Fly Fishing Fall 2013 with Friends "Bear" Cochrane & BJ Cassio

Paul's October 2013 Fly of the Month

Harrington's Deep Rip Deceiver a.k.a. The HDRD

Hook:  Gamakatsu#55015 in size #5/0.

Thread:  White flymaster.

Tail:  Four (4) to six (6) big schlappen hackles tied deceiver style.  Also, flash-a

          bou mylar tinsel of choice.

Body:  White/pearl crystal chenille. (Optional lead wraps under the chenille.)  (Another option, add a rattle on the hook shank.)

Throat:  White buck tail.

Wing:  Chartreuse, purple, or blue buck tail over white buck tail.

Lateral line:  Holographic mylar tinsel.

Eyes:  Oversized molded stick-on eyes.  Eyes are glued on then epoxied over.

This is a big fly!  8” to 10” long.  It is a variation on what’s known as a “Grocery Deceiver”.  It delivers.  My friend Mike Harrington has perfected this pattern.  He uses this fly with deep sinking lines on the Branford Rips.  Use the HDRD when you want to use a big fly to catch a big fish.  It’s a great pattern anywhere, anytime, especially for those striper monsters lurking in the deep.

This pattern calls for one of the biggest hooks you’ve ever tied on.  If you can’t find the Gamakatsu hook, tie it on a similar long shank “bait” hook available at most tackle stores. Begin by starting your thread at the eye of the hook and wrapping back to the bend.  If you want to really make this fly sink, add some lead wraps to the shank.  Make sure you “thread over” the lead, then cement or “hard nail” the wraps. 

Next tie in your schlappen hackles so that they extend 5” to 7” beyond the bend of the hook.  The hackles are tied in at the stiff base of the feather.  This makes it much more difficult to “foul” around the hook when it’s fished.   Tie in some strands of mylar flash-a-bou to the flank the tail.  Next tie in your crystal chenille, then palmer it half way up the hook shank.  Tie and clip it off.

The wing of the fly is going to consist of 2-3 clumps of buck tail.  Try to use buck tail that has a long length to it.  You want to profile of the fly to be as large as possible.  You are going to use a darker buck tail (color of your choice) for your topping. The key element to tying this fly, and how it differs from other deceivers, is the technique of “hy-tying” your buck tail wing onto the shank of the hook.  Tie the first wing clump of white buck tail on the top of the hook shank.  Once it’s affixed to the hook, wrap your thread at least 6-8 times around the buck tail so that it protrudes at approximately a 45 degree angle to the hook shank.  Now tie in a similar size clump of white buck tail for your matching throat.  Again, you are going to “hy-tie” it at a 45 degree angle to the hook shank.  Repeat this process one or two other times along the hook shank to the eye. 

Remember, for the last clump of the wing buck tail, you’re going to use a darker color to mimic the darker back of a bait fish.  Now tie in a small amount of white buck tail on each side of the fly, parallel to the hook shank to fill in the body.  Next, tie in your holographic tinsel to serve as the lateral line.  Tie off and whip finish fly.  Affix your 3D molded eyes to the fly, then epoxy or use a “light” resin over the eyes and nose of the fly for added durability.  Good luck.  You just might catch the “fish of a life time” with this one.

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@frontier.com .

Paul's September 2013 Fly of the Month

Pink Squirrel Nymph

 

Hook:  Size 10 to 16 Curved Scud (Mustad 3906B) or nymph hook of choice.    

Tying thread:   Black.
Bead:   Gold.
Tail:  Rainbow Krystal Flash, 2-3 strands.
Abdomen:  Blend of Olive Ice Dub, burnt Orange Antron, & chopped fox squirrel.
Weight (Optional):  Wraps of .015 lead.
Rib (optional):  Red Ultra wire, x-small.
Thorax:   Pink Ice Dub.

