Paul's February 2021 Fly of the Month

 Landon Mayer's Mini-Leach

& Mini-Leach Jig 

Hook:  Size #8-#12 Allen MP003Bl; or Size #10-#14 Curved Nymph Hook; or Hanak H 450 BL Size #10 (or jig hook of choice).

Bead:  (Optional) Tungsten Slotted bead, Color & size of choice.

Tying thread:   Black, 70 Denier.

Body/Tag End:  Medium Brown Holo Tinsel or Root Beer Flash-a-bou.

Wing:  Zonked Black or Brown Pine Squirrel.

Colar:  Black or Brown Ostrich Herl.

I love small streamers, and I particularly love small streamers with pine squirrel.  This fly is very easy to tie, using only 3 different materials.  You can really crank these out. No worries if you loose a few, and oh by the way, it will catch you a ton of fish.   Ideal for small streams with tight quarters, but it works great on bigger waters too. 

You can tie this pattern on different types of hooks.  I’ve listed some in the recipe, but don’t be afraid to experiment with the hook you prefer.  To tie this fly, I like to use a hook on the heavy & larger side.   Start you thread behind the eye and make touching wraps.  Stop your thread at the ‘halfway’ point of your hook shank.  You are now going to tie in your Tinsel or Flash-a-bou.  Continue making touching wraps rearward to bind down your Body/Tag.  Wrap down around the bend of the hook.  Bring your thread back up the hook shank and leave it approximately 1/3 of the hook shank behind the eye.  Next, prepare your Squirrel Zonker.  The length of the leather strip should be approximately 2 ½ to 3 lengths of the hook shank (or about 1” long).  Your rabbit fur should be bending towards the back.  I usually cut a ‘v’ notch at the rear tip of the zonker.  On the forward tip (your tie in point), strip some fur off to better expose the leather.  This will ensure that it is securely tied down to the hook shank.  Bind and tie down your Zonker Wing onto the hook shank.  (I usually apply some Head Cement or UV Resin to my tie in point).  When you tie in your wing, create a smooth thread base behind your hook eye. 

Now select two bushy fibers of Ostrich Herl for your collar. Lock them in place by their ‘butt’ ends right at the tie in point of your wing.  Wrap your thread forward and leave it behind the eye.  Make touching wraps forward with your Ostrich Herl.  Cut and tie it off behind the eye.  Whip finish and apply some head cement. 

One thing I usually do when tying this fly is to apply some Solarez ‘Bone Dry’ to the Tinsel or Flash-a-bou just after I tie it in.  It improves the durability of the fly. 

Tim Camissa has some of the best instructional videos on Youtube. 

He has a great video on how to tie Langdon Meyer’s Mini-Leach below: 

For tying the Mini-Leach on a Jig Hook, here’s another video from Tim below:

Tim’s website, ‘Fur and Feather’, can be found

at http://www.troutandfeather.com/ .

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 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 .