The Rainbow Special: A Rube Cross Pattern With a Missing Story

I went on quite the search for information regarding one of my favorite ties-one that most tyers seem to forget exists; the Rainbow Special. This fly is a Rube Cross pattern that is mentioned in two of the three books that Cross wrote. I figured that this fly might have some story, possibly some fun origin, that made it worth mentioning. Sadly, any stories connected to it appear to have gotten lost in the history of great flies.

Digging for Answers

I did some digging. Which means I combed the Internet, books, and then reached out to very reliable sources to uncover the story behind it. Person after person who I spoke with had their own opinion.

The Two Theories

If the fly was a custom fly (due to the addition of the martin sable touch-dubbed body), why would Cross have added this step for a run-of-the-mill fly? But others argued that it was in fact just a fly he used to fill bins, as were a lot of the flies in his books.

Why it’s Still Worth Tying

Whatever the story behind this pink fly is, I think that it’s a fun tie, with two different variations depending on the book where you find the recipe. My tie in the accompanying photo is from the pattern given in Cross’s Tying American Trout Lures.