This week’s Throw Back Thursday Fly is the Bekeart Special.
It’s been awhile since I highlighted a steelhead fly. I found the Bekeart Special steelhead fly pattern in John Shewey’s book entitled Classic Steelhead Flies. If you haven’t had a chance to peruse this book, go to your local fly shop and see if they have it in stock. Otherwise, go to the link above and order it. You won’t be sorry.
Philip Bekeart was the son of Frank Bekeart who relocated to California from New York City to make his fortune in the California Gold Rush. Well, that didn’t work out too well, so Frank moved to San Francisco where he worked as a gunsmith. Philip bought the business from his father in 1890. He was well known for his target weapons and was a competitive shooter too.
Shewey offers more information about Bekeart’s gun prowess and the fact he was a well-known hunter and angler. Shewey references the book Trout Flies (1932) where the author, A. Courtney Williams stated the Bekeart Special was created by Bekeart.
Shewey also makes a case that John Benn, one of the better known fly tyer’s at that time who lived in the Bay Area, may have created the fly and named it for Bekeart. Benn was known to be a prolific fly tyer and frequently named flies for people.
To find out the whole story, be sure to read it in Classic Steelhead Flies.
For more about John Benn, be sure to read my post – Benn’s Coachman.
Enjoy…go fish!
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