If you’ve ever wondered who invented the Cockroach, it wasn’t Lefty Kreh, as many websites and fly shops erroneously report. It was Norman Duncan.
Norman was great friends with Flip Pallot, Chico Fernandez, and “Little John” Emory in the early 1960s. Together, they put fly fishing in Miami and the upper Keys on the map with their inventions and creativity. Little John died from melanoma when reaching his prime. Flip and Chico became Flip and Chico. Norman joined the common man’s workforce and fell from the limelight, but he’s always had an indelible reputation for his foresight in those early years. Norman is responsible for many innovations including the Inside/Out fly, the Mutton Cockroach fly, the Permit Puff, and of course, his Cockroach for tarpon.
Duncan’s Cockroach fly remains a staple for tarpon throughout Florida, Central America, and the Caribbean. Most well-stocked fly boxes have at least a few Roaches in different color combinations.
The Cockroach requires only a few materials and is easy to tie. It looks great in the water and will elicit an eat more often than not.
Duncan was interviewed on the Millhouse Podcast and when asked about his most well known creation, he had this to say:
Andy Mill: You were one of our sports’ great innovators. Tell me about one
of the greatest tarpon flies for decades, the Cockroach.
Norman Duncan: Joe Robertson and Little John (John Emery) were out fishing at Loggerhead Point, and they were throwing orange flies and others, and the fish had lockjaw. John said “I’ve got some flies that Norman tied in my tackle box; let me tie one on.” Joe looked at it and said, “What’s that?” and throws it in the water next to the boat, and Joe said, “That looks like a damn cockroach, no self respecting tarpon would ever eat that!”
Andy Mill: So that’s how it was named?
Norman Duncan: Yeah, he said, “That thing looks like a damn cockroach!” So John threw at the first tarpon he saw and the rest is history. We kept it quiet for a few years, and one day I went down to Sea Center on Big Pine Key, where all the guides went out. I didn’t think anybody knew about the fly. I know all the guides, you know, and all the rods were rigged; it was early in the morning. I looked down and they all had my fly on, and I asked, “Where did you get that fly?” “Oh, John told us about it, but he told us you were the one who tied it.”
