Paul's April 2013 Fly of the Montjh

Trout Bane

 

Photo courtesy of Johnny Utah

 



Hook:  Daiichi 1550 Size #16-24.  Tying thread:   Uni 8/0 Light Cahill.

Tail:   Pheasant tail fibers.

Abdomen:  Thread with pheasant tail fibers tied in on top.
Rib:   Thread.

Thorax:  Light yellow U.V. Ice Dub.

Legs:  Pheasant tail fibers.

Top of nymph:  Coated with 5 minute epoxy or U.V. resin.

This fly is a great variation of a pheasant tail.  It was developed by an innovative fly tyer from New Jersey named Johnny Utah.   Thanks to Johnny for his help and generosity with this Fly of the Month.  Photo also courtesy of Johnny.  His website can be accessed at www.utahsflycorner.com .  There are some great fly patterns there!!! 

The Trout Bane is simple to tie, very effective, and extremely durable.  Start the thread at the eye.  Wrap down the hook to form a tapered nymph body/abdomen.  Tie in your tail of pheasant fibers with two wraps of thread.  For larger flies use 6-8 fibers, smaller ones 3-4.  The tail should be half a hook shank length.  The tag ends of the fibers will become your abdomen top, wing case, and legs.  Pick up your fibers and advance your thread.  Lay your fibers down and take two more thread wraps over them.  Continue doing this for ¾ of the hook shank.  This will create a segmented abdomen on your fly.  Bind your pheasant tail fibers back and dub your thorax of UV dubbing.   Bring the pheasant tail fibers forward to create your wing case.  Take a couple tight wraps to bind the fibers down.  Sweep the fibers behind and under the fly to form the legs.  As with a traditional pheasant tail, make sure you split the legs equally on each side of the fly.  Trim your legs to length.  Give the top of the nymph a coat of U.V. resin or 5 minute epoxy. 

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 .  This pattern can also be viewed at www.hffa.net .  Below is a video from Jonny Utah on how to tie the Trout Bane.

 



Paul's March 2013 Fly of the Month

Silver Streak

Hook:  Size #18-#22 TMC 2487.         Thread:  White or Olive.

Bead:  (Optional) Small gold, copper, or silver.  Rib:  Fine blue or chartreuse wire.

Tail:  Dun hen fibers

Abdomen:  Holographic Tinsel, Silver or Pearl (I prefer using pearl).

Thorax:  Holographic white, or chartreuse, or olive ice dubbing.

Legs/Hackle:  Dun hen fibers.

This fly was developed by Mr. Larry Kingrey.  I started using this fly because of the success I had with what I call it’s larger and similar sister “The Lightening Bug”.   That fly is also tied with silver or pearl mylar.  Neither fly looks like a natural bug but boy are they productive.  I usually fish the Lightening Bug during or before sulphur hatches, and the Silver Streak before or during olive hatches. 

To tie this fly begin by wrapping your thread from the eye (or bead) down into the bend of the hook.  Tie in your tail of dun hen fibers.  Next, tie in your wire rib.  Tie in your silver or pearl tinsel and advance your thread.  Wrap your tinsel forward to create your abdomen.  Leave enough room for your thorax and tie it off.  The tag end of your tinsel will be used as your wing case.  Rib your abdomen with the wire.   Tie and cut it off.  Dub your thorax with ice dub.  Tie in dun hackle fibers on both sides of the nymph for your legs.  Take the tinsel tag ends and fold it forward over your thorax for your wing case.  Tie off the fly and add a drop of head cement.

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

 



Paul's February 2013 Fly of the Month

Mayfly Cripple

Hook:  Tiemco TMC 100 or hook of choice, sizes 12 to 20.    

Thread:  Olive thread 8/0. 

Tail:  Brown or Amber Z-lon or Pheasant Tail Fibers.   

Rib:  Fine copper wire.  

Abdomen:  Pheasant Tail Fibers.

Thorax:  Olive or Chartreuse Superfine dubbing.  

Wing:   Deer hair or natural CDC feather.

Hackle:  Medium Dun dry fly hackle.

 

I don’t know if trout eat this fly because they think it’s actually crippled and easy prey.  Maybe it’s the pattern’s low profile in the surface film.  I just know it’s been working for me the past 30 years.  I also love using hot colors when I tie it.  I’ll use Chartreuse dubbing or a hot orange wing. 

 

Begin by applying a thread base across the hook shank.   Tie on your Z-lon or Pheasant Tail Fibers for your tail.  Next, tie in your fine copper wire for a rib.  Next, tie in more fibers for your abdomen.  Tie them in and wrap them forward similar to tying a Pheasant tail nymph.   Now rib the abdomen with fine copper wire.  Dub your thorax with Superfine Dubbing.  I love using Chartreuse regardless of the color of the natural on the water.  Next, tie in your CDC or Deer hair wing.  I tend to use a Deer hair wing for large imitations, CDC for medium and small flies.  When you tie the wing in, the Deer hair or CDC tips extend over the hook eye.  Tie the wing in just before the eye.  Next, tie in an undersized hackle feather.  Take only two (2) or three (3) wraps.  Remember, you want to make sure this fly has a “low” profile and is suspended in the surface film.
 

