George Harvey's "Pusher" fly pattern

[muskratnymph1]

I began night fishing this year, and this is the pusher fly that I tied. I fished the jimmy carter stretch of spruce creek at the harpster farm 5 years ago and saw him (Joe) hook some pigs. The wings are pheasant church window feathers treated with flexament. It moves water like you wouldn't believe. Osprey- they are wets. Not meant to be fished on top, but just under the surface. 10 pound test hard mono; one as a point fly, one as a dropper off of a tag 20 inches above the lead fly.

 

[jayL]

I think it's a pattern that you can get creative with. I may give it a shot this week.

 

[NCPAtrtbum]

I know I'll be tying a few of these up.. kinda forgot about this pattern.. dunno how though lol. I like muskrats use of pheasant for the wings.

 

[midnightangler]

I like muskrats use of flexament for the wings. That sounds like a real winner to me.

 

[troutslammer]

the fly muskrat showed and spoke of is a REAL winner , he showed me one night how that thing pulses in the water and u can actually feel it pulsing too and it makes a hell of a wake too !!!

 

[pugdom]

I just came from a man's house who had two flies - I believe are pusher flies. The wings of these flies are (or rather might be), let's say, not readily available but might rhyme with boon or toon. They are from 1937, and tied by Mr. Harvey. The gentleman had a nice story to go with the flies and good first hand knowledge.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

Pug thats cool to see fly's tyed by him let alone ones from '37.. George grew up in my hometown and fished the same waters, ok I grew up fishing them 50 yrs later. I did find a 1st edition of one of his books in the Dubois school Lib.

 

[muskratnymph1]

Those are beautiful. Put them behind glass and preserve them for future generations. Or sell them to me.

 

[jdaddy]

midnightangler wrote:

I don't think he meant the pusher flies to be fished any way other than dry flies but i could be wrong lol

Jim Bashline relates a story about this in his book on night fishing, which has an entire chapter on George Harvey. According to Bashline, George Harvey told him that 90% of his trout caught on the pusher were sub-surface. I'm actually surprised that people think of the pusher as a dry fly when wet flies tend to be so effective at night.

I agree midnightangler. The fly is meant to displace water when pulled through the water. It would not take a "pusher" to displace water on top.

 

[muskratnymph1]

Bashline is a beast. I read that book every year, and know it by heart. My favorite line is speaking about the Goodsell Hole, and how if he would have been around when the cement trough was built through Coudersport (ruining the hole and warming the stream below), that the rest of the book would have been written from within the confides of Leavenworth. And oh yeah... there is no doubt whatsoever that these flies were meant to be fished under the surface of the water, although Bashline would have traded them for a few Silver Doctors, and a size 4 Governor!

Midnightangler, I have read that book 50 times, and I have never seen George Harvey's name mentioned... He mentioned Pinney as being his mentor, and a few other individuals, but never Harvey.

 

[midnightangler]

Midnightangler, I have read that book 50 times, and I have never seen George Harvey's name mentioned... He mentioned Pinney as being his mentor, and a few other individuals, but never Harvey.

The nine-page chapter beginning on page 63 is titled "George Harvey's Pusher Flies". I'm not sure what edition you have, but my copy has a chapter specifically dedicated to Harvey and the pusher.

If you won't believe me, just look inside the book on amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Night-Fishing-Trout-Final-Frontier/dp/0932558429

 

[muskratnymph1]

Midnight... We are both right and wrong. I didn't realize that there was more than one edition of this book. Mine is simply called "Night Fishing for Trout" by L. James Bashline. I never heard of "The Final Frontier" but I'm going to buy it now! I wonder if it's a different edition, with add-inns, or a totally altogether different book!?

 

[muskratnymph1]

I just looked at the book that you posted a link to and compared the index with mine, and they are identical except for that chapter! Even the "Justification" section at the beginning is word for word! I wonder if the pusher flies just weren't made mainstream at the time of my book's printing. Good stuff.

 

[youcancallmeIggs]

srry to drag this one up, but I found some info on the feathers of a certain bird whose name rhymes with moon.. Seems they would probably be perfect for the pusher since they're waterproof and hold their curved shape extremely well

all hypothetical anymore, of course...

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/spring2000/species/loon/Update032300.html

 

[Fish Sticks]

Just found this thread, awesome fly. I have been fishing Harvey pushers for almost a decade I think and they are one of my top 3 go to nighttime flies. So
Many variations. I’ve seen the way george harvey tied it in his book. Joe Humphreys looks pretty much the same in his night
Fishing dvd. Dom swentosky has some pics of his on trout-bitten that look maybe a tad different feather wing wise. I have tied many variations its become almost more of a platform for me than a pattern because can do alot of variations.

Remember tie on heavy wire so big ones dont bend and pull out the hook