Paul's January 2022 Fly of the Month

 CDC Micro Bugger

Hook:  Hanak H 400 BL #10. 

Thread:  Semperfli 12/0 waxed in Shell Pink.

Bead:  Tungsten Slotted Light Pink in 4.0 mm.

Tail:  Wooly Bugger Marabou in Shell Pink.  

Body:  Ice Dub Fluorescent Shell Pink.

Hackle:  CDC in Pink.

 

I love flies like this.  You can fish them Euro-nymphing or as a streamer.  There certainly isn’t anything wrong with big articulated streamers, but my preference is to go with smaller streamers on the waters here in CT.  Also, I love the CDC hackle on this pattern.  Don’t be afraid to try different colors with this fly, but pink is extremely productive when fishing this little bugger.

 

To tie this fly begin by placing your bead on the hook and your hook in the vice.  Start your thread behind the bead and make touching wraps back along the hook shank.  Stop at the hook bend and cut off your butt end of the thread.  Now, take your Marabou feather and stroke the fibers forward.  Measure it on the hook shank.  Your tail is going to be a hook shank and ½ in length.  When you tie it in start doing so behind the bead and wrap back to the bend.  This will create an even and uniform base for the rest of the fly.  Trim off the butt end of the Marabou. 

 

Next, prepare a CDC feather for the hackle of the fly.  You will need a somewhat longer CDC feather for this pattern.  Take your hackle pliers and grab the feather by the tip.  Stroke the fibers rearward.  Remove your hackle pliers and tie in the feather by the tip at the bend of the hook.   Now, dub your body with Ice Dub.  Form a uniform body ending behind the bead.  Next, grab your CDC feather butt with your hackle pliers and wrap it forward.  At the same time stroke the CDC fibers back.  Tie it off behind the bead and trim the stem off.  Stroke all the fibers back and create a little thread collar.  Whip finish the fly and you’re done.

Tim Camissa has a great video on how to tie this fly below: 

Tim also has a great website, ‘Trout and Feather’ at

https://www.troutandfeather.com/  .  If you subscribe to his page you’ll have access to a wealth of fly tying videos and fly fishing info.

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 2021 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Tutti Frutti 

 (a.k.a. The Electric Chicken)

 Hook:  Mustad 34077 Size #1 or similar hook. 

Thread:  White flat waxed nylon.  Head is finished with Pink flat waxed nylon.

Eyes:  4.8mm (3/16) Dumbbell (a.k.a. ‘real eyes’).

Tail/Bottom Wing:  Chartreuse Buck Tail.

Belly:  Pearl Bill’s Body Braid or Diamond Braid.

Wing:  White Bucktail, over which are strands of Pearl ‘Lateral Scale’, over which is Pink Bucktail. 

We’ve all fished Clouser Minnows.  They are one of the most effective flies out there.  What really makes or distinguishes this Clouser pattern is the color.  At times this has been a magic fly for me, especially on Cape Cod.  It’s a combination of colors that Stripers can see and are attracted to.  I tie it differently than most with my Chartreuse color on the bottom wing, and the Pink on the top wing.

 

To tie this fly place your hook in the vice after de-barbing it.  You are now going to tie in your dumbbell eyes on top of the hook shank.  Tie them in with figure eight wraps.  Locate your eyes about the length of the ‘dumbbell’ from the hook eye.  Too often I see tyers putting their eyes too close to the hook shank.  They fail to leave enough room to easily put on the fly’s top wing.  I usually apply and cure Solarez ‘Bone Dry’ resin to my wraps.  You are now going to tie in your Chartreuse Tail.  I tie it in right behind the dumbbell eyes and wrap back to the bend of the hook.  By doing this your able to create a smooth body profile along the top of the hook shank hook shank.  The tail should be approximately 1 hook shank length beyond the bend of the hook.   After affixing the tail, you are now going to tie in your Bill’s Body Braid (or Diamond Braid) near the bend of the hook.  Once tied in, advance your thread to the front of the Dumbbell Eyes.  

Palmer (make ‘touching wraps’) with your braid up the hook shank and criss cross it over your dumbbell eyes.  Tie it off and cut off the butt end.  Also whip finish and cut off your white thread.  I usually coat and cure the Bill’s Body Braid with ‘Bone Dry’ for durability.  Now affix your Pink thread to the hook behind the eye.  You are now going to tie in your White Bucktail.  It’s should extend even with the Chartreuse Tail.  Not a lot is needed, maybe 20-30 fibers.  Tie it in just as you would on a traditional clouser.  On top of the White Bucktail you are going to tie in your Pearl Lateral Line flash.  I usually take 4 strands, double it over my thread, and tie it down on top of the White Bucktail.  Trim it to length, slightly longer than the white bucktail.  Next, tie on the top wing of Pink Bucktail.  Approximately the same amount of material as the White Bucktail portion of the wing.  When tying it in, create an even and tapered head.  Whip finish and cut off the tag end of your thread.  Lastly, I apply more ‘Bone Dry’ to the head of the fly. 

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 .