Paul's December 2024 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Polecat Panfish Fly

Hook:  Mustad 3906b or Nymph Hook of preference Size #6 - #12.

Thread:  Black 6/0.

Weight:  (optional) .015 Lead Wire, 15 to 20 wraps.

Tail:  Black Marabou.

Legs:  Round Rubber Legs.

Under Body:  Wrapped Medium Yellow Chenille.

Fly Back:  Large Black Chenille.

I love fishing for ‘pan’ fish.  Its a lot of action and fun, and you can really hone in on your casting and ‘setting’ skills.  When you don’t have much time or want to travel far, head to your local pond and get away from it all.

To tie this fly, crush down the barb and place your hook in the vice.  If you want to weight your fly, take 15-20 wraps of wire around the hook shank, centering the wraps in the center of the hook shank.  Now start your thread behind the eye, take some securing wraps and then wrap down & over the lead wraps to the bend of the hook.  Wrap back and forth over the lead wraps.  End your thread back down at the bend.  Prepare a tuft of Black Marabou for your tail.  Preen and stroke the Marabou fibers back and tie it in at the bend.  Use spiral wraps up the hook shank to secure the fibers to the hook shank.  End behind the eye and cut off the butt end of the Marabou. 

Bring your thread back down to the bend to tie in your body.  Tie in a strand of Black Chenille.  Over that tie in a strand of Yellow Chenille.  When tying in these strands I strip off some of the material from the center core.  Next, bring your thread to the half-way point of the hook shank.  You are going to tie in your Rubber legs.  There will be a pair of legs on each side of the fly.  Take 2 strands of Rubber legs approximately 1 ½” long and secure them to the top of the hook shank with 2-3 wraps.  Now adjust the legs so that you have a pair on each side of the hook shank forming a ‘V’ on each side.  Now wrap your Yellow Chenille up the hook shank, wrapping it behind, in the middle, and in front of the legs all the way to the hook eye.  Tie off your Yellow Chenille and cut off the butt end.  Bring your Black Chenille over the top of the hook shank to create your ‘fly back’.  Tie it off at the eye of the hook and cut off the butt end.  Create a small head, whip finish, and apply a drop of head cement. 

 Dressed Irons 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 .

Paul's December 2024 Fly of the Month

 Hen & Copper

Hook:  Wet Fly/Sprout Hook Size #14 to Size #18.

Thread:  140 Denier Thread in Olive or Brown or Wood Duck.

Body:  Copper Ultra Wire Brassie.

Thorax:  Peacock Herl 3-4 strands.

Collar:  Pheasant Feather or Hen Feather, mottled brown.

This is a great ‘attractor’ fly.  For myself, and some of my friends, it has been one of the hot flies on the upper Housatonic this Fall (2024).  Most fly shops don’t sell wet flies, and on the rare occasions when they do, you won’t find a fly like this.  The copper wire gives it a flash in the water and helps keep your fly a little lower in the water column.  When I tie it to smaller sizes, I don’t even put a Thorax on it.  I also prefer to use Hen feathers for those smaller wets.  I also don’t rib it.  You might also want to tie it on a variety of different hooks.  Pictured here are a couple variations of this fly.

To tie this fly de-barb the hook and place it in your vice.  Start your thread behind the eye and take a half dozen securing wraps.  Cut off the butt end.  Next, tie in 2 strands of copper wire.  Tie them in about an ‘eye’ length behind the eye.  Once secured, start wrapping down the bend making ‘side by side’ wraps.  Wrap down to the bend in the hook.  Now palmer your wires forward with spiral wraps to create a rib.  When you reach your wire tie in point, tie it off, and ‘helicopter’ off the butt ends.

Next, tie in 2 strands of Peacock Herl.  Take 4-5 wraps to create a ‘balled’ thorax.  Tie off the peacock and cut off the butt ends.  Next, prepare your hen feather for your collar.  Strip off the fuzzy end of the feather.  Now pull 1 side of your feather fibers off the stem.  Doing this resolves the problem of putting too much hackle on your fly.  Stroke the remaining fibers back except for the very tip of the feather.  Tie the feather by the tip with securing wraps.  Cut off the butt end (tip) of the feather.  Take 3-4 wraps of the feather to create your collar.  Tie the feather off.  Cut off the butt end.  Create a finished head with your thread.  Whip finish, cut off the butt end, and apply a drop of head cement if you so desire.  

Holsinger's Fly Shop has an excellent 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 contacted at pdinice@frontier.com .

Paul's November 2024 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Crab Pot Fly

Hook:  Gamaktsu SL12S Size 1/0.

Thread:  Mono or Olive  6/0.