I’ve said time and time again over the years, that when your fishing the CT TMA’s, you often have to use a fly that’s different than the rest.  Fish get pounded constantly by fishermen and learn not to bite traditional patterns.  When there is a hatch of a particular insect over a few weeks, this is one of the patterns that offers something different to weary trout.

 

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.

 

HFFA Fly Fishing Expo March 9, 2013

MARCH 9, 2013 TIME 10:00 AM TO 4:00 PM

****** $1 Donation******

Where:  St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

65 N. Main St.,  WALLINGFORD, CT.

(Go to ww.hffa.net  for directions)

FLY FISHING & TYING ACTIVITIES

 Salt Water Tying Class 

10:30 a.m. start time.  Learn to tie 2 Salt water flies.  Bear’s Bunker, & Paul’s Bucktail Bait Fish.  Cost is $1.  All materials and hooks provided.  Seating is limited contact Paul at the # or email below.

HFFA Members will be on-hand to tie many of the best patterns used on the upper and lower Hous.  Your welcome to bring your vice and tie with them.

 

FLY TYING DEMONSTRATIONS !

 TYING MATERIALS PROVIDED FREE !

TIE YOUR FIRST SALT OR FRESH WATER FLY !

TIE THAT FLY PATTERN YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO LEARN !

 

SOME OF THE BEST TYERS AND FISHERMEN IN THE STATE WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE TO ANSWER ANY ?’S YOU MIGHT HAVE !

For more info call Paul Dinice at 203 305-3850 or email at pdinice@snet.net .

Bring your old gear to sell and swap

 

VENDORS, GUIDES & HOUSATONIC FLY FISHING EXPERTS   

There will be a lot of unique materials offered by vendors at the Expo that aren’t normally available anywhere else !

 

 

 

Paul's January 2013 Fly of the Month

Orange Headed Butt Monkey

 

Hook:  Tiemco 2487 Size #14      

Bead:  Orange plastic or metal bead      Thread:  Black

Tail/Shuck:  Blue Dun hen fibers or Blue Dunn Z-lon)

Rib:  Pearl Krystal Flash

Dubbing:  Black Hare’s Ear or Squirrel

Wing:  Blue Dun hen fibers or Blue Dun Z-lon)

Collar:  1 or 2 strands peacock herl

I love fishing black nymphs and this is one of my favorites.  If I want to fish it really deep I’ll fish one with a metal bead.  If I want to fish it below the surface film I’ll trail one with a plastic bead behind a dry fly.  I’ve had success with both fishing techniques. 

Begin by placing your bead of choice on hook.  Place the hook in vice and bend it slightly off center to enhance the hooking capability of the fly.  Begin wrapping thread from the bead head to the bend of the hook.  Tie in 6-8 fibers of blue dun hen fibers for the shuck.  Strands of blue dun Z-lon may be substituted for the hen fibers.  The shuck should be approximately 1/3 the length of the hook shank.  Tie in pearl Krystal Flash for the ribbing.  Dub a tapered nymph body leaving enough room for a wing and collar.  Rib body with pearl Krystal Flash.  Tie in your wing.  Use about the same amount of material used in the shuck and the same length.   Tie in one or two strands of peacock herl.  Make a couple wraps for a collar.   Tie it off at the bead.  

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 I can be reached at 203 305-3854 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.

 

Paul's December 2012 Fly of the Month

Black Ghost Zonker

Hook:  Size #4  Mustad 36890 Salmon hook or a streamer hook of your choice. 

Thread:  Black.

Tail:  Yellow saddle hackle fibers.

Body:  Black floss or uni-stretch.

Ribbing:  Silver flat mylar, or for better durability - silver, copper, or gold wire.

Wing:   White rabbit zonker strip.

Colar/throat:  Two wraps of yellow saddle hackle.

Part of the greatest enjoyment in tying your own flies is to develop and experiment with fly patterns to try and catch more fish.  Sometimes your rewarded for your efforts, and sometimes your not.  As with all the flies I’ve posted for the “Fly of the Month”, please free to experiment and “tweak” them. 

I tie my black ghosts different than the “traditional” tie.  For the wing I’ll often use marabou, or for this fly, a white zonker strip.   I also tie it on a salmon hook.  Zonker’s are great flies.  They undulate, condense to give a slim baitfish profile, and just make the fly look alive and irresistible.  It’s a very productive fly on the Housatonic.  White and yellow colored streamers are two of the preferred colors on our home river.  I don’t normally add weight to my streamers, preferring instead to use a full sinking line or a sink tip when I want to get them down deep.  Want to get your streamer down with a floating line? - Tie this fly on a traditional streamer hook and add a cone head. 

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 I can be reached at 203 305-3854 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.

 

Paul's November 2012 Fly of the Month

Phil's Chovy

Hook:  Size 2 800S Tiemco.

Thread:  Fine or medium mono.

Body:  Root beer crystal flash over camel, over light tan, over off white H2O polar fiber craft fur.

Over- body:  EZ Body coated with epoxy.

Eyes:  Mylar eyes.

This is a great fly to use when fishing for false albacore.  This pattern was developed by my friend Phil Sheffield.  He’s caught a lot of “albies” on this fly this past year.   It’s easy to tie and very durable.  The pattern should be kept under 2 inches in length.  It was derived from Murphy’s Pamet Special.  It can also be used to imitate anything slender such as silversides and sand eels.  You can use larger EZ body for mullet bunker or herring. 

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.