Paul's October 2012 Fly of the Month

 

The Francois 

Hook:  Tiemco 100SPBL Size #14 - #18.         Thread:  Olive. 

 

Bead:  Tungsten bead matching hook.        Weight:  .15” lead wire.

Tail:  Wood duck fibers.    

 

Ribbing:  Small copper wire. 
 

Body:  Pheasant tail fibers. 
 

Hot spot:  Datum Orange Glo Brite fluorescent Thread or fluorescent orange dubbing.  (Another option is to use a fluorescent orange bead.)
 

This fly was developed by Aaron Jasper of Trout Predators Online, a.k.a. www.troutpredator.com .    There are two very important characteristics which this fly has.   First, it’s weighted and has a Tungsten bead to get it down deep.  Secondly, it has a “hot spot” or fluorescent color incorporated into the pattern.  At times “hot spots” on flies make your nymph more visible to trout.  Fluorescence is the emission of light by a substance that has absorbed light.  In most cases, the emitted light has a longer wavelength than the absorbed light.  This means it is more visible to the trout.  The trout have to see your fly in order to eat it.  A fluorescent “hot spot” can increase your chances to hook up. 

 

Begin by placing your Tungsten bead on your hook.  Coat the hook shank with crazy glue and wrap lead wire from the middle of the hook shank to the bead.  Start your olive thread in the middle of the hook shank.  Next, tie in 4-6 fibers of barred wood duck for the tail.  The tail should be approximately 2/3 length of the hook shank.  Tie in your small copper wire to use as ribbing.  Next, tie in 6-10 pheasant tail fibers for your body.  You are going to wrap them forward to the bead head, similar to making a standard pheasant tail nymph. Before you wrap the peasant tail fibers forward, create a smooth nymph body with your tying thread.  Wrap your pheasant tail fibers forward to the bead and tie them off.  Trim excess.  Counter wrap your ribbing the length of the fly. Tie off and trim excess.  Tie off your olive thread.  Next, tie in your orange fluorescent thread behind the bead.  Create a thin “hot spot” collar or dub some fluorescent orange dubbing behind the bead.  Whip finish and cut off thread.  Below is a video from Troutpredators/Aaron Jasper on how to tie this fly.

 

Thanks again to Aaron Jasper for sharing this pattern.  Please check out www.troutpredators.com .   This fly can also be viewed at the Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association website at www.hffa.net . 

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of the Month, I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.



Paul's September 2012 Fly of the Month

Deep EZ Sand Eel

Hook –Mustad #34007, or Tiemco 811S, size 8 to 2/0.

Thread – Mono Thread.   

Wing – White buck tail; over which is Angel hair.

Flash – Silver mylar tinsel.

Body:   EZ Body. 

Eyes – Dumbbell eyes.

Glue/cement – Light cured acrylic, CA glue.

This fly was developed by Brad Buzzi.  Brad is a renowned fly tyer and President of the Atlantic Saltwater Flyrodders out of South Jersey.  Fellow CT/RI Coastal Fly Fisher Ron McCullen turned me on to this pattern this past spring.  I found it very effective and its pretty much “bullet proof”.   It has a slim sand eel type profile and gets down deep fast. 

Begin by wrapping your hook with mono approximately 1/3 down the length of the hook shank.  Tie in your Dumbbell eyes with figure 8 wraps of your thread.  At each tying stage it is recommended to use some cement/glue for fly durability.  Next, tie in a clump of white buck tail behind the eyes.  Use your thumbnail to make sure the buck tail surrounds the hook shank.  It should extend 1 to 2 lengths of the hook shank beyond the bend.  Next attach and tie in your silver mylar tinsel behind the eyes.  Wrap back with your thread to the bend of the hook, then back behind the eyes.  Wrap the tinsel forward along the body to behind the eyes.  Clip and tie off the remaining tinsel.  Next, invert your fly in the vise.  Tie in your Angel hair behind the eye of the hook and in front of the eyes by looping it around the hook shank.  Work the Angel hair in equal portions around the bend of the hook.  This is going to form the top of your inverted fly.  Wrap your mono thread over it the length of the hook shank.  Invert your fly again.  Attach a section of ‘small size’ EZ body in front of the eyes and wrap your thread forward to the eye of the hook.   Excess EZ Body should extend beyond the eye of the hook.  Wrap your thread back until it is even with the hook point.   Fold your EZ Body back and tie it off at your thread location.  Clip the tag end and whip finish your fly.   This is going to form the ‘belly’ of your fly.  Fill in the belly and coat it with light cured acrylic or if you prefer epoxy.

Check out this and other salt patterns at Brad Buzzi’s web site www.buzfly.com.    This fly can also be viewed at the Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association website at www.hffa.net .  Below is a video from Brad Buzzi on how to tie the Deep EZ Sand Eel.

