Paul's January Bonus 2021 Fly of the Month

 Half & Half

Hook:  Mustad 34007 #1/0 hook. 

Thread:  Danville’s White Flat Waxed Thread.

Eyes:  ‘Real Eyes’ Dumbbells (or dumbbell eyes of choice).

Tail:  Four White Saddle Hackles tied in deceiver style, curve to curve facing ‘in’.

Body:  Pearl Bill’s Body Braid.

Under Wing/Belly: White Bucktail.

Gill (optional):  Red Thread.

Flash/Lateral line:  4 Strands of Pearl Krystal Flash & 4 Strands of Pearl Flash-a-bou.

Wing:  Olive or Chartreuse Bucktail tied in to match the White Bucktail Belly.

If you’re a Salt Water Fly Fisherman, hunting for stripers here in New England, this is a must fly in your box.  It’s a cross between two of the best salt water flies out there, Lefty’s Deceiver and the Clouser Minnow.  You can vary the colors, the size, and the profile of the fly to match almost any baitfish.  I tie these in Olive and Chartreuse.  A tip on tying this fly – the quality of the Bucktail and Saddle Hackle are very important.

To tie this fly, begin by wrapping a layer of thread along the hook shank.  Approximately 1 Dumbbell length behind the hook shank, create two thread bumps between which your going to place your Dumbbell Eyes.  Figure 8 around the eyes.  Include wraps in front & in back of them.  Apply head cement or UV Resin to your wraps.   Next, prepare 4 White Saddle Hackle to be tied in for your tail.  They will extend approximately 2 times the length of the hook shank beyond the bend.  (You can make them longer or shorter depending upon the bait your trying to imitate.) Align and tie in two feathers ‘facing in’ on the far side of the hook, then two feathers ‘facing in’ on the other side.  You may want to add some UV Resin or head cement to your tie in point to prevent the feathers from moving.  Next, tie in a strand of Bill’s Body Braid.   Bring your thread up the hook shank in front of the eyes.  Wrap the Braid forward creating a nice even body.  When you reach the eyes figure 8 the braid around them and tie it off in front of the eyes.  Trim the tag end and bring your thread back behind the eyes.  You are now going to tie in the White Belly of Bucktail.  It should extend to half the feather length behind the bend of the hook.  I tie in my Bucktail much differently than other tiers.  Most tie it in front of the eyes, bend it over the dumbbell eyes, then bind it down behind them.  I just tie it in behind the eyes and bind it down there.  I find that when you bend the bucktail around the eye it tends to splinter with use.  The durability of the fly is compromised. 

Next, invert your fly in the vice.  Take 4 strands of Pearl Krystal Flash and tie it in front of the eyes.  This will serve as your lateral line.  It should extend to half the length of the feather tail.  Now take 4 strands of Pearl Flash-a-bou and tie it in the same way. 

Now tie in your wing of Chartreuse Bucktail.  It should extend the same distance as your fly belly.  Whip finish the fly and apply head cement or favorite adhesive. 

Long Island Flies has a great video on how to tie this fly below:

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 at pdinice@frontier.com . 

Paul's January 2021 Fly of the Month

 Canal Candy

Hook:  Mustad 34007 Size # 1/0 or preferred hook. 

Thread:  White Uni-thread 3/0, Flat Waxed Nylon, or Fly Master Plus.

Eyes:  5.5 mm dumbbell eyes (gold with red eyes or silver with red eyes).

Tail/Fly top:  Chartreuse Rabbit Zonker Strip, barred with a permanent black marker.

Belly:  Pearl White Flash Dubbing Brush.

Head/Gills:  Chartreuse or Olive Flash Dubbing Brush. 

This fly was originally designed for Peacock Bass.  I’ve adapted it here to target New England Stripers.  It’s really just a variation of a ‘bunny fly’.  You can change the colors and size to match bait.  What you want to make sure you do when tying it, is that the Belly of the fly is lighter in color than the Tail/Fly top (zonker strip).  The Head/Gills will be formed with a darker contrasting dubbing brush.   With the dumbbell eyes this fly fishes inverted.  You can use larger eyes to get it deeper and bounce it off the bottom if that’s how you want to fish it.   

