Flick's Phenom

Alewives are often washed over the Cannonsville Dam into the West Branch of the Delaware River during late winter and early spring when the Cannonsville Reservoir spills. These baitfish are usually 3 - 5 inches length, with some approaching 7 inches on the larger size. Often they are stunned from the journey and water temperatures and are easy prey for hungry fish. This influx of protein can offer the best chance of the year to land a trophy trout.
In the mid 90s angler/artist Flick Ford began fooling around with patterns that imitated alewives. Combining the movement of marabou and rabbit, Flick added light aluminum eyes and a deep body that caused the fly to roll in between strips. That action proved deadly and Flicks Phenom quickly became one of our go to patterns on the Delaware System. It's also a great pattern in Yellow/Brown and Baby Rainbow