I love flies that are easy & simple to tie and that
result in catching a lot of fish.This
is one of them.It’s a very easy tie.The toughest
part of it is the dubbing.It’s a little
tricky to work with but with a little patience you won’t have a difficult
time.I tie and fish most of these flies
in a Size #16 and fish them deep.They
sink like a cinder block on your leader.
Begin by placing your bead on the hook and hook in the vice.
Make 4-5 wraps of your Lead Wire around
the hook shank.Break off the tag ends
and slide it tight against the bead.Begin
your thread on the hook shank.Build a
thread dam behind the lead to permanently affix it against the bead.Create a tapered body with your thread.Prepare 3 Pheasant Tail Fibers to be used for
your tail.Tie them in at the bend of
the tail.They should be approximately a
hook shank length beyond the bend.Once
secured, tie in a strand of Fine Copper Wire for your rib.My tie in point for the Wire starts behind
the bead.I then wrap back to where my
Pheasant Tail Fibers are tied in.
Next, dub a tight noodle of Peacock Ice Dub.The Ice Dubbing is not ease dub.Use some tying wax and wet your fingers to
control it better.Using touching wraps
create a tapered body, ending your thread behind the bead.Counter wrap your Wire Ribbing to create a
segmented body.It should also end
behind the bead.Tie it off with your
thread.‘Helicopter’ off the tag
end.Build a small red ‘hot spot’ with
your thread behind the bead.Tie it off,
whip finish and you’re done.
White Dog
Out Doors 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 pdinice@frontier.com .
Hook:Mustad 34007 Size #2
hook (or Size #1 Short Shank Salt Water Hook).
Thread:Uni-Thread White.
Belly:White Craft Fur.
Wing:Chartreuse Craft Fur (I recommend also tying it in olive).
Flash/Lateral Line:2 Strands of Pearl Flash-a-bou over which is
2 Strands of Silver Flash-a-bou.
Body:Small Pearl Mylar Tubing.
Eyes:3 D eyes or molded eyes.
Body Finish:Epoxy, or UV Resin, or 2 coats of Finger Nail
Polish.
This fly has landed me a lot of fish, especially when fished
in tandem with a heavier anchor fly.It’s
also evolved somewhat.Years ago, the
quality of Craft Fur was poor to fair.Today
there are many ‘Extra Select’ craft fur materials on the market.It’s far superior to what was previously
available.This is a fly you ‘must’ have
when you fish the salt in New England.I
tie them in Chartreuses & White and Olive & White. I also tie it in Tan & White with Root
beer flash – It makes a great Albi Fly!
To tie this fly start your thread a little behind the
eye.Take 6-8 wraps back toward the bend
and cut off the tag end.Next, clip a 1”
square of White Craft Fur from the backing.Pull out all the ‘underfur’ and trim the butt end off square.Place the butt ends on top of the hook shank
above your tying thread.Take a few
tight wraps, then push the Craft Fur down with your finger nail to make sure it
surrounds the hook shank.Take some more
wraps to lock the Fur in place.
You are now going to repeat this procedure by clipping a 1”
square of Chartreuse Craft Fur from the backing.Pull out the ‘underfur’.Measure it against the White Craft Fur
Belly.You want it to be the same
length.Cut the butt ends to length and
tie it on top of the White Belly.Take
tight wraps to bind down the White Belly and Chartreuse Wing.Even out your tie in points, then make a 3 or
4 turn ‘whip finish’.
To add some flash to the fly, use 2 strands of Pearl
Flash-a-bou.Find the mid-point of the
strands and bind them down at your tying thread.Take wraps to secure it so that you have 2
strands on each side of the fly.They
should be the length of your fly.Now
take 2 strands of Silver Flash-a-bou and repeat the process.
