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Who's tying what - winter 2019


Rob G

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Ok, so what's everyone tying right now on these cold winter evenings in anticipation of warmer weather ahead ?  It doesn't have to be a smallmouth fly, it can be any fly for any species or even a technique or new material that you would like to share.  As always, thank you for your input and pictures are always welcome. 

Rob 

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3 hours ago, tjtroester said:

silver minnows today then a housefly type pattern then a soft hackle pattern I found in an old book. timothy

 

Tim, can you post some photos?  If not yours, then from somewhere else online that depict those creations that you're striving for.

 

Colin, looking good !  Those sparkle minnows are one of my favorite smallmouth and white bass patterns.

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I have been making my own shanks for articulated flies for some time. It is easy and really beats buying them. I thought I should mention that here instead of assuming everyone knows that. I just came across this video that tells the story better than I could. I just use round nose pliers to form loops. The looping pliers used in the video really look good. Got to get some.

 

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Before I get to experiment with the new stuff, I have to restock the boxes with old favorites.  Articulated flies and mini buggers (aka brim bugs)  Those size 12 brim bugs are a Rich Osthoff staple and good for what ails ya.  Excellent searching pattern for trout and my favorite panfish fly for red ear and crappie.

 

 

 

 

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been tying jigs for the tinley show.  craw jigs , and a new crappie thumper jig  1/32 head with long mop tail and  short eyelash hackled around the collar.    today ive been playing with furled baitfish flies with satin wings[bottom ,side and top] tied thunder creek style to build a bigger head , that gets covered in crystal tee shirt paint with eyes    rich

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John, the fly has evolved into a 2 different  size hook fly.  The forward hook is a size 2 (maybe 1) and the rearward hook is a size 4.    I now stack the front hook more densely with the schlappen and use a more diffuse amount in the rear.  Working on the idea of hydraulics and pushing water in the front which creates faster movement in the rear (so I'm told).   I've replaced the marabou in the rear with a couple pair of opposing hackle for greater "come hither" movement as well.  The flies are at least 4" in length. I  now won't leave home without them if there's any chance of decent fish and/or better than "skinny" water.  They do not run deep and faster current somewhat nullifies the shake and bake movement.  They're great down my way when the water is low but were not effective on the Kankakee this past summer when it was really moving. 

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On 1/30/2019 at 3:43 PM, Rob G said:

Before I get to experiment with the new stuff, I have to restock the boxes with old favorites.  Articulated flies and mini buggers (aka brim bugs)  Those size 12 brim bugs are a Rich Osthoff staple and good for what ails ya.  Excellent searching pattern for trout and my favorite panfish fly for red ear and crappie.

 

 

 

 

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Rob- is this the way you tie those buggers?

http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns3.asp?page=21

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Yes, Mark, that's it except for marabou in the tail, I use just a pinch of rabbit that I've trimmed off a zonker strip.   These are tied on a Mustad size 12 2xl  hook.  The Hare-tron dubbing with the antron fibers is the key to giving it a very "buggy" look.  "Hare's ear Plus" dubbing will also work nicely.  Also, make sure you use a feather from a Hen Cape and not a Hen Saddle.  The cape feather works much better and I always trim away the barbels on one side of the feather before palmering so it doesn't get too dense, a Dave Whitlock trick.  I steal from the best of them.

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  • 1 month later...
42 minutes ago, Rob G said:

Mark,

I like those.  Is that round cylinder foam cut at an angle in the back?  How is the foam mounted on the hook shank, is there a slit in the bottom?   What size and hook please?

Yes, cut at angle in in the back I think it's 30 degrees.  Yes you slit the bottom of the foam , but I haven't mastered sealing the fly's ass and I did glue my fingers together on the first one . The hook is  a Daiichi 1710 #6 , it's 1/4" foam. 

 

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Here is a version slightly different.

http://flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/011507fotw.php

The son of the guy who invented this fly is carrying the torch.  His name is Wade Blevins.  He is pretty active on Instagram.  He does illustration too, awesome artist.

He is also under Samsonebug.

Here is another version I may give a shot.

https://vimeo.com/186066571

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Nice Mark. I like the FAOL pattern the best. I will now reveal my secret for not gluing fingers to fly in two parts.

1. Wear food service gloves like they wear at Subway. Sometimes I get away with wearing only one glove on the hand that touches the glued popper.

2. Reverse the order for applying glue. Typical instructions will tell you to put a bead of glue on the hook after you have wrapped the hook with thread. Then push the slit in the body down on top of the glue. Crazy glue reacts so fast with the foam body material that sometimes it sets before you have the body in position. So I figured this out. Wrap the hook as usual. Without glue position the body exactly where you want it on the hook. Turn the hook belly side up. Use the fine point on your crazy glue tube or bottle to inject glue into the slit on either side of the hook. Squeeze and hold shut with a gloved hand till the glue sets. (Sometimes I can't wait. So I wrap the body in a small piece of wax paper and lightly clamp it with a small (tiny) woodworking clamp. This works best on flat sided poppers. Initially the foam is slightly compressed. It usually springs back overnight.)

Now I still have not solved the puzzle for gluing eyes...

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Nice tips Mike.

Mark, I've noticed that with your flys, the hook eye is closer to the bottom of the head than the top. This is how I usually do a popper or floating bug, to allow for a wider gap for a hook set. In the videos in your post, the Tyer places the hook eye closer to the top of the bugs head. In the second video he points this out, but does not explain why. He does explain how he places the body on the hook so the taper of the body allows for a wider gap. I wonder why he places the hook eye so high. May it allow for a more aggressive popping sound, as he likes to work this fly more aggressively? Any ideas? I have never placed the eye so high.

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6 hours ago, Mike G said:

 

Now I still have not solved the puzzle for gluing eyes...

 

Mike,

I use the pre sticky eyes that Bass Pro sells in the lure building supplies such as where spinner blades, beads, and lake trout/walleye rigging are sold.  Do NOT buy them in the fly tying materials area, they are much cheaper for the non-fly guys (of course).  Peel off an eye and lay it face down.  Now take your bodkin and lay it flat on the table where the point is midway across the eye, just below center.  Use Loc Tite super gel glue and place one tiny tiny dot in center.  Don't place a large drop, it takes so little to attach and too much will seep out under the eye and make a mess.  Now pick up the bodkin which the eye is temporarily attached to , and rotate the eye over face up, place it on your fly where desired,  and apply light pressure with finger, pencil eraser end, etc. and pull your bodkin out from underneath.  Voila, perfectly placed eye with no mess.  Again, the gel vs. regular super glue makes a huge difference because it stays where you put it and won't run.  Btw, the gel also takes just a second or two longer to set up on foam which gives you a moment longer to perfectly place your foam popper on the shank of the hook.  

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