Wet FlyintermediatePacific Northwest
Boss
$6.95
Available Sizes#2 - #8
Color Variations
Black/Orange
Virgil Sullivan created the Boss on the Umpqua River, and it has been bossing steelhead and salmon around ever since. The black chenille body absorbs light, creating a dark silhouette against the river bottom, while the fluorescent orange tail acts as a rear-mounted target that fish strike with precision. It is named the Boss because it catches fish with the authority of someone who does not need to raise their voice to be heard. The silver rib provides segmentation and flash, and the whole package swings through PNW rivers like it has done this a thousand times before. Because it has.
Quick Facts
TypeWet Fly
Difficultyintermediate
SeasonsSummer, Fall, Winter
Target SpeciesSteelhead, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon
Sizes#2 - #8
Best LocationsNorth Umpqua River, OR; Rogue River, OR; Deschutes River, OR
Where to Fish It
North Umpqua River
OR · Freestone River
Rogue River
OR · Freestone River
Deschutes River
OR · Freestone River
Map unavailable. Locations for Boss: North Umpqua River, OR; Rogue River, OR; Deschutes River, OR
Related Reading
region guide
Pacific Northwest Steelhead: The Complete Guide
Steelhead are the fish of a thousand casts. In the Pacific Northwest's rainforest rivers, anglers swing intricately tied flies through emerald runs for the chance at one explosive take from a chrome-bright sea-run rainbow. This is the complete guide to the pursuit.
species science
The Great Migration: Pacific Salmon Life Cycles
Pacific salmon are born in gravel, grow in rivers, vanish into the ocean for years, then navigate thousands of miles back to the exact stream where they hatched — to spawn and die. Their lifecycle is the most dramatic story in freshwater biology, and understanding it makes you a better angler.
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