Meat Whistle

Barr’s Meat Whistle was created by John Barr as a deeper-riding alternative to traditional streamer patterns, borrowing inspiration from bass jigs to give trout anglers a fly that drops quickly and moves with lifelike articulation. Its weighted head, soft materials, and jig-style hook angle allow it to crawl, hop, and pulse through structure without hanging up as easily as standard streamers. Over time, it became a go-to pattern for targeting larger fish holding tight to cover or feeding low in the water column.

After the fly sinks, give it one sharp lift and then drop the rod tip all the way to create pure slack—this lets the Meat Whistle glide sideways for a second or two, a motion that triggers predatory fish far more effectively than a straight vertical jig.