Twelve Flies of Christmas - Mike G

[Mike G]

My theme is Distinctive Fabrics to honor a great source of fur. I use the fabric in the flies and as a background. The idea is to try the new material on new and traditional patterns and to showcase the fur too. The Quarter is for scale only; it does not come with the fly.

Not all flies have scientific names yet.


1. A Bend Back (tergum curvum) in a Pine Tree


Sparkle fur used throughout. Purple Sparkle fur in the background.


2 Double Bunny (cuniculus duplex)




A Bull Bluegill on a #1 EC 413. Strips cut from brown Husky. Phesant cheek. I used one of Craig's Ringers to hang the eye. White Sparkle Fur in background.

3. A Blonde (osmerus flavus)



I had to try out the new material on a classic pattern by Joe Brooks. White, Grey, and Cookie Blue make a smelt. Black monkey fur in the background.

4. The Dino Frog (wiggle legs)(rana rex)



Wiggle legs made with green and chartreuse sparkle fur tied bullet head style. Hook point is cut off after legs are complete. Legs are slipped onto hitchhikers screwed into the rear of the EVA body. The Dino Head is an economical alternative to the Blockhead. Soon coming to a pond near you. Background burnt orange Extra Long Hair Fur.

To be continued...

The Fifth fly of Christmas Dec 28

5. Float'n Fly Crappie



Black and white Husky fur had to be used tied on a 1/16 oz jig powder painted. Guinea Fowl cheeks and eyes finish it off. Background is Schoolbus Yellow Sparkle Fur.

6th Day 21st Century Mickey Finn (potus nocens)

7th Day Crappie



8th Day Spinner'd Minner

Where would we be without Fox Statler's classic

 

9 Sluggoes Slugging

 

 

 

10 Dragons Flying (draco volans)

 

 

11 Dying Panfish (panpiscis moriturus)

 

 

 

This was going to be a Half and Half till I saw something in the other double bunnies I put tied. With the wings in a verticle position the fly resembles a flat panfish like the Storm Thinfin plug does. When I turned the wings 90 degrees I got a a fly lying on its side like a crippled fish. Saltwater guys might use the same approach to construct a stone crab fly which has a similar round body like this fly tied using other materials.

 

 

12 Royal Coachman (raedarius regius)

 

 

The colors of this old patern make it a natural for Christmas. The story is that John Haily, a New York City tyer, created the pattern in 1878 when he added a red silk band to a Coachman so that the herl body would hold up better. It has been tied dry, wet, streamer, Wolff, and whatever ever since. You can say,"135 years old and still in use." The saddle hackle in the picture with my hair streamer goes back about half way, 70 years. It is one of three streamers that have been "in the family" for as long as I can remember. Uncle Bob tied it for Clear Lake Muskies and it passed from my father to me.

 

There's a good place to end.

 

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

[Tom L]

Great start Mike. The pheasant cheek really made the fly look distictive.

[Tim A]

Mike, I always like flies in "rainbow trout" patterns, i.e. olive-pink-white, so your first fly gets a thumbs up for that. And the second fly is cool, too, and could be perceived as a big crayfish pattern.

 

Nice flies.

 

You also reminded me that I'm doing my 12 flies wrong in 2 ways: I made multiple posts/threads, rather than a single one, and I have no theme, other than "I tied these" or "Flies that Catch," lol. Oh well.

[Mike G]

I caught up with 3rd and 4th Distinctive Flies. See original first post above.

[Mike G]

My Fifth fly of Christmas is a Float'n Fly. See the growing first post:http://illinoissmallmouthalliance.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=10242

[Rob G]

Mike,

nice creative flies. I like playing with Guinea but seems I always have a tough time working it into my flies.

 

btw, I've got a foam pattern for a Mr. Kermit that I might have to bring out of the closet now that you've opened the door.

[Rob G]

Though I would like to be able to claim these fly creations as my own, they are in fact Mike's further contributions and he has asked me to post these since he is presently having difficulty linking to our website due to technical difficulties. Nice work Mike!

 

21^st Century Mickey Finn (potus nocens).

 

Crappie

 

Spinner’d Minner I(cobius statlerensis)

[Tom L]

#11 Dying Panfish is a very interesting way of tying. Did you use glue or apoxy on the hook shank and materials closed to the shank to keep it stiff?

[Tim A]

The dying panfish would make a cool baby flounder imitation for flats stripers out East.

[Mike G]

#11 Dying Panfish is a very interesting way of tying. Did you use glue or apoxy on the hook shank and materials closed to the shank to keep it stiff?

Tom,

 

I used Pliobond and followed the instructions on the label. Coat both surfaces to be glued and allow to dry. Apply PB to both surfaces and wait till it is tacky. Press together. Since the fake hide does not stick oout behind the hook on the Dying Panfish, stiffness is not an issue. On the Crappie it does. The rear part is flexible not stiff.

 

[Mike G]

The dying panfish would make a cool baby flounder imitation for flats stripers out East.

Tim,

 

I am glad you see the application. What about a stone crab?

[Tim A]

Tim,

 

I am glad you see the application. What about a stone crab?

Hadn't thought about it looking like a crab but I can see that now. I was just reading some of Alan Caolo's writing about sight-casting stripers in the surf, and he says swimming crab patterns are the way to go in July-August. In fact, he recommends not using "sculpted" crabs like the Merkin. I think your dying panfish would get tied on my line in that scenario, especially with some weighted eyes to keep it in the strike zone.