The Final 5! Tim's Xmas Flies #8-12

[Tim A]

Okay, no time left so I'm doing this all in a single post. I realized today that I broke some of the terms of Mike G's idea for this 12 flies of Christmas--I should have put all my flies in a single post so as to not clog the forum, and I should have had a theme to my flies other than, "Hey, I tied these." Let's get on with it.

 

#8 Deceivers

What can I say? Left's creation is one of the best, albiet simple, flies ever made. It is easy to modify to your liking--including other styles of tying, like Popovics' Hollow Fleye--and can imitate baitfish from small to large.

 

 

#9 A fly that I could not live without is Smartt's Glass Minnow. Typically tied with the flashier ice dub, I like the look of Senyo's Lazer Dub for a fuller minnow. The tail is craft fur or EP (over a little bucktail), then I spin the body material in a dubbing loop. Color with permanent marker.

 

 

#10 Black Snake

This is a pattern I tied for night-time fishing for stripers. I took the basics of a Tabory snake fly, enlarged for 3/0 hook, and replaced the ostrich herl for long, thin hackles in black and grizzly.

 

 

#11 "Shaved Leech"

This is a leech pattern that I came up with about 5 years ago, but have yet to show anyone. It is comprised mostly of the "hide" of craft fur, cut to shape (leaving a small tab to tie down) and trimmed down to just the underfur/guard hairs, and leaving a few long strands off the tip for added action. Black ice dub body and brass dumbbell eyes for weight and keeping the hook point up when fishing in leechy territory.

It must be getting late on Christmas Eve--who's feet are those?^^

 

 

#12 To make things come around full circle, for my last contribution I'm throwing up a fly with a lot of similarities to the very first fly I posted (the Senyo Sculpin variations). This is an articulated streamer of the same genre as the peanut butter, any of Gallup's flies, and others. Because of it's long list of materials, I'm calling it, "The Kitchen Sink." (BTW, there's already a "Grocery Fly" named for the grocery list...)

I'm currently using it as an ornament:

 

 

Well, that's it. This has been fun. Because I didn't have a proper "theme" to all my flies, my challenge was to get all these up before Christmas morning! Thanks for looking, and thanks to all those who gave feedback. Constructive criticism, as well as compliments, is always welcome.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

 

[Guest rich mc]

i asked Santa to snatch it from yourtree and drop it at my house thanks for posting they are nice. merry christmas all

[John Gillio]

Impressive ties Tim. Thanks.

[Mike G]

No rules were broken here because there aren't any to break. Of course officers are held to a higher standard whatever that is.

 

Very nice bunch of flies. Like Christmas dinner it is hard to digest all at once. I will come back for seconds.

[Tom L]

A bunch of good looking flies and beautifully tyed. They will make good jack & tarpon flies.

 

Is that a rattle sticking out of the black snake?

 

Merry Christmas.....

[Tim A]

Thanks for the feedback and compliments, fellas. I appreciate it. There are lots of patterns, of course, that didn't make the dozen, but I look forward to future opportunities to share those.

 

Rich, I can see now that Santa didn't deliver on that wish of yours. But I have heard about this other thing where you are nice and sometimes things like flies end up being shipped to your door

 

Tom, there are parts of this country where saying a fly would be a good "jack fly" would NOT be a compliment...but I'm taking your words as positive approval. For that, I thank you And no, there is no rattle hanging out of the snake fly. I'm thinking you are looking at my ring on my finger underneath the fly. Now if I could only find some jacks to throw these at...