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FLYBOX Bunyan Bug The Bunyan Bug is named for its creator, Paul Bunyan, of Missoula. He owned “Paul Bunyan’s Blue Ox Fishing Tackle” where he sold “Cork Body Trout Flies by Bunyan,” according to the advertisement placed on the small envelope that packaged his product.
His real name was Norman Edward Lee Means, but everyone knew him as Paul Bunyan, and he signed his personal checks Paul Bunyan. Montana’s rich fly-tying and fly-fishing heritage had its beginnings during the first 30 years of the 20th century in Western Montana, centering around Missoula. Bunyan was a significant contributor to that heritage and a well-known fly tyer, rod builder, sportsman and personality. Publications on this era of fly fishing rely heavily on the writings and knowledge of George Grant of Butte. Without his record, much would be lost and we, who enjoy the sport of fly fishing, are indebted to him. The unique series of Bunyan Bugs were made of a carved cork body slit underneath, lengthwise to facilitate the hook, and slit laterally on each side for the wings. The sandy colored horse mane hair of the wings was inserted into the lateral slits cut in the cork. An adhesive and heavy thread wrappings secured the hook and wings. The cork body was then hand painted and finally lacquered. Later in the 1940s, Bunyan patented a printed pattern on tissue that was applied to the back of the cork and lacquered. He recommended in his advertisement, “When using these lures on running water, do not pull them, but rather let them float in a lifelike manner. On lakes, it is best to pull them, very slowly, or with little intermittent jerks.” Norman Maclean refers to Norman Means and writes about using the Yellow Stone Bunyan Bug in his outstanding novella “A River Runs Through It.” The illustration above is the artist’s concept of the 1940s version of the Orange Stone Fly Bunyan Bug. The Orange Stone Fly has been widely used for many decades on Western streams to imitate the salmon fly. Next week: “The Usual”
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Flybox is a weekly feature of The Billings Gazette, written and illustrated by Livingston wildlife artist Rich Stevenson and edited by Gazette outdoor editor Mark Henckel . Henckel can be contacted by phone at: 406-657-1395, or by e-mail at: