KO Emerald Shiner

My father took me fishing for the first time when I was 4 years old. The next year, he took me to Erie to fish for Steelhead. At 5 years old, these fish were gigantic and I’ve fished with him every year since. He almost always fished emerald shiners, and to this day he won’t touch a fly rod. He is hands down the best minnow fishermen I’ve ever seen. In 2018 he kept catching fish right in front of me. Determined to do everything on a fly rod, I only had one option. I started researching and playing with materials. Buck tail was too coarse, maribou was too soft, and just about everything else didn’t look right. I came across some people using craft fur and decided to give it a shot. It took a bit to figure out the coloring and general size. But once it was figured out, the steelhead couldn’t resist. Everyone I had given them to wanted me to tie more. I added holographic eyes and UV cured them in place, and the KO Emerald Shiner took its final form. There are plenty of other shiner imitations out there, but only one KO Emerald Shiner