Now cut a little more
than an inch of mylar tubing for your body.Some mylar tubing comes with a corded material in the center.Remove it.Slip the tubing over the hook shank.It will begin to fray a little bit at the rear of the fly.This is perfectly fine.Take your tying thread while pulling back on
the tubing with your finger to expose the hook shank behind the eye.Secure your thread to the hook shank.Snip off the tag.Squeeze and bring the tubing forward a little
bit and capture it with your tying thread.Secure it to the hook shank.Make
secure wraps to make sure all the mylar strands are pinned down.Make a 4 or 5 turn ‘whip’ finish then snip
off your tying thread.
You are now going to affix your eyes.Apply a drop of Zap-a-gap gel (or favorite
adhesive) to each side of the hook shank right behind your thread wraps.Apply the eyes.You are now going to apply your body finish
of choice.You can use a variety of
finishes.UV resin, Epoxy, or a couple
of applications of nail polish.I’m a
little bit old school and use Epoxy for my finish.
Postfly 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 pdinice@frontier.com .
Bead: Slotted Tungsten Gold Bead, 3mm for Size #14.
Hook:Hanak 450 BL in Size
#14 & #16.
Thread:Brown 6/0 Danville.
Abdomen:Small Golden Olive UTC Wire.
Collar:UV Brown Ice Dub.
Wing:Natural Dun CDC
Antenna:Natural Mallard
Flank Fibers.
Head:Peacock Ice Dub.
This fly was developed by Boulder Colorado native Garrison
Doctor.He is also famous for designing
‘Rep Your Water’ hats and Tees.What I
love about the SMC Caddis is it gets down fast with it’s wire body &
tungsten bead.Because it’s tied on a hook,
more times than not, trout are safely hooked in the upper lip.Different than other caddis pupa patterns,
it’s a great attractor pattern on the Housatonic & Farmington Rivers.
To tie this fly, place your bead on the hook, then place the
hook in your vice.Start the thread
behind the bead and create a thread dam behind it.Make a nice even thread base along the hook
shank.It’s important to have a smooth
underbody when you have a wire overbody.Next tie in your UTC Wire, starting behind the bead and wrapping back to
the hook bend.Now build a tapered body
with your thread. Leave your thread
approximately and eye gap length behind the bead.Using tight touching wraps, carefully wrap
your wire forward.Tie the wire off with
a few turns and ‘helecopter’ the butt end of the wire off.
You are now going to dub a slight collar of UV Brown Ice
Dub.A small pinch is all you’ll
need.2-3 Wraps around the hook shank is
all you will need.Next, using 2 Natural
Dun CDC feathers, align the tips of both.Clip the tips at the center stem of the feathers.Now, stroke the fibers forward, clumping and
bundling them with your fingers.Next,
tie them in at the underside of the hook creating a ‘beard like’ wing.It should extend about the length of the hook
shank.Trim off the butt ends of the
CDC.On the sides of the hook, tie in 4-6
Mallard Fibers to be used as the Antennae of the Fly.You want 2 clumps, one on each side, that are
a hook shank in length.
You are now going to finish the collar of the fly.Dub a collar of Peacock Ice Dub behind the
bead.You are going to brush this
dubbing out after you apply it, so make sure there is enough on your collar to
do that.3-4 Wraps around the hook shank
should do it.Whip finish and tie your
thread off behind the bead.With a piece
of Velcro, dubbing brush, sweep that dubbing back towards the rear of the
fly.You want to give it a ‘buggy’ look
and create a veil around the fly.Some
of the dubbing may come off the fly when you do this.Don’t worry as long as you have initially
applied enough dubbing.Good luck and
tight lines.
FlyFishermanMagazine
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, email me at pdinice@frontier.com .
Hook: Rip Lips DE,2XH Sproat Bend , Mustad 3096B
or S82-3906B, Sabre 7030, Daichi 1560, Tiemco 3761, Dai-Riki 060, size 20 to size 8
Tag: Gold tinsel to
match hook size
Body: Peacock herl
Rib: Fine gold wire
Thread: Black 6/0 to 14/0
sized to hook size
Hackle: Brown hen or
brown partridge
Wing: Sections of
mallard wing quill
This
pattern was submitted by my friend Bill Goeben.Bill teaches the HFFA fresh water tying class.I’ve taken tying lessons from many well-known
tyers. The experience and tying
techniques I obtained by taking Bill’s class far surpassed those of the other instructors.Furthermore, the flies you learn in his class
will put you in the top 1/3 of all fly fishers who fish the Housatonic.