To tie this fly, you must first prepare your Rabbit Zonker Strip. It should be approximately 2 to 2 ½ the length of the hook shank.  It’s best to err on the side of having your rabbit strip too long rather than too short.  You can always trim it later if you need to.  Cut your Zonker to length with a ‘V’ cut on the trailing end of the Zonker.  With your hook in the vice, push the hook through the hide side of the rabbit strip, right at middle of the rabbit strip.  Remember, this fly is going to ride inverted.  Place your hook back in the vice in an inverted position.  Start your thread right at the bend of the hook.  At this tie in point, you are going to bind down your rabbit strip with multiple thread wraps.  When doing this, first separate & part the rabbit fur at the tie in point.  This way you won’t bind down any rabbit fur.  Next, move your rabbit strip backward and create a thread dam in front of it.  Now, tie in your dumbbell eyes an eye length behind your hook eye.  Use figure 8 wraps and apply an adhesive ‘of choice’ to the wraps.  Lately, I’ve been using and loving Solarez Bone Dry Resin.  Return your thread to your zonker strip at the bend of the hook.  Tie in your Pearl White dubbing brush of flash material.  You can make your own dubbing brush, or if you are like me, I purchased some made by H2O called Dubbing Flash Brush 1”. 

Bring your thread up back behind the dumbbell eyes.  Next, with touching wraps, bring your dubbing brush forward.  Tie it off behind the dumbbell eyes.  With a tooth brush, stroke the dubbing brush fibers rearward.  Now, pull your Zonker Strip down over the Brush body and tie it down in back of the eyes.  At that same spot tie in your contrasting second Flash Dubbing Brush.  Make a couple wraps behind the eyes, then bring it forward with a figure 8 around the eyes.  Next, make a couple wraps in front of the eyes. Tie it down and cut off the tag end.  Again, brush the fibers rearward with a toothbrush.  Apply cement/adhesive to your thread wraps and you are done. 

Allen Fly Fishing has a great instructional video on how to tie this fly below:

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of theMonth I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or at pdinice@frontier.com . 

Paul's December Bonus 2020 Fly of the Month

 The Conover

Hook:  Fine Wire Dry Fly Hook, Size #10 to #20.

Tying thread:   White.

Tail:  Barbs of stiff, cream colored hackle.  (or use Golden Badger Hackle Fibers.)

Body:  Blend of Muskrat fur and red wool.  Seal and red wool will work too.   

Hackle:  Golden Badger. 

The ‘Conover’ is an iconic Catskill Fly.  It was developed by the Dettes Fly Shop in Roscoe NY.  The Dettes first tied this fly back in 1934 for a client named Scotty Conover.  It has been one of my ‘go’ to flies for years.  Although most tie and fish it in a size #14, I’ve had great success fishing it in a size #20.  When I first started fly tying, I tied this pattern, not because I knew it was effective, but because it had no wings and was easier to tie.  

To tie this fly begin by starting your thread at the mid-point of the hook shank.  Wrap back to the bend of the hook.  For a Size #14 fly, tie in 5-6 fibers of Golden Badger Hackle.  Next, dub a thin noodle for your body.  You are going to create a tapered body extending from the tie in point of your tail, up the hook shank.  You want to end the body approximately 1/3 of the hook shank behind the eye.  Where your body ends, tie in your Golden Badger Hackle.  Oversizing the hackle slightly is how most tie this fly.  This may take 2 hackles for larger sized ‘Conovers’, or just 1 for smaller sizes.  Wrap your hackle forward and tie it off behind the eye.  Whip finish your fly and your done. 

There is a great instructional video by Down by the River below:

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 at pdinice@frontier.com . 

Paul's December 2020 Fly of the Month

Wood Special 

Hook:  Size #8 Dai-Riki #700 Streamer hook; or use Mustad 3665A (or preferred hook).

Thread:  UTC 70 Denier Black Thread.

Rib:  Small Silver Mylar Tinsel. 

Tail:  Golden Pheasant Crest Tippets.

Body:  Florescent Orange Chenille.

Wing:  Wood Duck lemon flank feather. 

Throat/hackle:  Brown or Grizzly hen hackle barbules.

Eyes:  (Optional)  Jungle Cock.

Head:  Thread, finished with UV Resin.

This is a very traditional & famous Maine Streamer.  It was developed by Joe Sterling in the 1960’s.  Still a very popular streamer pattern in Maine, it’s a great productive fly anywhere.  It’s been a longtime staple of mine here on CT waters.  The size of this streamer is on the smaller size, limited due to the length of the Wood Duck wing.  It seems most fly fishers are into the bigger articulated streamers.  I tend to go in the other direction fishing smaller streamer sizes.