This fly was developed by John Bethke of Westby, Wisconsin.  His original recipe calls for a pink hot spot collar of Coral Pink Chenille.  I prefer to use Pink Ice Dub.  It’s spikier and a little ‘brighter’.  This fly is really a variation of the traditional “Hare’s Ear”.  Many have called this a great cold weather or winter nymph.   I like to use it anytime through out the season.  It’s a great attractor pattern.

Begin by placing a gold bead on your hook.  Lay a base of thread from the hook curve to the bead head.  Return your thread to the bend of the hook and add lead wraps if so desired.  Don’t forget to “thread over” and cement your lead wraps.  Next tie in 2-3 strands of Rainbow Krystal Flash for your tail.  The length of the tail should be 1 hook gap.  Next, tie in your ribbing of Red Ultra Wire.   Blend and/or mix your dubbing for the Abdomen.  Dub a tapered body leaving enough room for your pink collar.  Rib the body of the fly and tie off your rib wire.  Dub a collar/thorax of Pink Ice Dub.  Tie off and cement the thread/knot of your fly.

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

Sometimes the most memorable fish are the ones that got away !

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to fish the Farmington River with my friend Jeff.  We were there in the early morning hours and like many summer mornings, there was a fine mist hovering over the water.  Not many fish were rising at that time of day.  Jeff managed to hook into a really nice fish on a brown mayfly emerger.  He didn’t land it but it sure did bend his rod.  Sometimes the most memorable fish are the ones that got away.

Paul's June 2013 Fly of the Month

Glowing Clouser

Hook:  Mustad 34077 or similar.  I tie almost all my glowing clousers on Size #1 hooks.

Thread:  3/0 chartreuse.

Eyes:  Dumbbell eyes of choice

Tail:  Glow in the Dark Pearl Flash-a-bou, approximately the length of the hook shank.

Body:  Orange chenille.

Wing:  A few fibers of orange buck tail, over which is a chartreuse buck tail.

This is one of my “super-secret” fly patterns for salt water.  You know every fly has its “day”.  Some work magically at times, and at other times never hook a fish.  I can only tell you that more times than not I’ve caught a lot of fish on this fly, and I’ve caught some very big fish with it.  With these colors the fish certainly aren’t going to miss seeing it.  “If it ain’t Chartreuse it ain’t no use !”  Thanks to friends Mike Harrington and Ron Caulfield for turning me on to this color combination years ago.  I love orange in all the flies I fish.  This fly has performed magnificently on Cape Cod.

Begin by tying on your dumbbell eyes as you would a traditional clouser.   Leave enough room between the eyes and hook eye to tie in your wing.    Next advance your thread to the bend in the hook.  Tie in your “Glow in the Dark” Pearl Flash-a-bou.  8-12 strands the length of the hook shank is good.  Next tie in your orange chenille.  Advance the thread so that it is behind the eyes.  Palmer the chenille forward, tie and clip it off.  Advance the thread in front of the eyes and tie in your wing.  Tie off the fly and seal your thread wraps with head cement or epoxy.

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@frontier.com .

Paul's May 2013 Fly of the Month

Picket Pin

Hook:  Mustad #9671 or #9672  Size #8-10   

Thread:  Black or olive.

Tail:  Brown hackle fibers

Body:  Peacock herl.

Hackle: Brown hen or saddle

Rib:  Fine oval gold tinsel, or gold wire counter wrapped to reinforce palmered body.

Wing:  Grey squirrel tail.

Head:  Peacock herl.

This is a very old fashioned and classic fly.  I don’t really know what it imitates but I’ve caught trout, small mouths, and sun fish with it.  I’ve nymphed it in rivers and fished it as a streamer in larger sizes.  I’ve twitched it through ponds and hooked a lot of sun fish.   I began tying it many years ago because the tying supplies I had were limited.  Fortunately I had all the materials to tie this one. This is also a great wet fly imitation for Alders on the Hous.
 

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 .  It can also be viewed at www.hffa.net .

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.