Black Lite Brite Leech

The Goddess was a big producer for me this year, but so was another pattern that Mike created - the Lite Brite Leech.  This is a very basic pattern I keep on hand in case the fish get funky and crave something black.

Mike Jacobs really is a great fly tyer and has helped many people get started fly tying.  His online store the Hawkeye Fly Tyer is a fantastic place to get materials if you decide to shop online.  Hats off to Mike for the great flies and his article in Fly Tyer Magazine.

Here is a link to The Iowan Magazine that features Mike Jacobs and Ward Bean (along with some of their friends).