Paul's October 2022 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Backflop Jig Streamer

Hook:  Hanak 400 Black Jig Hook Size #8. 

Bead:  Tungsten 3.8 Silver mm Bead.

Lead Wire:  .025 Lead Wire.

Tail:  Black Pine Squirrel Zonker Strip.

Body:  Black Pine Squirrel Zonker Strip & Hareline Medium UV Polar Cheniele.

Hackle:  Hen Saddle.

Collar:  Hareline Ice Dubbing UV Black.

This fly was developed by Devin Olsen of the Tactical Fly Fisher.  The past few years I've loved tying small streamers with Pine Squirrel.  The Pine Squirrel makes it possible to tie up smaller patterns.  I've caught a lot of fish on them.  What I also like about these small streamers is that they are on a jig hook, sink deep, and can be fished using Euro-nymphing techniques.  No need to change my leader and they can be fished in tandem with a nymph.  It's also an easy fly to tie.

To tie this fly begin by placing the bead on your hook.  Next, make 8-10 wraps of your lead wire and pin it tightly behind your bead.  You may apply some super glue before or after you apply the wire.  Start your thread at the bend of the hook.  Butt it up against your wire.  Then wrap down your wire to the bead and back to the bend of the hook.  You are now going to prepare your Pine Squirrel Tail.  To do this wet the fibers of the Pine Squirrel.  This will make it easier to manage and work with the tail.  Your tail should be approximately 3-4 times the length of the hook shank.  The Butt (front) end of the Pine Squirrel should also be long enough to create a wrapped body. Stroke half the Pine Squirrel Fibers forward and the rest rearward at create and expose a ‘tie in’ point.  Affix it to the hook shank using multiple thread wraps.  You also want to take some wraps around the Pine Squirrel similar to the technique of creating a parachute post. This will help the tail from fouling.  Once you complete this step, pull the butt end of the Pine Squirrel strip back along the tail. 

 

At the tie in point, you are going to affix your UV Polar Chenille.  Now bring your thread up behind the bead.  Lift the Pine Squirrel and Chenille above the hook shank and stroke the fibers rearward.  Wrap both together toward the bead, still stroking the fibers back as you do this.  Tie it off behind the bead, leaving a little space for your Hackle & Ice Dub collar.  Trim the butt end.  Tie in your Black Hen Saddle and take 2-3 turns of the Hackle.  Tie it off and cut off the butt end.  Dub a noddle of Black UV Ice Dub.  Make 2-3 turns behind the bead.  Whip finish and apply your cement or adhesive of choice.

The Tactical Fly Fisherman 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 October 2022 Fly of the Month

                                       Soft Shoe Wetflies

Iso Soft Shoe Wetfly

Hook:  Wet Fly Hook of Choice Size #12 & #14. 

Thread:  Brown or Wood Duck

Tail:  3-4 Pheasant Tail Fibers and 1 strand of Krystal Flash.

Rib:  Gold or Copper Wire.

Wing:  Dun Snow Shoe Rabbit Foot Fibers.

Body:  Brown, or Dark Brown, or Iso Dubbing. I use a mix of Rabbit, Squirrel, Brown Peacock & Brown Ice Dubbing.

Soft Hackle/Collar:  Pheasant Rump Feather. Partridge can also be used.

 

Sulphur Soft Shoe Wetfly

 

Hook:  Wet Fly Hook of Choice Size #14 & #16. 

Thread:  Fluorescent Orange Thread.

Tail:  3-4 Pheasant Tail Fibers.

Rib:  Gold or Orange Wire.

Wing:  Natural Snow Shoe Rabbit Foot Fibers.

Body:  Sulphur Yellow/Orange Dry Fly Dubbing.

Soft Hackle/Collar:  Partridge or Dun Hen Feather.

 

The Soft Shoe Wetfly was created by Jerry Shillcock of Paradise Fly Tying. What’s great about this pattern is that it can readily be modified to represent almost any hatch that’s out there.  Here is the ‘Iso’ version of the Soft Shoe. I don’t know why it works but it does.  The biology of the isonychia insect is that it crawls out of the river before hatching. So why the wet fly? Trout may see this fly as a dying dun or spinner. Or maybe it’s just a tasty meal they can’t resist.  I’ve also supplied the recipe that I use for a ‘Sulphur’ Soft Shoe Wet fly. I initially thought that the rabbit fibers would prevent any of these variations from sinking.  That’s not really a problem especially when fishing it in tandem with another wetfly.  When fishing the sulphur version, I will sometimes grease it and fishing in the surface film.

