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Most famous fly patterns come from famous rivers. The Adams came from Michigan. The Pheasant Tail came from the Hampshire Avon. The Elk Hair Caddis came from Pennsylvania trout country. The Pink Squirrel came from Westby, Wisconsin, population 2,200, located in Vernon County at the heart of the Driftless Area, surrounded by 63 trout streams and more spring creek water per square mile than almost anywhere in the world.
John Bethke designed the Pink Squirrel in the early 2000s with a philosophy that would make Frank Sawyer smile: he wanted a nymph that didn't imitate anything specific but would catch trout nearly all the time. No hatch matching. No Latin names. Just a fly that looked like food and worked on every Driftless stream in every month of the year.
The result is a pattern built around fox squirrel body fur, a dubbing material with a natural mix of brown, tan, and grey fibers that creates a buggy, translucent body underwater. The signature element is the fluorescent pink chenille collar at the thorax, a hot spot that doesn't exist on any natural insect but triggers a feeding response from trout who can't explain why they ate it. The pink shouldn't work. It does. Bethke can't fully explain it either. He just knows it catches more trout per drift than any other nymph in his box, and two decades of Driftless anglers have confirmed it.
The Pink Squirrel is regional, you won't find it in fly shops in Montana or Colorado. It's a Driftless pattern, tied for Driftless spring creeks, by a Driftless fly tier. If you walk into any fly shop in Viroqua and ask what single nymph to buy, the answer is the Pink Squirrel in size 14. Every time.
What It Imitates (Nothing and Everything)
Bethke designed the Pink Squirrel specifically to avoid imitating a single insect. Instead, it suggests the general profile of many subsurface food items simultaneously:
- Caddis larvae, the overall shape and size match cased and uncased caddis larvae
- Scuds (freshwater shrimp), the curved body on a scud hook and the translucent dubbing suggest scuds, which are abundant in Driftless spring creeks
- Small mayfly nymphs, in sizes 16-18, the profile matches Baetis and similar nymphs
- Sow bugs, the rounded body and dubbing texture suggest isopods
- General "something brown and edible", which covers 95% of what trout eat subsurface
The pink collar is the mystery. No natural insect has a pink thorax. But hot-spot theory in fly tying suggests that a small accent of bright color, pink, orange, chartreuse, acts as a trigger, focusing the trout's attention on the fly amid the natural drift of real insects. The pink collar makes the Pink Squirrel stand out just enough to get eaten first.
The Recipe, Bethke's Pink Squirrel
| Component | Material |
|---|---|
| Hook | Scud/pupa hook, #12-18 (TMC 2457, Dai-Riki 135), the curved shank is important |
| Bead | Gold tungsten, sized to hook (3/32" for #14-16) |
| Thread | 8/0 black or pink (UTC 70 Denier) |
| Tail | Krystal Flash, pearl, 2-4 strands, forked into a V |
| Rib | Fine red or copper wire |
| Body | Fox squirrel body fur dubbing (the natural mix of brown, tan, and grey) |
| Collar | Fluorescent pink chenille, one or two wraps at the thorax |
The Variations
Standard Pink Squirrel (#14-16), The Bethke original. Gold bead, fox squirrel body, pink chenille collar. This is the one. Tie a dozen in size 14 and a dozen in size 16 and you have the default subsurface fly for every Driftless spring creek in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa.
Jig Pink Squirrel (#14-18), Tied on a jig hook with a slotted tungsten bead for Euro nymphing. The jig hook rides point-up (fewer snags on the rocky Driftless bottoms) and the slotted bead sits lower for a better jigging action. This is the competition version, designed for tight-line nymphing with maximum sensitivity.
Northwoods Variation (#12-16), A variation popularized by guides in northern Wisconsin who fish the Pink Squirrel on lakes and larger rivers. Slightly larger hook, heavier bead, and sometimes a fluorescent orange collar instead of pink. Works well on non-Driftless water.
Purple Squirrel (#14-16), Same body and construction, but a purple chenille collar instead of pink. Some Driftless anglers swear the purple version outperforms the pink on overcast days or in stained water. Others say it's superstition. Carry a few and decide for yourself.
