Whitlock Mouse Rat

The Whitlock Mouse Rat is a realistic, deer-hair surface fly created by legendary angler and innovator Dave Whitlock in the 1970s–80s to imitate a swimming mouse or small rodent. Built by stacking and spinning deer hair and adding a leather or foam tail, mono eyes, and optional whiskers, it floats high, pushes water, and creates a natural V-wake that triggers explosive strikes from large predatory fish such as trophy trout, bass, and pike. Whitlock designed the pattern to be durable, highly buoyant, and capable of withstanding long nights of fishing and aggressive takes, and it quickly became a benchmark rodent imitation that helped popularize mouse-fishing as a legitimate technique for targeting big fish.

Weed Bed Skirting: Cast the fly along the edges of weed beds or lily pads where rodents are likely to fall into the water. Allow the fly to drift naturally with occasional twitches to simulate a struggling mouse, attracting lurking predators from beneath the vegetation.