Kaufmanns Stimulator

Written by DCarp

Kaufmanns
Stimulator

RWFF Kaufmanns
Stimulator

• Hook: Long Dry Fly, Size 6-16
• Thread: Orange, 3/0 or 6/0
• Tail: Elk
• Abdomen: Yellow/orange dubbing
• Rib: Brown or grizzly hackle, palmered
• Thorax: Orange Dubbing
• Hackle: Grizzly over thorax
• Wing: Elk

HISTORY:

Two brothers, Lance & Randall Kaufmann, began a mail order fly fishing business in their parent’s garage in Tigard, Oregon in the early 1970's. Randall tied flies, and Lance ordered merchandise, dyed feathers, and filled the orders.

What makes the Stimulator so effective? Many fly originators have elaborate theories. Randall Kaufmann is perhaps more honest than most in stating outright that he doesn't know why the Stimulator is so effective. He even raises a possibility that is not mentioned by most fly designers who want to mimic nature with new looking patterns: "The Stimulator may be just different enough that fish do not remember having an earlier encounter with it and mistake it for real food."

Randall Kaufmann is unusually honest in another way as well. He readily admits that the Stimulator is not unique, but is kind of a composite of "parts" from other effective flies.