A true classic. The Hornberg Special is a classic trout fly that was developed in the 1920’s by Frank Hornberg. Frank was a game warden in Portage County Wisconsin, and his fly pattern went on to become a classic that has lived on for generations. The Hornberg Special was initially designed as a dry fly to imitate down winged insects like caddis and stoneflies. Somewhere along the line someone drowned the fly and took fish with it under the surface. Soon the fly gained the reputation of being effective fished both as a dry or as a wet fly or streamer.