The Old Double Renegade, A Stillwater Classic

[Jeff Brooks]

I just finished tying two boxes of my best Stillwater leech and bugger patterns (144 flies for my Dad who's spending the winter in southern Arizona, and who plans to get back by the end of March just in time for our annual spring trip to Flaming Gorge) and as I finished tying the last couple of flies, I noticed that the indefatigable Double Renegade was missing. For the first time it didn't make the cut and I stopped to consider the fate of so many of the great old patterns we all used to fish???

Do any of you guys still fish the Double Renegade? If so, how has it been fishing in recent years?

Does anyone know the history of that great old fly? Someone once told me that it is a homegrown pattern that was developed by old-time Strawberry fly fisherman, but I don't know if that is true or not???

Jeff

[Fred]

Jeff,

That's one of my go to flies when fishing Strawberry in the fall. Doesn't seem to work as well in the spring. A guy named Hal that I met up there turned me on to it one fall afternoon. I was drifting by as he landed this huge (26-27 inch) rainbow. Naturally, I asked what he was using. He told me a double renegade and I have been fishing it ever since. Funny thing was, ends up Hal lives about two blocks away from me.

Anyway, from what I understand, the fish take it for a snail. Ouzel disagrees with that (we discussed it on another thread), but two other people told me that on two separate occassions. So, I don't know where it originates or what it's supposed to be.

In any event, still works dude -- at Strawberry anyway. Tried it in a couple of lakes up north and didn't get any fish on it.

[Señorfish]

I use it on the West fork of the Duchesne and the Strawberry river. The big browns seem to love it. I use a version that has black chenelle with white hackle on one end , brown on the other. They sell it at the grocery store in Duchesne. They also have a great fly called a Moser which I have adopted as my specialty go to fly. I tied up some for the swap.

[Oak Crick]

Hook: 4-12, 3 or 4x
Tag: Red yarn or gold tinsel
Rear Hackle: Brown
Abdomen: Peacock to midpoint of hook
Mid Hackle: White or Cream
Thorax: Peacock
Fore Hackle: Brown

[Aron]

I too have had good luck on the double renegade.Thanks for reminding me,I need to tie some up.Mine are alittle different,the front hackle is white,middle is grizzley,rear is brown.I always enjoy reading your posts jeff,good job!

[Jason]

I haven't really used a Double Renegades as a streamer typer underwater fly. I use mine as dry flies in the Uintas on small mountain lakes. Nothing usually larger than a size 10 hook. Those brookies and cutts love them, especially with a little red in the fly. I'll have to try them deep this year. I've heard they're killer, espcecially when nothing else works.

[Ed Kent]

Jeff, you are correct. It is a home grown fly pattern specifically designed for Strawberry. I can't remember who the guy was that developed the pattern, but my grandfather knew the guy....he lived in Park City...

The fly has been around for a very long time...I remember my first exposure to the pattern was back in 1966 when I first started fly fishing Strawberry with my grandpa.

Since then I have tied it with several different twists.

varigate the peacock herl body with red floss, segment the body with peacock herl and red wool, tied it with an all red body, switch the hackle colors around...and they all seem to work at times but the original is still the best.

It also works very well on Henry's Lake......

[cardiac]

We had good luck with a double R this year at Strawberry, and also at Daniels in Idaho. Using it as a dropper at these waters, (Denny Rickards seal bugger at the point) and by itself at the Uintas. I also think represents a snail.

[Steve J]

This is my go to stillwater fly, fished either dry or wet just below the surface. I'm basically a dry fly guy, even when logic and reason tell me that the fish are down deep and when all other flies fail, I'll tie on a Double Renegade and catch something. I like to tie up the brown/grizzly/white hackle combo with a red tag.

[FrozenFish]

Does anyone have a picture their willing to post, I have never seen a Double Renegade

[Jeff Brooks]

Frozen Fish

Send me an email (so I can reply ) and I'll send you a photo of a double renegade...