Tan Squirrel (#14-18), Fox squirrel dubbing body with a tan or cream collar instead of pink, a more natural-looking version for heavily pressured streams where the fish have seen a thousand pink collars. This variation works well on the most-trafficked streams near Viroqua in the Driftless Area.
Where to Fish It
The Pink Squirrel is a Driftless pattern, but it works far beyond Wisconsin:
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The Driftless Area, Wisconsin, This is home water. The Pink Squirrel is THE nymph for every Driftless spring creek, Timber Coulee, Blue River, Bohemian Valley, and the hundreds of unnamed streams. Fish it under an indicator, on a tight line, or as the dropper behind a dry fly. It works in every month, in every stream, at every water level.
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The Green River, Utah, The scud-heavy Green River is ideal Pink Squirrel water. The fox squirrel dubbing body suggests the olive/tan scuds that make up a huge portion of the trout's diet on Sections A and B. The pink collar adds the trigger. Tie it in #16-18 for the Green.
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Livingston, Montana, Spring creek nymphing on DePuy's and Armstrong's. The Pink Squirrel's scud/caddis/nymph ambiguity works on the same selective fish that the Pheasant Tail targets, but from a different angle. When the Pheasant Tail stops producing, the Pink Squirrel often picks up the slack.
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Any spring creek, anywhere, The Pink Squirrel was designed for spring creek conditions (clear, cold, constant-temperature water with abundant scuds and caddis) and excels on any water that fits that description. Silver Creek in Sun Valley, the spring creeks near Denver, and any Midwest spring creek will respond.
How to Tie It, Video Tutorials
The definitive tutorial: Tightline Productions: Pink Squirrel Variant, Tim Flagler's tutorial is the gold standard. Clear instruction, close-up camera work, and the variant tied without the Krystal Flash tail (some tiers prefer this cleaner version).
Northwoods variation: Musky Fool: How to Tie the Pink Squirrel Northwoods Variation, Josh Smeltzer's version with a slightly different material list and proportions. Good for anglers who want to see a second interpretation of the pattern.
Orvis tutorial: How to Tie the Pink Squirrel Variant (Orvis), Tim Flagler again, this time on the Orvis platform with additional context about when and where to fish the pattern.
Tips From the Vise
Fox squirrel dubbing is the key. The original recipe calls for fox squirrel body fur, not belly fur (too light), not tail fur (too coarse). Body fur has the right mix of guard hairs and underfur that creates a translucent, buggy appearance underwater. If you can't source fox squirrel, a blend of brown/tan/grey Hare's Ear dubbing approximates it, but the real thing is better.
One wrap of pink chenille, not three. The collar should be subtle, a small hot spot, not a pink caterpillar. One firm wrap of medium chenille at the thorax is the right amount. Two wraps maximum. More than that overwhelms the fly's natural appearance and pushes it from "trigger" into "cartoon."
The Krystal Flash tail is optional. Bethke's original has it, two strands forked into a V. Many tiers skip it. The tail adds a subtle flash and suggests swimming legs or trailing shuck. On pressured water, the flash-free version sometimes performs better. Tie both and see what works on your water.
Use the right hook. The scud/pupa hook with its curved shank is part of the pattern's design, the curve creates the rounded profile that suggests scuds and caddis larvae. A standard nymph hook changes the silhouette and loses some of the fly's character. TMC 2457 or Dai-Riki 135 are the standard choices.
Don't overdub the body. Like the Pheasant Tail, the Pink Squirrel body should be slim, a gentle taper from the bend to the collar. The fox squirrel dubbing is naturally buggy and doesn't need to be thick to look alive underwater. Apply the dubbing in a thin rope and wrap forward with even spacing.
Build Your Box
Tie two dozen in size 14 and two dozen in size 16, the standard Driftless sizes. Add a dozen in size 18 for technical spring creek fishing and a dozen jig versions in 14-16 for Euro nymphing. Carry a few purple and tan variations for pressured water. Total: about 70 flies. The Pink Squirrel is a consumable, you'll lose them to rocks, trout teeth, and the occasional tree, so tie more than you think you need.
