More Tying

I've been playing around with ideas, as usual.  Nothing original, of course.
Here's a Shannons Streamer I tied and then used markers to make a Firetiger / Perch / Bluegill pattern:

And then I tied up some Full Motion Minnows, which is pretty much comprised of all rabbit fur:

I also tied up on Crafty Minnow, which is pretty interesting in that it forms a bulky head without using a dubbing loop.  This isn't the best example, but gives you an idea....I plan to tie a few more to get the head shaped even better:

Tying with Odd Materials

While the season/weather conspires against me actually doing any flyfishing, I continue to tie a fly or two.

This past week, I went to a Michael's craft store to pick up some items for a project my son wanted to do.  While there, I walked through the yarn section.  They had the usual great selection of wool yarns...but the yarn skeins that caught my eye on this trip was their excellent color selection of Patons Bohemian Yarns and Martha Stewart Glitter Eyelash yarns.

The Bohemian yarns are a really thick, heavy chenille-type yarn.  Some really great patterns that use this material are Rich McElligott's Wonder Worms and Shannon's Streamer.  I have some white already, so although I turned an appreciative eye towards the other colors I saw, I didn't buy any.  I think I might go back and remedy that this week, though.

I've never been a fan of Eyelash Yarns.  I personally don't think their action is that good in the water for what I would use them for.  On the other hand, I did see some pretty cool "bass jig flies" tied with the stuff, and it looks like that would be a perfect fit for this material.  The GLITTER Eyelash yarn has a lot of mylar flash built right into it, and it started some ideas in my head, so I bought 4 colors:

I've only tied up a few flies with it so far.  Here's what they look like dry:

...and here's what they look like AFTER getting wet:

I like the wet look on these.  I think they will be especially good fished quickly in still water...or in the river, since the current will help them keep a streamlined shape.

In the clearance yarn rack, I saw a single skein of a HUGE yarn called Loops and Threads "Festive Fur"....in an excellent chartreuse color.  (To quote Left Kreh...."If it ain't Chartreuse, it ain't no use!").  This is a super-thick yarn that makes Bohemian Yarn look malnourished. I measured the Festive Fur...and it is 1/2" diameter when dry.  I wasn't sure how best to show scale of this yarn, so I stuck a pair of my fly-tying scissors in the skein:

Its so thick...I envision using this for heads on baitfish patterns.  It should really push a lot of water.  I also tied up a furled-tail pattern that I hope fishes similar to a Senko.  One problem is this pattern might be pretty heavy to cast once it gets soaked with water!  We shall see.  I'm hoping the bass will LOVE it!  The smaller fly below...I hope is small enough to attract Crappies.  It should work great after dark, when the fly pushes a lot of water making it easy for the fish to find at night.

The color is perfect..it definitely lights up under a UV light!

I'm open to suggestions anyone might have on patterns to tie with ANY of these materials.  For example, I think the orange-colored Glitter Chenille might make a decent body on a crayfish pattern...it already has built-in legs!

Crayfish Fly Patterns

Confession....I have only used crayfish fly patterns a couple of times.  The first time, a large fish broke me off just a few seconds after the hook-set.  Crayfish are a great food source when fish can find them, so I keep looking for better patterns to tie...with plans of eventually fishing them.

Last week I was searching the web for fly patterns for Largemouth Bass, and I ran across a pattern that REALLY caught my eye.  Although the colors are different, as near as I could determine that pattern is called May's Clearwater Crayfish.  I couldn't find a recipe or tying instructions, only pictures on the Orvis website, where they are sold.  Here's a screen capture of the one that I saw in a video that originally caught my eye (its the one on the far right):

The Orvis website shows this:

I did the best I could with trying to figure out how to tie the pattern, and made some material substitutions.

Although the pictures appeared to use a 60-degree jig hook, I used Mustad 32756 90-degree jig hooks.  The first one I tied on a #4 hook.  I made my own eyes for these.  On this one, I used Turkey as the carapace.

Really doesn't look much like the original.  Hey, it was a first attempt!  :)

Next, I tied one on a #1 Mustad 32756 90-degree jig hooks (#4 and #1 were the only sizes I had).  For this one, I used brown Furry Foam for the carapace:

I tied up a 3rd one, also on the #1 hook, and once again I used Turkey for the carapace:

I compared the last two:

I like them both.  The Fuzzy Fur is easier to work with, and a softer feel for the fish.  But I like the mottled color of the Turkey carapace.