Jeff

[gware]

I have also had great success with this old standby.
Ed, you are right, I remember as a kid (before 66) using it at the Berry with great success. It was very popular back then. We used to use the DR and a green wooly worm, brings back alot of memories. I also have been using it in the late summer and fall at Huntington Res. to catch Tigers. I have many an afternoon and evening where we have caught and released 40 or more per day. If you have not tried it you are really missing a great time. The Tigers are great fighters that never quit. Last year the big ones were pushing 17 inches and faught like they were 27 inches. It is a great place to fish with lots of fish, great scenery and a chance to see some wildlife. I have never seen it very crowded making it even better.

gware

[shazerblaze]

Huntington Reservoir is one of the great little areas. Tigers, etc make for great fights and also seem more aggressive to the bite. I had to kick over to help my Dad land a 16" (my Dad has me on this body of water). Imagine the numbers needed to bring a 18" to hand (and I believe that would be a C&R record for Tigers). I'll have to try a double renegade. Sheep creeks are good on Huntington too.

[Phlyfisher]

Thanks.

[Larry S.]

......Do any of you remember using the Black Barber Pole on Strawberry ?

[Jeff Brooks]

BTW,

All of you convinced me, I've put the double renegade's back into my dad's fly boxes...

I can't till fall to try them again.

JB

[Ed Kent]

Larry, black, brown, and green.....all were very deadly when I first started fishing Strawberry....remember tying them out of cut strips of felt material.....things are so much eaiser today....but so much more complexed regarding material and color choices....

[Jason]

Here's a photo of a DR that was submitted in the Strawberry Streamer Swap.

http://www.utahonthefly.com/flytying/flyimages/streamerswap/010.jpg

[bob naftel]

Jeff,

As you know the double renegade evolved from the renegade-a fly that for me and many others has been successful on the middle and lower Provo. This has been fished as a dry fly.

The developer of this fly is suppossed to be Taylor "Beartracks" williams, and developed in the 30's.

Like many flies there have been many variations: double renegade, reverse renegade, royal renegade, Henry's Lake renegade, and the super renegade.

I would not head to the river without the renegade in my box.

Bob

[FrozenFish]

It doesn't look like a snail...

[Jason]

I think a regular Renegade could pass as a snail more than the DR. ??

http://www.utahonthefly.com/flytying/flyarchive/renegade.htm

The Renegade is my go to Uinta lakes pattern. Fish it as a high floating fly and the fish can't leave it alone. I haven't really tried it on bigger streams and rivers though.

[Larry S.]

The Renegade works wonders on the Logan and Blacksmith Fork. It is one of the universal patterns that seem to work a lot of the time when all else fails. It just goes to show the power of peacock. A very good attractor that has stood the test of time as has the double.

[cardiac]

Jason is right about the Renegade supposedly representing a snail, I was wrong. Maybe the double R represents snails in heat. Hell I don't know. I'm not a fish (been called a sucker before though). One thing Denny Rickards says is your fly should represent a number of different food sources-not just one. So then, what source of protein is a D R representing?
Changing the subject a little:
Representing food sources-what is a wooley bugger?
Is it a glorified leech pattern or a baitfish pattern. Leeches are suppose to swim very slow (hand twist retrieve) but a lot of guys use a quick strip retrieve.
How about the color- I think it was Jeff Brooks that uses pink(my apologies in advance if it wasn't Jeff). I never saw a pink leech before but he catches a lot of fish with that color at the Berry.
Another thing is, all you that have fished Henrys Lake and a lot of other bodies of water, you know that it seems like every few years the patterns change, might be a certain color that is hot, or something that has been added to an established pattern. Or even a new pattern. Do the fish get bored with the old regulars? Do they attack wet flies/streamers as food or out of agression. (barring spawning seasons).
If matching the hatch on certain waters is a must, why do fish in other waters go after anything you throw them. I'm not talking recent planters. Jason and others that fish the High Uinta lakes know you could use a paraturd jfor a dry pattern, and catch fish after fish (I know the season up there is so short, they'll eat anything.
Enough of the ramblings, I needed to get that off my chest, and get some answers.
Alan

[rob g]

I have used BIG renegades heavily weighted in the spring on lakes in Nevada with great success when the water was full of damsel fly nymphs.