To
tie this fly:Wind thread to bend of
hook. Cut a taper in the end of the tinsel and catch the end of the taper with
a couple of thread wraps. Wrap down the bend a couple of turns and back up to
the flat of the shanks and tie off the tinsel with a couple of wraps. Put a
drop of head cement on the tag. To avoid a bump in the body, lay the rib on the
hook almost to the eye and wrap up and back over it, ending back at the bend.
Tie in 1 to 5 peacock hurl fibers according to hook size. Make a dubbing loop
at the bend and take a couple of wraps over it and wind the thread almost back
to the eye. Cut one leg of the dubbing loop close to the hook and then twist it
with the herls to make a rope, then wrap almost to the eye and tie it off.
Counter wrap the rib almost up to the eye and tie it off. Rock the wire back
and forth to break it off instead of cutting it. Putting the drop of head
cement on the tag, and counter winding the rib will make your fly much more
durable. This fly really works and trout teeth will quickly destroy it. Next
tie in the hackle by the tip and take two wraps of the hackle and tie it off.
Cut 2 segments of mallard quill and place the far wing against the hook high on
the far side with the tip just barely past the end of the hook. Place the
nearside wing against the hook. Pinch the wings together and
take 2 soft wraps, tilt the wings toward you a couple of degrees and tighten
the thread wraps. The thread torque will stand the wings up and compress the
fibers down onto the hook. Release the wings and adjust them. Secure them with
a few more tight wraps. Trim the butts at an angle and wrap a neat head. Whip
finish and cut the thread. Add a couple of coats of head cement making sure
that you don’t fill the eye with cement.
There
is a great instructional video on how to tie the Lead Wing Coachman by
Tightlinevideo below:
If you have any questions about this fly or would like to
submit a Fly of The Month I can be reached at pdinice@frontier.com .
Hook: Diachi 2220 Size #10 4X long streamer hook or
similar.
Thread: Black.
Under
Body: Lead wire. Body:
Gold
mylar braided tubing.
Wing: Yellow dyed mallard.
Hackle: Grizzly hen.
Head: Black thread.
This
is someone’s super secret fly that I’ve had in my box and used for at least 25 years now. I never listed it as a “Fly
of the Month” out of thanks and respect to the individual that turned me onto
it. But I think it’s time now. This particular variation is used a lot on
trout streams in Massachusetts.
Traditionally, hornbergs are tied so
that they can be fished either as a dry fly or fished as a streamer. This modified design is for use as a
streamer. And boy is it effective, especially
for rainbows. I’ve caught a ton of
browns on it too.
Begin
by applying a thread base across the hook shank. Wrap the mid section with lead wire. Cover with thread and lacquer. Tie off and cut off thread. Cut a piece of the mylar gold tubing to hook
shank length. Remove center cord and
slip tubing over the hook shank. Tie
the tubing to the hook shank where the rear of the hook shank meets the
bend. Whip finish and cut off thread. I usually use clear mono to do this but you
can use any color thread. You can ‘ruffle’ out the trailing mylar strands. Re-apply thread approximately ¼ of the hook
shank length from the hook eye. Tie in
wing of yellow dyed mallard. Tie in
grizzly hen hackle. Wrap hackle forward
4-5 turns. Form head and tie off
fly. When fishing this fly dead drift
it, twitch it, wet fly swing it, and strip it fast and furious. It all works. DEFINITELY USE IT IF THERE ARE RAINBOWS IN
THE WATER!
If you have any questions about this fly or
would like to submit a Fly of the Month, e-mail me at pdinice@frontier.com
.