To tie this fly, secure the hook in your tying vice and start your thread an eye length space behind the eye.  Now, tie in your Silver Mylar Tinsel.  I bind it down where my thread wraps start and wrap down to the bend.  Next, tie in your Golden Pheasant Crest Tippets.  You need approximately 1 whole feather for the tail.  The tail should be slightly more than a hook gap in length.  For almost every ‘traditional’ streamer you want to develop a very even body and base.  When tying in the tail, wrap it back all the way up to your thread starting point.  At the starting location of your tying thread, tie in your Orange Chenille.  With the Chenille placed on top of the hook shank, wrap all the way back to the base of the tail.  Bring the thread forward making open spiral wraps back up to your starting point.  Next, make ‘touching’ wraps up the hook shank with your Chenille.  At the tying thread, tie it off and cut off the tag end.  Now, make even open spiral wraps with your Silver Tinsel rib.  When you reach your tying thread, anchor it down and cut off the tag end.  You are now going to prepare your Wood Duck feather for the wing.  It is ultimately going to extend from just behind the hook eye to the tip of the tail.  Strip off the fuzzy lower fibers of the feather.  Collapse the wing by rolling it between your fingers.  You want the feather to have a nice curve with the fibers sticking together.  Now, tie in and anchor the feather to the top of the hook shank.  Cut off the butt end of the feather.  With you thread create a smooth base for your hackle.  Prepare a Grizzly Hen hackle for your Throat.  Tie it in at the head and wrap it to create a Throat with approximately 3 wraps.  Tie the feather off and clip off the butt end.  Create an even head while sweeping back the feather fibers.  Tie it off and apply some UV Resin or cement of your choice. 

Below is a great instructional video from Tightlinevideo.

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 at pdinice@frontier.com . 

Paul's November Bonus 2020 Fly of the Month

Deep Sparkle Pupa 

Hook:  Tiemco 3769 Size #12-#18 (or similar hook of choice).

Bead (Optional):  Gold, Copper, or Black Tungsten Bead to match.

Thread:  UT Ultra thread 70 Brown, Black, or Olive.

Tail/Body Shuck:  Sparkle Yarn (Color to match Naturals – Some tiers also use Antron or Zelon).

Body:  Sparkle Yarn mixed with U/V Hare’s Ear Dubbing.

Wing:  Deer Hair (Color to match naturals).

Thorax/Collar:  Fur Dubbing (color to match). 

This fly is a variation of the Emergent Sparkle Pupa designed by Gary LaFontaine.  In my opinion he was one of the most innovative fly tiers of our time.  The Sparkle Yarn on this fly creates a ‘sheath’ that traps air bubbles just like the natural.  Originally this fly did not have a bead.  Instead of a deer hair wing, it had deer hair legs and was meant to be fished in the surface film.   This fly is used to fish deeper. Also, a lot of the hits you get will occur as the fly swings upward at the end of your drift.  You also want to let it ‘dangle’ at the end of your cast.  At times this will also induce the trout to strike it.  

Begin by placing bead on your hook.  Place your hook in the vice.  Make several wrap of thread behind your bead.  Cut off the tag end.  Now take a hank of Sparkle Yarn a couple inches long.  Match the thickness of it to the size of the fly your tying.  Tie it in by one end behind the bead.  With your fingernail press down on it so that it surrounds the hook shank.  Wrap your thread rearward binding down the Sparkle Yarn.  When you reach the end of the hook shank divide the yarn into two equal parts and form a ‘V’ at the rear of the hook.  Next, dub your underbody.  Your body should be slender enough to just cover your thread wraps.  Don’t overdub.  End it leaving a little space behind the bead.  Now, bring both sides of your Sparkle Yarn (‘V’) forward on each side of the hook.  Take two wraps of your thread to bind it behind the bead.  With your dubbing needle pull the yarn slightly away from the body.  Your going to create a little ‘bubble’ around the hook shank.  Work it with your fingers to ensure that it surrounds the body/shank. 

Once formed you can take some additional thread wraps to bind down the yarn behind the bead.  Clip off the excess/tag end of the yarn.  To create a trailing tail, clip a few fibers of the body shuck behind the bead.  Sweep the fibers back with your fingers.  The tail should consist of approximately 5-6 fibers.  Next, you are going to tie in a sparse  deer hair wing behind the bead.  It should be no longer than the hook shank.  Clip off the butt ends and secure it with a few wraps.  Finally, dub your Thorax/Collar behind the bead.  Whip finish and clip off the tag end.  

Intheriffle has a great instructional video on how to tie this fly Below: 

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 at pdinice@frontier.com . 

Paul's November 2020 Fly of the Month

 Butano Perdigon

Hook:  Hanak Jig Hook Sizes #12 to #16 (or Jig Hook of choice).

