"Side-to-side movement is pretty intoxicating for any predatory fish."
So says Charlie Bisharat, inventor of one of the most revolutionary flies in recent memory, the Pole Dancer.
Leland on the Pole Dancer Striped Bass Fly
Born of Charlie's love for topwater stripers, the Pole Dancer was designed to imitate the action of conventional lures like the Zara Spook and the Lunker Plunker. As experienced bass and striper anglers know, this zig-zag, 'walk-the-dog' action mimics the movement of a wounded baitfish, and is far more enticing to big-shouldered fish than any ordinary in-line retrieve.
The Pole Dancer fly achieves this unique action in large part thanks to its conical molded foam head, which builds water pressure on one side of the fly when retrieved with sharp stripping motions and causes the fly to veer from left to right and back again.
For the Pole Dancer to achieve this action, everything about the fly must be in balance. To ensure this, the head is held neutral by weight placed toward the back of the shank, and tail materials are kept evenly distributed by a beefy monofilament anti-fouling guard.
Beyond these functional design attributes, the Pole Dancer has a few nice touches that are characteristic of almost any fly that's successful with predatory fish: big eyes and a red 'bleeding' gill slit add a level of realism that help seal the deal.
Specifications:
•This fly was developed by Charlie Bisharat while fishing the fertile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
•A defining characteristic is the conical molded foam head, which has a recessed concave cup on the underside
•Suggests any wounded baitfish on which an opportunistic predator might feed
•Ideal for pursuing stripers, largemouth, or any ambush predator: pike, muskie, snook, baby tarpon, peacocks, etc
•Pair with a heavy short-headed line to achieve positive turnover