Here's a comparison of those crayfish (which as you may have noticed do NOT have claws, but are still unmistakably crayfish), and some of Missouriflies.com "Rough Dub Crayfish" that I tied (if they don't look good, its my fault).  My Rough Dub's are smaller in overall size than my May's Clearwater's.  The Rough Dubs also have claws, and are MUCH quicker to tie.  I like them, too.

I'd still like to figure out how to tie them so they look like the one on the right side of the 3rd picture in this post.  For now, I like the May's Clearwater AND the Rough Dub crayfish patterns....so I guess I will keep tying a few of both.  And then hopefully I can try them out on the fish later this year!

February 2013 Fly Tying

The local waters are still ice-covered, but the quality and safety of that ice has been questionable.  So, I haven't been fishing in weeks.  I really haven't been tying too many flies either, but I have gotten a few done.

Mostly, I've been tying flies for crappies, and also for largemouth bass.  The crappie flies are my usual top-producers...nothing really new there.  For Largemouth Bass, I had some good success with a topwater pattern last year.  Now, I've been trying to tie up mostly bluegill/baitfish imitations to see if I can coax some nicer fish from my local waters that might not be willing to strike the topwaters.  Some of these I've tied before...I just have never used them much.  My plan is that I actually WILL use these more this year.

Anyway, on to the flies:

I tied up some #2 size EP fiber bluegill patterns:

I've also tied up some Craft Fur Minnow variations (these may also work well for white bass/wipers):

...and some zonker strip worms:

Well, I might as well show what I've been tying for crappies.
Chartreuse Springbrook Wunder-style microjigs:

Chartreuse Woolly Buggers:

This fly is experimental.  I thought the big deer-hair head would push a lot of water, and also help the fly suspend...in short, this should be a great fly to use after dark!

And these featherwing streamers just LOOK great!

Fly-Tying Mid-January 2012

Here's some more junk I've tied up recently:
A Craft Fur streamer with a Clear Cure Goo-covered head:

Some "bass worms" made of feathers...I tested these in the sink, and they weren't 100% dried yet when I took this picture:

An innovative Gar fly pattern designed by an angler in central Iowa...the top one is tied on a clipped hook shank, the bottom two are tube flies:

A yellow Jumpin' Catfish Nymph:

A Stalcup's Gilled Nymph:

A favorite of mine..size 10 Gartside Sparrow:

A Chironomid I plan to try out on bluegill through the ice soon:

Fly-Tying, Early January 2012

Ug.  I haven't fished since November.  Due to an unforseeable and lingering series of unfortunate events (weather), I've been in the "no man's land" of fishing.  That is the period when the area lakes have frozen over, but the ice isn't thick enough to safely fish on/through.  Normally that period last 2-3 weeks.  This year it has lasted for about 7 weeks.  It appears to be nearly over, as the ice is finally getting thick enough...but then again, there are some 40-50 degree days being forecast in a few days, which might prolong this fishless spell.
What's an angler to do?  Thank goodness for fly-fishing and fly-tying!  No, I can't fly-fish right now, but I can tie up fly patterns that I will be able to use in the coming open-water season AND I can tie some fly patterns or "lures" that I will be able to use for ice-fishing.

I don't have the time or attention span to sit and tie a handful of one fly pattern.  Which is unfortunate, since I hear that is the best way to get GOOD at tying that particular pattern.  This explains a lot.  But the gist of this is that I tie one nymph here, then a streamer there, then a foam topwater, then a bass bug, then a softhackle wet fly, then....you get the picture?

Here's a small sample of some of the things I've in the past few weeks or so (pardon the hodge-podge disorganization):

Morrish's Anato-May

Some generic BH nymphs for ice-fishing (or open water)

Craft Fur Thunder Creek Minnow

Rick Zeiger's Goldie Jr variants

Muddler Minnow

Deer Hair Bass Popper

Goldie Jr's (silver)

Scud

Muddle May

Generic Soft Hackle

UV Nymph

Craven's Gonga

Misc. Streamers

Ice Flies!

More ice flies

Craft Fur Clousers for Bass

Wiggle Worm variants

Calftail Wing Streamer

Fox fur Streamer

Deer Hair Bass Popper

Rootbeer Diamond Braid nymph



Unweighted flies for ice-fishing "Michigan Rig" style