Mouth: Olive Craft Fur.

Claws:  Barred Olive Hackle.

Body:  Olive SF Blend or EP Fibers or Congo Hair

Eyes:  Burnt Mono.

Weight:  Medium Dumbbell eyes.

Legs:  Olive Sili Legs.

This is an essential fly here in New England. Crabs are a substantial part of the stripers diet, yet many don’t fish crab flies.  Part of the problem is not knowing where & when to fish them.  I fish a few different crab flies, but this is the most productive of all of them.  The color can also be modified to match the bottom environment.  The size can also be varied depending on the size of crabs the bass are feeding on.  When fishing a crab fly, keep it in the ‘zone’ a lot longer than you would a bait fish.  Make sure it gets down.  If you strip it, short intermittent strips with pauses can induce strikes.  When tying this fly I usually add some head cement or UV Resin on my wraps to enhance its durability.

To tie this fly begin by placing your fly in the vice.  Start your thread at the bend of hook and secure it with 9-10 wraps.  Cut off the butt end.  Prepare a ½ ‘pencil’ sized clump of craft fur for the mouth of the fly.  Tie it in at the bend of the hook.  It should extend approximately a hook shank length beyond the bend.  Next, tie in your mono eyes.  You can either purchase them or make them by burning the ends of heavy mono line.  When you tie them in, make sure they splay outward.   They should extend halfway down the Craft Fur Mouth at the bend of the hook.  When tying them in remember that this fly will fish with the hook up.  The eye should be pointed up slightly.  Once they are secured, cut off the excess.

Next, with a few strands of your EP Fibers or Congo Hair, create a short dubbing noodle on your thread.  Dub a small ‘ball’ around the hook shank at the tie in point at the bend.  Select and prepare 2 feathers for the claws of the crab.  Keep in mind that for a ‘green’ crab, 1 claw is larger than the other.  Both claws should splay outward and slightly ‘upward’, approximately a ½ hook shank length beyond the Craft Fur mouth.  Cut off the butt ends and cover your securing wraps with another dubbing noodle on your thread. 

You are now going to tie in a tuft of EP/Congo Fibers under the hook shank, over the claws and eyes.  It should be approximately a pencil in thickness and extend ‘upward’ and beyond the bend to the eyes.  Once secured and the butt end is trimmed, prepare another tuft of Fibers to begin to form your crab body.  The length should measure at least 1 ½ inch on each side of the crab (to be trimmed later).  Secure the Fibers, laying 1 side along the hook shank, take securing wraps, and sweep rearward.  Now take the other side of the Fibers and place them over the hook shank, sweeping them rearward on the other side of the hook.  Secure the Fibers with some wraps.  Repeat this process up the hook shank.  It may take 4-5 tufts of Fibers to complete the body.  Remember to leave room behind your hook eye for your Dumbbell Eyes.  Once your Fiber body is completed, tie in your Dumbbell Eyes behind the eye of the hook (Reverse your hook in the vice and mount them on what is normally the top of the hook shank).  Use figure 8 wraps to make sure they are secure.

Next, behind the Dumbbell Eyes, tie in 4 Silly Legs (again, on what is normally the top of the hook shank).  Once secure, bring your Silly legs over the Dumbbell Eyes to the other side of the hook shank.  At the same tie in point on the opposite side of the hook shank, secure them with thread wraps.  They should extend approximately to the Claw tips on what will be the bottom of your fly.  Finally, behind the Dumbbell Eyes and Leg tie in point, add 1 more tuft of EP/Congo Fibers on each side of the hook shank.  Whip finish your fly and add some cement to your wraps.

Now it’s time to trim your crab.  Begin by preening out your EP/Congo Fibers.  With your scissors round out the edges of your crab to create a semi-circle on each side of the hook.  Advice in trimming your Crab Fly—Take your time.  It’s better to trim off a little at a time than too much at once.  Please be careful so that you don’t trim off any of your legs or claws.

 Maine Fly Guys have an excellent 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 .

Paul's November 2024 Fly of the Month

 Bivisible

Hook:  Daiih1310 Dry Fly Hook Size #14.

Thread:  Uni 8/0 Tan, Brown, or Wood Duck.

Tail:  Brown Hackle Fibers.

Hackle:  Brown & White Dry Fly Hackle. 

This is a great attractor dry fly pattern.  It originated from the NY Catskill area.  It floats like a cork and is easy to see on the water.  It’s also a very easy tie.  Some tie this fly without a tail.  Others use a hackle tip for the tail.   I prefer to use Hackle Fibers for the tail, similar to what you find on a traditional dry fly. 