Hackle:Brown Hackle Rib, palmered through the body. and fronted by
White ‘Face’
Hackle.
This fly was designed and developed by famous Catskill Fly
Tyer, Walt Dette.It combines features
several flies such as the Bivisable, the Renegade,and the Griffiths Gnat.I’ve caught fish with it on all the CT rivers
and it was one of my top dry flies that I used in Montana.
To tie this fly start your thread behind the eye of the hook.Wrap your thread down the hook shank to the
bend.Next, tie in 6-8 Brown Hackle
Fibers.The tail should be about the
length of the hook shank.Tie in your
Brown Hackle Rib Feather by the butt.I’ve
seen this fly tied a couple different ways.Sometimes the Brown and White Hackles are the same size.Sometimes the Brown Hackle is undersized.It’s really your preference.I usually use a Brown Hackle that is slightly
undersized for the hook I’m using.Next,
tie in 2-3 Peacock Herl Fibers.Wrap the
Peacock Herl forward to the ‘throat’ position leaving enough room for your
White Hackle.Palmer your Brown Hackle
forward and tie it off at the throat.Tie in your White ‘Face’ Hackle.The
hackle should be slightly longer than the Brown Hackle.Make 4-5 wraps of the Hackle.Tie it off, whip finish, and apply head
cement.
If you have any questions about this fly or would like to
submit a Fly of the Month, e-mail me at pdinice@frontier.com .
Bead
(Optional): Size to match fly and color of
choice.
Hook: Fire Hole 718 or 317 Curved Caddis Hook Size #12 & #14.
Thread: 12/0 Black Waxed or
Orange.
Tail (Optional): Pheasant Tail Fibers.
Rib: Florescent Green Sempre Fli Flouro Bright, or Nylon Strech,
or Florescent Green Wire.
Body: 8-10 Pheasant Tail Fibers.
Thorax: Peacock Herl.
Hackle: Brown Hen or Grouse Hackle Fibers.
This is another fly great producing fly that can mimic a
variety of hatches. Although it’s name includes
the term “nymph”, it’s more of a wet fly. It was originally designed for lake
fishing but produces just as well in rivers and streams. An
easy tie that you have to carry with you.
This fly is really a killer variation of a Pheasant Tail Nymph.
You have a number of options when you tie this fly. I tie some with beads, some without, almost
all with tails. Also, I find that using
Florescent Green Sempre Fli Flouro, or Nylon Strech for a rib, gives a more
visible segmentation. Using green wire,
however, results in a much more durable fly.
That’s the ribbing choice your faced with.
To tie this fly place your hook in the vice, start your
thread and wrap it the length of the body down to the bend. Bring your thread back up behind the
eye. Tie in your Florescent Green rib
and wrap it down by bringing your thread back to the bend. Next, prepare 8-10 Pheasant Tail Fibers for
the Body. Trim off the butt ends of the
fibers to make sure they are flush. Tie
them in by the tips so that you can wrap them forward from the bend of the
hook. Wrap the body forward
approximately 2/3rds of the hook shank.
You need to leave room for your Thorax and Hackle. Tie off the Pheasant Tail Fibers and trim the
butt ends. Next, counter wrap your Green
Rib along the length of the body. Tie it
off and trim off the butt end. Take 2-4
fibers of Peacock Herl and tie them in at the front of the body. Take 5-6 wraps forward leaving enough room
(about an eye length) for your hackle. Tie
it off and trim off the butt end. If I’m
tying this fly on a size #12 hook I’ll use Grouse for the hackle. If I’m tying it on a size #14 hook I’ll use
Brown Hen. Tie the hackle feather in by
the base of the feather. Take 2-3 wraps
of the hackle feather, stroking the fibers towards the rear of the fly as you
do that. Tie it off and trim the excess
feather. Finally, create a tapered head
with your thread, tie/whip finish it off and apply a finish of your choice.
A great instructional video by Deb
Paskall can be found 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 e-mail me at pdinice@frontier.com .
