Fluorescent Hot Pink Mallard Flank

Fluorescent Hot Pink Mallard Flank Feathers

Make fun of pink all you want. Bonefish don’t. Neither do Midwest and Western trout, which have been eating the Pink Squirrel for decades without asking anyone’s permission. A few fibers of fluorescent pink with barring in it says “shrimp” on the flats and “something worth eating” in a river. Laugh at it on the bench, then go fish it.

What you get: About 60 feathers in a 2 gram bag, mixed sizes. Hand-sorted, junk removed.

Recipe 1: Pink Flank Bonefish Shrimp

• Hook: Saltwater hook, #4–#6, tied inverted
• Thread: Fl. pink 6/0
• Eyes: Small bead chain, tied on top
• Antennae: Fl. Pink mallard flank fibers with 2 strands of pink Krystal Flash
• Body: Pearl Mylar tinsel, ribbed with clear mono
• Legs: Fl. Pink mallard flank fibers, tied in a beard
• Wing: Tan or white craft fur, sparse, over the top

How to fish it: Bright sand flats and light-colored bottoms. Lead the fish by 3–4 feet, let it settle, then make short 4–6 inch strips. If the fish follows without eating, stop dead and let it drop. Pink shows up well in shallow water where tan disappears.

Recipe 2: Pink Squirrel Flank Variant

• Hook: 2x long nymph hook, #12–#16
• Bead: Gold tungsten
• Thread: Black 8/0
• Tail: Fl. Pink mallard flank fibers, short
• Body: Squirrel dubbing, ribbed with fine gold wire
• Legs: Fl. Pink mallard flank fibers, swept back
• Collar: Fl. pink chenille, 2 turns behind the bead

How to fish it: It’s a nymph, it’s a bug, it’s a mystery. Dead drift it under an indicator or tight-line it through riffles and seams. It’s deadly on stocked trout and in tailwaters. Pair it with a natural nymph and see which one they pick. It’ll probably be the pink one.