Begin by placing your hook in the vice.  Start your thread behind the eye and make touching wraps down the hook shank to the bend.  Cut off the butt end of the thread.  Next, prepare your tail fibers.  Take 8-10 fibers for your tail and tie them in at the bend.  They should extend beyond the bend approximately 1 hook shank in length.  To keep the body smooth, I wrap the fibers up the hook shank and stop behind the eye, then cut off the butt ends.   Bring your thread back down to the bend.

Prepare your Size 14 Brown Hackle for the rear 2/3rds of the fly.  Tie it in with the dull side facing forward (towards the eye).  Wrap you hackle 2/3rds up the hook shank (leaving the last 1/3^rd for your White Hackle).  Tie it off and clip off the excess. Prepare your White Hackle.  When you tie it in do so with the shiny side facing towards the eye.  Once secured wrap if forward stroking the fibers back as you go.  Tie it off behind the eye, clip off the excess hackle, and whip finish your fly.  You're done.

East Rosebud Fly & Tackle as 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 .

Paul's October 2024 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Bitch Creek Nymph

Hook:  Size #6 4X long steamer hook. 

Tying thread:   Black, 6/0 or 140 Denier Thread.

Bead:  Optional, color of choice.

Weight:  .025 Lead or lead free wire.

Tail:  Round White, Brown, Black or Orange Rubber Hackle.        

Antenna: Round White, Brown, Black or Orange Rubber Hackle.

Abdomen:  Woven Black & Yellow Chenille. 

Throrax:  Black Chenille.

Hackle:  Grizzly, Brown or Black saddle hackle.

This nymph is a big piece of meat that represents Stone Flies.  When trout hit it they clobber it!  What’s also unique about this fly is that you weave the Abdomen with 2 colors of Chenille.   The key to weaving this fly is to apply ‘equal’ pressure on the Black & Yellow Chenille to keep the Yellow on the bottom of the fly and the Black on the top of the fly. 

To start this fly, de-barb your hook and place it in the vice.  Take your lead wire and make touching wraps from the point of the hook shank to 2 ‘eye’ lengths behind the eye.  You’re pretty much wrapping lead down most of the hook shank.  When fishing this fly you want to make sure it gets down in the water column.  The naturals crawl along the stream/riverbed.

Start your thread behind the eye and secure the front part of your lead wraps.  Wrap over the lead and secure the rear portion of your lead wraps.  Essentially, you’re creating thread damns behind both sides of the lead wraps.  With the thread behind the eye of the hook, tie in 2 pieces of rubber hackle to represent the Antenna.  They should extend beyond the eye approximately ¾’s length of the hook shank.  Next bring your thread to the rear and tie in your 2 pieces of Tail.  They should be the same length as the Antenna.  Bring your thread to the middle of the hook shank and tie in your Black Chenille on the ‘far’ side of the hook.  Wrap down to the bend to secure it on the hook.  Bring your thread back up to the mid-point of the hook shank and repeat the process with your Yellow Chenille on the ‘near’ side of the hook. 

Bring your thread up to the 2/3rds point of your hook shank.  The length from the bend to the thread tie down point represents the length of your Abdomen.  Begin weaving your Abdomen by taking your Black Chenille and placing it over the hook shank.  Take your Yellow Chenille and place it under the hook shank then over the Black Chenille on the other side of the hook shank.  Now place your Yellow Chenille under the hook shank, and the Black Chenille over the hook shank.  Now place your Yellow Chenille over the Black and back under the hook shank.  The key is to apply steady pressure to keep the Yellow Chenille on the bottom and the Black Chenille on top.  Weave the body up to the thread ‘tie in’ point.  Tie off both colors of Chenille on top of the hook shank.  Now, only cut off the Yellow Chenille. 

You are now going tie in your Brown Hackle for your legs.  Size it so that the legs proportionately suit bb     the size of the nymph.  Tie it in by the base of the feather on top of the hook shank.  Now wrap your Black Chenille forward and back creating a broader Thorax than your Abdomen.  Tie it off an eye length behind the eye.  Next, palmer your hackle forward making spiral wraps up the Thorax.  Tie it off behind the eye.  Cut off the butt end and finish the fly by creating a thread head behind the eye.  Whip finish the fly and apply some head cement. 

Dressed Irons 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 .

Paul's October 2024 Fly of the Month

 Classic Rabbit Zonker

Hook:  3x or 4x Long Streamer hook Size #2 & #6.

Thread:  140 Denier or 6/0, Black (for head) & Red (for rear tie in point).

Weight:  .020 or .025 Lead Wire or Lead Free Wire. 

Body:  Medium Silver or Pearl Mylar Tubing with cotton core.    

Back & Tail:  Rabbit Zonker Strip in color of choice.

