"This one is super special to me. This fly has been in the works in different forms since 2015ish when I started fishing Beaver Lake with my friend. I needed a small threadfin shad pattern that was fairly easy and quick to tie, but it needed to look pretty realistic because of our super clear water.
I’ve always been a big believer in marabou tails because it continues to breathe in the water even on the pause which is really important for stripers/bass/etc.
The other notable portion of the fly is the pink cheeks – this really came from Henry Cowen’s teachings on the importance of having pink on all your striper flies and it’s 100% tested and true with this fly as well. The back story on the name – My grandfather (we called him Pop) was always a huge fan of my fly tying, even when it was just a feather with a thousand wraps of thread around a hook and he always encouraged me to develop the talent.
I would send him shadow boxes of a dozen flies or so for holidays and they would be proudly displayed in their kitchen for visitors to see. He made a profound impact on the sportsman that I am today and this fly is my tribute to him."
- Signature Tyer Daniel Roberts
