Chuck Loftis began tying flies in 1981 on a borrowed vise, tools and with his mother’s sewing scissors, threads, flosses and any feathers from her duster he thought might work. Good thing he didn’t quit there. Since that time, Chuck has literally tied tens of thousands of flies including the standards, those improving on the standards and in the meantime innovating several of his own. With experience as both a commercial and custom tier since the late 90s, his custom tying services for effective flies are available through this website.
Listed below are his preferred and recommended specialty leech patterns and prices (which include S&H). If interested, ask about other patterns and prices. Email him at chuxbiz@aol.com or call at (970) 631- 8020.
Patterns
CBGB stands for "copper, gold, black and bead." This twist on a Woolly Bugger has been an ice-out and autumn go-to pattern for Chuck the past four seasons... one of his top three as a matter of fact. Hareline's Speckled Crystal Chenille (copper & gold/black) is the key ingredient. Bead head or not... brass, black or copper if you do have one - it just doesn't seem to matter as much as the body color.
Available in sizes 6 and 8. $2.50 EACH
This fly's named for the ND lake it was developed on for fooling rainbows up to 25-inches, and over 27-inches in Manitoba's Parkland Region. Tied with Canadian Series TM Blood Mohair and complimented with a hot pink bead, this is one of Chuck's three top producers the past five years - spring and fall - especially in the worst weather such as cold, wind and precipitous conditions!
Being a native Oregonian, Chuck knows a thing or twelve about rainbow trout. Hot pink and blood colors are a couple of those things, so he took the chance on them enticing prairie rainbows. He hit the jackpot with the LL.
Available in sizes 6-10. $2.50 EACH
Lightning Leech
Ghost Leeches
Polar Chenille - the body material used on this fly - is great for its suppleness, translucency (hence the new moniker, "Ghost Leeches") and array of available colors. Tied also in olive, light olive, yellow or polar shrimp, the Ghost Leech also works when trout are cruising about, seining daphnia clusters. Chuck's hottest leech arrangements have been in red (pictured at left), olives, brown, purple and blood.
Hareline's Olive UV Olive Polar Chenille makes for a killer smallmouth bass pattern.
Available in sizes 2-10.
$2.00 EACH
Canadian Brown Mohair Leech
In the history of fly tying (and that goes back about 3,500 years), there can be few innovations considered more brilliant than Utah great Mike Andreasan's Canadian Series TM mohair yarns or his CBS Blend TM. Ironically, there is no brown in the mix, but is, rather, a genius recipe integrating several colors across the spectrum that, mixed together look naturally brown. This leech pattern will be tied with pheasant tail fibers and the bead is optional (gold, orange or copper). Canadian Brown is fly tying perfection!
Available in sizes 6-10. $2.50 EACH
California Leech
Leeches:
The California Leech was introduced to Chuck by the late Dennis Brakke. It is a brilliant blend of CBS fibers and certain colors and proportions of Lite Brite TM. It has been most effective on sunny days, and, for Chuck, it is a "must" in spring and fall. He concedes, however, that it could be a killer in summer, too, but he just doesn't know. Trolled or cast into shallow areas and worked out from structure, the CL is taken for a leech, minnow, dragonfly nymph or perhaps even a daphnia cluster.
(Bead is optional and not necessarily recommended for all scenarios. Specify gold, copper or NO bead)
Available in sizes 6-12. $2.50 EACH
High Octane Leeches
Thunder Leech
The Thunder Leech is the sister fly to the Lightning Leech. Chuck admits he was being glib when he named it, but it needed one. The concept, he says, was to tie a fly for opposite conditions under which the LL worked so well. What he found was that the Thunder works great in both sunny conditions - spring, summer and fall - as well as overcast and low light periods. It is tied with Canadian Series TM Pond Olive Mohair. It is a fantastic imitation of the deep green leeches found in western stillwaters.
A Lightning and Patterson lakes favorite, the TL has accounted for rainbows exceeding 25-inches and browns up to 24.
Available in sizes 6-10. $2.50 EACH
The High Octane Leech series arose out of experimentations in 2004. Mike Andreasan, et al, was succeeding with a Canadian brown mohair leech with an orange collar of Davey Wotton's Synthetic Living Fibre. Well, Chuck took it from there and began experimenting with other color combos. So far, so good with those included here. Others need more time in the fly angling oven, but as they prove effective over multiple seasons, Chuck will post 'em here.
All High Octane Leeches available in sizes 2-10
$2.50 EACH
(The Lightning version pictured at left)
(The Thunder version pictured at left)
(The Pumpkin Head version pictured at left)
Filet Mignon
The Filet Mignon was developed to imitate the dark brown leeches with orange undersides found in many prairie stillwaters. This pattern has proven a "day-saver" and risen to "day-maker" status for Chuck and some of his friends in the know. Tied in "6 oz." and "9 oz." versions (sizes 6-8).