Saddle Hackle/Collar:  Red Saddle Hackle or color of choice.

Head:  Black Thread.

Adhesive: Head Cement or UV Cure Resin.

Zonkers are a staple in my fly box.  You can tie them in any color.  Some Fly Tyers  use different body materials.  I’ve chosen to tie my Zonker here in a ‘Classic’ style with Mylar Tubing for the body.  Been doing them that way for years.

To tie this fly, place your hook in the vice.  Take your Wire and take 8-15 wraps on the hook shank.  ‘Helicopter’ off the butt ends.  Position the lead at ‘mid-shank’ on the hook.  Start your red thread on the hook and wrap over the lead securing it in place.  Bring your thread down to near the bend of the hook over the barb.  Noe prepare your Mylar Tubing with cotton core.  Cut it to a length a hook shank and a half in length.  Pull out the cotton core.  Now slide it onto the hook shank and let it extend beyond the bend by letting the end of it fray.  You can help it fray with a bodkin or the points of your scissors.  The frayed end should extend about a hook gap length beyond the bend.  Pinch the end with your left hand and secure the tubing to the hook shank with 6-8 tight wraps of your thread.  Now half hitch it and apply a drop or two of head cement or UV resin to lock it down. 

Align your Rabbit strip on top of the hook shank.  Again, it should be approximately a hook shank and a half in length.  I usually tie mine to extend a little further than the frayed end of the Mylar Tubing.  Preen the Rabbit strip hairs apart to create a tie in point.   Take 8-10 securing wraps with your thread.  Lift the rabbit strip and take some securing wraps in front of the tie in point.  To lock it in place you can half hitch your thread over the Zonker and hook shank or apply a drop of UV resin.  I do both.  Cut off the butt end of your Red Thread.  Sweep the excess Rabbit strip reward.

Next, squeeze and push the Mylar Tubing up over the eye.  Trim it even with the eye.  Pull your Tubing back a little bit and start your black thread behind the eye of the hook.  Once secure cut off the butt end.  Push the Tubing forward and secure it with wraps of thread behind the eye.  Trim the excess Mylar strands with your scissors and create an even & flat thread base for your hackle and head.  Take your saddle hackle and strip off the webby fibers.  The hackle fibers should be just under a hook shank in length.  Tie it on to the body head with the shiny side of the feather facing you.  Cut off the butt end and place your thread in the middle of the head.  Sweep he hackle fibers rearward and take 3-4 wraps around the hook shank.  Secure the hackle with 3 wraps of your thread and snipe off the excess.  Take a few more thread wraps to sweep your Collar back. 

Bring your Rabbit strip forward.  Like you did at the rear, part the hair fibers to create a tie in point at the head.  Now take wraps to secure your Rabbit strip to the hook shank.  Cut the excess Rabbit strip off at an angle in line with the hook eye. Cover the butt end with thread wraps creating a tapered head.  Whip finish the fly, cut off the butt end of your thread, and apply Head Cement or UV Resin. 

Tightlinevideo 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 .

Paul's September 2024 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Reese's Fusion Nymph

Hook:  Tactical Czech Nymph Hook, Size #14 & #16.

Thread:  Brown 8/0 or 70 denier.

Bead:  7/64” 2.8 mm Gold or Mottled BrownBead.

Tail:  3 strands of Amber or Root Beer Krystal Flash.

Body:  Amber or Brown Ultra Wire.

Under Body:  Tan or Brown Ostrich Herl.

Thorax:  Peacock Ice Dub.

This is a great subsurface fly that can imitate caddis and some mayflies.  To tie this fly place your bead on the hook and hook in the vice.  At the hook mid-point tie in your strands of Amber Krystal Flash for your tail.  You’re going to wrap back mid-way down the bend.  The tail strands should extend about ½ the hook shank.  Next, tie in your Brown Ultra Wire behind the Bead and wrap down to the tail.  At the tie in point tie in your Tan Ostrich Herl.   Wrap the Ostrich Herl 2/3rds up.   After making some secure wraps, tie it off and cut off the butt end.  You are now going to make touching wraps up the hook shank with your wire.  When you do this wiggle the wire back and forth to that the Ostrich Herl fibers extend between the wraps. 

After reaching the 2/3rds point on the hook shank, make 5-6 securing wraps and ‘helicopter’ your excess wire off from the hook shank.  For your Thorax, create a small dubbing loop of Peacock Ice Dub.  Wrap your dubbing loop forward and end behind the bead.  Make some securing wraps, whip finish, and cut off the butt end of your loop.  Your fly is complete.

 Bob Reece has a great video on how to tie this fly at:

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 .