Paul's June 2012 Fly of the Month

The Goldie (or the Fly Fisherman’s “Phoebe”)

Tying thread:  For everything other than the head of the fly, White Danville Fly Master.  For the head behind the bead, Florescent Fire Orange Thread.

Hook:  Wet fly #6 or #8 Daiichi 1550 or Mustad 3399

Bead:  5/32 Gold Bead.

Tail:  3-4 strands of Bill’s red body braid or 3 strands  red Krystal Flash.  Over this tie in two ribbons of Bill’s Pearl Body Braid (2 ribbons = 1 loop), over which is 2 ribbons of Bill’s Gold Body Braid.  The length of the tail is approximately 1 ½ inches.

Body:  Silver mylar or tinsel.

Collar:   Four loops of Bill’s Pearl Body Braid and Four loops of Bill’s Gold Body Braid.  These loops are tied in front of the mylar body and just behind the gold bead.  They will extend to approximately the beginning of the bend of the hook.  Once all the loops are in place they are cut with a scissors to create 16 strands of braid.

Head:  Create a Florescent Orange band between the collar and bead.  Whip finish and cement the fly.  The next step is the most important.   Your hook will have ribbons forming a tail and forming a collar.  Comb all the ribbons out with a toothbrush to separate the braid strands.

This fly was developed by a gentleman by the name of Dick Empie.  I refer to this fly as the “Fly Fisherman’s Phoebe”.  In my youth I often spin fished using a spoon like gold lure called a Phoebe.  The action on this fly is incredible, as is its fish catching capabilities.  Many refer to it as a “miracle” fly.  It’s a streamer that is particularly suited to smaller streams.   It can also catch just about every species out there.   For you salt water guys, tie this up to catch false albacore.  It’s a great striper fly too.

For those of you who want to purchase pre-assembled kits to tie this fly, they are available from Trela Custom Rods.  You can contact Dan Trela at 413 967-3430 or email him at trelarods@comcast.net .  Dan has been a long time supporter of the HFFA and the HFFA Expo. 

This fly can also be viewed at the Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association website at www.hffa.net .  If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a pattern of

The month, e-mail me at pdinice@frontier.com .

Fly Fishing small stream with good friend John Paul.

Hi All, May 11, 2012 I was fortunate to get out fly fishing with my good friend John Paul.  We both landed some really nice brookies with wooly buggers, a fly called "The Goldie", and prince nymphs.  It was just a beautiful day to be out on a small stream with a good friend.  What's better than that !

 

Mike Larrabee - Landing a Cape Cod Striper

Fly fishing has introduced me to some good people and friends.  Mike is one of them.  Although not a fly fisherman, I've enjoyed many spring evenings at Cove Road with Mike and other friends.  Lots of laughs & bantering back and forth as we fish on a beautiful back bay.

Lower Housatonic Spring Fishing 4/24/12

It was an extremely windy night out on the lower Housatonic.  Braved the elements with good friends Jeff Purcell, Drew Farrel, Mike "Too Tall" Harrington, and Internet Fishing Star Bear Cochrane.  A Big Thank You to Bear and Mike for helping me to land this 29 1/2" Striper.  Below Bear battles a nice bass that gives him all he can handle.

Paul's May 2012 Flies of the Month

Partridge and Orange

Hook:  Size #14 to #18 wetfly hook of choice.

Tying thread:  Orange.

Body:  Orange floss (Some tyers prefer to use silk tying thread).

Rib:  (Optional) Gold Wire.

Hackle:  Partridge. 

I’ve found this fly to be extremely successful during caddis and sulphur hatches. 

 Hare’s Ear Flymph

Hook:  Size #14 to #18 wetfly hook of choice.

Tying thread:  Orange.

Tail:  Brown hen hackle fibers.

Body:  Hares ear dubbing.

Rib:  (Optional) Gold Wire.

Hackle:  Partridge (Optional – furnace hen hackle). 

For many fly fishermen, wet flies are patterns which are very foreign to them.  Hopefully your not one of them.   I love fishing wet flies.  The technique is easy to master.  That’s why I frequently fished them when I was first learning to fly fish.  Just cast across and down river.  When the fly is near the end of it’s drift, raise your rod tip slightly and hold on as the fly rises to the surface.  This technique is also referred to as the “Leisenring’s Lift”.  Jim Leisenring was a wet fly pioneer.  He developed a highly successful fishing method where the wet fly “rises” suddenly where the trout are holding in the river.  The soft hackle on wet flies depicts movement.  Many anglers lift and twitch their rods to coax trout to hit their flies.  I’ll also fish wet flies in a dropper setup.

These flies can also be viewed at the Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association website at www.hffa.net .  If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a pattern of

The month I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.