Bead:   Slotted Silver Tungsten (typically 2.3 mm bead for size #16, 2.8 mm for size #14, and 3.3 mm for size #12).  (I’ll also use an Orange or Copper bead when I tie this Perdigon.)

Thread:  Veevus 16/0 Fluorescent Orange.

Lead Wire:  0.015” for size #16 and 0.020 for sizes #14 & #12.

Tail:  Barbs of Coq de Leon fibers

Body:  1 Strand of Krystal Flash Fluorescent Orange (tied into form a loop).   

Collar/Hot Spot:  Orange Fluorescent Thread.

Wing Pad:  Black Nail Polish.

Finish:  Solarez Bone Dry, or Hard as Hull, or finish of choice.

I’ve had great success fishing ‘Perdigon’ type flies.  Perdigons usually consist of tinsel & thread covered with UV resin or ‘Hard as Hull’ finisher.  With no legs they sink fast and boy are they productive.

To tie this fly, begin by placing your bead on the hook.  Behind it take 3 wraps of Lead Wire.   Slide the wraps firmly against the bead.  Remove all Lead ‘tag ends’.  Cover the wraps with your Fluorescent Orange Thread.  Bring your thread back to the end of the hook shank near the bend.  Next, tie in 3 fibers of Coq de Leon Fibers for your tail.  They should be approximately a hook shank length behind the bend. 

You’re now going to tie in a strand of Fluorescent Orange Krystal Flash.  Tie it in by it’s 2 tips forming a loop, making 1 strand into 2.  Wrap back to where the Coq de Leon fibers begin.  The loop should protrude off the back of the fly.  Place the loop in a dubbing tool and twist it into a single rope.  Wrap your Krystal Flash forward creating a slim body silhouette.  Tie it off behind the bead and cut off the tag end.   Take additional wraps with your thread behind the bead to create a ‘hot spot’.  Whip finish and cut off the ‘tag’ end of your thread.  Your not going to take Black Nail Polish and create a ‘Wing Pad’.  Dab it on top of the bead and hot spot.  Let the nail polish dry.  Now, coat the fly with UV Resin or ‘Hard as Hull’ finisher.  I like to use ‘Solarez Bone Dry’.

There is a great instructional video on how to tie this fly below by the Tactical Fly Fisher:

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 at pdinice@frontier.com . 

Paul's October Bonus 2020 Fly of the Month

 Smokejumper

Hook:  Dai-Riki  125  Size #16  Emerger hook (or Emerger hook of preference).

Thread/Abdomen:  6/0 Danville in either Fluorescent Orange, Red, Olive, Brown, or Black.

Rib:  Small silver wire.

Wing Case/Emergent Wing:  Natural CDC Puff.

Thorax:  Single Peacock Hurl from just below the eye area.

This is an extremely versatile pattern.  It can be tied in a range of colors and sizes to imitate emerging may flies and midges.  My two favorite colors are orange and olive.  It’s just a great fly that’s relatively easy to tie.

Begin by winding your thread body leaving an eye-length space behind the eye.  Take some wraps rearward and clip off the tag.  End your wraps at around the hook point.  It’s here that your going to tie in your Silver wire to be used as a rib.  Secure the wire by making thread wraps well down into the hook bend.  Then bring your thread back up the shank even with the hook point. 

With your wire, make open spiral thread wraps to segment the body.  When you reach your tying thread, make several tight wraps around the wire, then ‘helicopter’ the wire to break it off.  Select a single CDC puff to be used for your fly’s wing case and emergent wing.  The puff should be at least as long as the body.  You are going to tie it in by the butt end with the tips facing rearward.  Take several tight wraps with your thread to anchor it.  Once tied in double check the length to make sure you will have enough length for the wing case and emergent wing.  Bring the CDC back towards the wing of the fly.  Clip off the butt end.  For the thorax of the fly, select a single strand of Peacock Hurl next to the eye of the feather.  Secure it with the butt end.  Wrap it forward several times to create a dense thorax area.  Tie it off with your thread with several wraps.  Cut off the butt end. 

Now, grab hold of the CDC by the tips and bring if forward over the Peacock and eye of the hook.  Take two wraps with your thread behind the eye.  With your dubbing needle, wiggle/insert it under the wing case and lift it up a little.  This creates a small bulge which will often carry and air bubble.  Next, pull the emergent wing rearward and make some anchoring wraps behind the eye.  Finally, make a 4-5 wrap whip finish and cut off the tag end of the thread.    

‘Tightlinevideo’ has a great video on how to tie this fly below: 

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 at pdinice@frontier.com .