Restocking the box

[Jonn Graham]

With all the crappy weather, I have been busy getting my fly boxes ready for spring. Here are a few I have been tying:

 

 

 

Been working hard of late learning how to stack deer hair. The above flies, with their stacked heads, came out nice. They are weightless and I plan to fish them on a sink tip this summer.

 

 

I love to fish tubes on standard tackle, here is a pattern for a fly rodders version of the tube jig. Weighted.

 

 

The above fly is Mike Jacobs' Bronze Goddess. Mike is from Iowa and this is his signature pattern. By the way, Mike sells fly tying materials at incredibly low prices. You have to see his site and check prices. https://sites.google.com/site/hawkeyeflytyer/Home

 

 

 

Rich Strolis from Connecticut has really made an impression on me.........great, innovative tyer. I love his sculpin/madtom pattern. These two are single hooked models, but I also have some articulated ones. His Headbanger Sculpin is very popular. Gotta love the Sculpin Helmets..............neat product.

 

C'mon warm weather.....................

[Guest Jim S.]

Very nice, I really like those tube flies.

[Rob G]

John,

how do you keep those helmets on your sculpin from moving backward or turning? Do you really stuff a lot of material in from behind or do you use a drop or two of glue. Just curious, nice ties btw.

[Jonn Graham]

Rob:

 

You do put a few drops of glue down before sliding on the helmet. In addition, after setting the helmet, make a small thread head in between the helmet and the eye of the hook. If done properly, they do not move at all. They are very snag resistant when worked along the bottom. They are made of a soft metal that is not as heavy as they look. I am using the small size, they make a mini and a large. Very neat product.

[Jonn Graham]

By the way, the sculpin helmets come in two colors - olive and brown. The eyes come with the helmets.

[Bart Durham]

Those look like some killer flies Jonn!

[Tom L]

Really like your tub jig flies. I picked up some Fish Skull Helmets from Cabela's awhile back when it was on sales, now that you gave some inspirations I'll have to tie some up.

[Mike G]

Nice Easter Parade of Flies.

 

"Sink the line and float the fly." Let us know how that works. I keep meaning to try it, but never get around to it.

[John Gillio]

Nice ties Jonn.

[Jim Wright]

The tube fly looks like a killer! I too have found those sculpin helmets open the doors to some great patterns. C'mon warm weather, right on!