Paul's March 2014 Fly of the Month

Irresistible Griffiths Gnat

Flies tied by Friend Will Stone

Hook:  Size #10-#16 Dry Fly hook.

Tying thread:   Black 6/0.

Body:  Spun Black Deerhair.

Hackle:  Grizzly Hackle.

This Fly of the Month was submitted and tied by HFFA member Will Stone.  If you know Will, you know that his passion for the quiet sport is hard to match.  

This particular pattern originates from a fisherman by the name of Kyle Andes.  Kyle is the creator of a great website called “Hammer Creek Fly Fishing”.  It’s based upon his love of fly fishing, fly patterns, and experiences.  It’s also dedicated to a small stream in PA that he grew up fishing on known as ‘Hammer Creek’.  You can check his website out at www.hammercreekflyfishing.com .  Kyle likes to use this fly and drift a nymph below it. 

Begin by laying a base of thread from the eye of the hook to the bend.  Tie in your hackle by the butt end.  Size it just like you would a standard dry fly.  Next begin spinning clumps of fine deer hair on the hook shank.  Spinning deer hair isn’t any more difficult than any other tying technique.  It just takes practice.  Cut a clump of deer hair close to the hide.  Comb out and discard the fuzzy material between the hairs.  Cut off the tips and take two loose wraps around the clump of deer hair and the hook shank.   Torque down on the third wrap and spin the hair around the shank of the hook.  Dislodge any rogue hairs that may have gotten stuck on or near the hook point.  Continue this process until you reach the eye of the hook, compressing the hairs tight together with your finger nails as you go.  You will also be winding your thread through the spun hair to advance it.  Now it’s time to trim the spun deer hair. With a sharp pair of scissors trim the deer hair so that it resembles a cigar shaped cylinder.  Next, palmer your hackle evenly along the hook shank and tie it off at the eye.  Whip finish your fly. 

This fly and Kyle’s instructional video on how to tie it can 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 .  Below is Kyle's instructional video on how to tie this fly.



HFFA Fly Fishing Expo

 HFFA FLY FISHING & TYING EXPO

MARCH 1, 2014 TIME 10:00 AM TO 3:30 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, & Modified Clouser Minnow.  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.

 TYING & CASTING DEMONSTRATIONS

CASTING DEMONSTRATIONS & LESSONS! (weather permitting)

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 February 2014 Fly of the Month

Thin Mint Wooly Bugger

 

Hook:  3x or 4x streamer hook Size #4-#10

Tying thread:   Mono or 6/0 Thread.

Head:  Gold cone to match hook.

Weight:   Medium lead wire.

Tail:  Black marabou over brown marabou over olive marabou. Tail feathers are flanked with two thin pieces of Pearl Flashabou or tinsel.

Body:  Peacock Ice Dub. 

Rib:  Pearl Flashabou or tinsel; and mono thread (fine wire can be substituted for the mono thread-it’s what I prefer making the fly more durable)

Hackle:  Furnace saddle hackle.

Usually every couple of years I choose a Wooly Bugger as a Fly of the Month.  Buggers are a trout killer.  This one is no exception.  It is also very similar to a Bugger pattern that I posted about twenty years ago called “The Multibugger”.  Fellow HFFA member Will Stone turned me on to this fly after catching a nice brown on the Farmington River this past winter. 

Begin by placing your gold cone head on the hook.  Take your lead wire and make 6-8 turns of it on the hook shank.  Slide it right behind the cone head to lock and center it on the hook.  Cover it with thread and cement over the wraps.  Bring your thread down to the bend of the hook and tie in your tail of black marabou over brown marabou over olive marabou.  Place a couple of thin strands of pearl flashabou on each side of the tail.  Leave a long tag end on one of the strands to be used later as a rib.  Also tie in a piece of mono thread or fine wire to also be used as a counter wrap rib.  Next, dub a body of Peacock Ice Dub from the bend of the hook to the cone head.  Rib the body with the tag end strand of Pearl flashabou.  Tie off the rib and tie in your furnace saddle hackle behind the cone head.  Palmer the hackle, first creating a light collar adjacent to the cone head, then wrap it back to the tail.  Your tag thread will still be behind the cone head.  Use the tag end of the mono thread (or fine wire), and counter wrap it forward though the hackle.  Tie it off at the cone head.  Apply some head cement and the fly is finished. 

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 .