 

To tie this fly, begin by placing your hook in the vice and starting your thread.  Cut the tag end off and wrap down to the bend in the hook. Next, tie in 3-4 Pheasant Tail Fibers for the tail. The tail should be a little more than a hook gap in length.  For the ‘Iso’ version also tie in 1 strand of Krystal Flash the same length as the tail.  Now tie in your wire rib on the ‘far side’ of the hook shank. Create a slim dubbing noodle and with touching wraps create a slightly tapered body. Make sure you leave enough room behind the eye to tie in your wing and soft hackle collar. Next, wrap the Wire Rib forward to create a segmented body. Tie and cut off the tag end.  You are now going to tie in a clump of Snow Shoe Rabbit Foot Fibers.  Make sure the clump you cut from the foot is long enough for the wing. It should extend to the end of the body. The preparation of the wing is probably the most difficult part of this fly.  After cutting the clump discard any straggly long hairs and after measuring it against the body, trim the butt end for your tie in point. Hold it firmly in your fingers and tie it down on top of the hook shank. Bind it down and create a smooth base to tie in and wrap your hackle. Prepare your hackle feather by stroking the fibers back towards the rear butt. Tie it in behind the eye by the forward tip. Once it’s tied in, make 2-3 wraps around the hook shank.  Stroke the fibers back towards the rear of the fly as you’re doing this.  Once your collar is created tie the feather off and cut off the butt end. Whip finish and cover your wraps with ‘head cement’.

2GuysFlyFishing 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 2022 Bonus Fly of the Month

 SBS Saltwater Baitfish

Hook:  FTD Big Game MS 100 hook Size 3/0 (or Short Shank Stinger Salt Water Hook of Choice). 

Thread:  UTC 70D White.

Tail:  White Bucktail topped with strands of pearlescent flash, topped with a single white saddle hackle.

½ Wing:  Chartreuse bucktail tied over a ‘bump’ of White Senyo Lazer Dub and extending halfway down the tail.

Belly:  White Bucktail tied in ‘reverse style’ then swept back under the hook shank. 

Body:  White Senyo Lazer Dub with Red Senyo Lazer Dub before the head of the fly.

Wing:  Chartreuse Bucktail tied in ‘reverse’ style then swept back on top of the hook.  Topped with a few more strands of Pearlescent Flash and a Chartreuse Grizzly Saddle Hackle.

Eyes:  3 D molded eyes.

Finish:  Epoxy, or UV Resin.

 

This fly is really a modified ‘flat wing’ type pattern originally designed for ‘sea trout’ (a.k.a. weakfish).  I’ve never caught a weakfish on it but boy is it a ‘striper catcher’.  It calls for some alternative tying techniques like ‘reverse’ tying of bucktail.  One of the great things about fly tying is that you can always substitute and/or experiment by using different materials.  One thing I would not change on this fly is the Chartreuse Grizzly Saddle Hackle.  If you’re a New England Salt Water Fly Fisher and Tyer, I strongly recommend purchasing a Chartreuse Grizzly Neck.  At times the barred hackle just seems to trigger striper bites.

 

To tie this fly, begin by de-barbing the hook, placing it in your vice, and laying a base of thread along the hook shank.  Next, tie in a sparse amount (no more than 20 strands) of White Bucktail for your tail.  It should extend approximately 2 times the hook shank length behind the bend.  On top of your Bucktail, tie in a couple strands of Pearlescent Flash.  I usually take a couple of strands, double it over my thread, and lash it down above the Bucktail.  Trim it to the length of the Bucktail.  Next, select and prepare a thin White Saddle Hackle to top your tail.   When you tie it down it should extend the complete length of the tail. 

 

Once your tail is competed you are going to dub a ‘bump’ of White Senyo Lazer Dub at the tie in point of your tail.  In front of the dubbed bump you are going to tie in a ‘1/2’ wing of Chartreuse Bucktail.  Keep it sparse using 15 to 20 fibers.  It should extend 2/3rds the length of your rear white tail.  You should have approximately 1/3^rd of the hook shank left.  You are now going to ‘reverse’ tie in a top wing of Chartreuse Bucktail.  Once completed, rotate your vice or fly and ‘reverse’ tie in a belly of White Bucktail.  Before pushing your bucktail back to create your wing and belly, use your thread to create an even base behind the eye and along the last 1/3 or the hook shank.  Once completed, dub half of it with White Senyo Lazer Dub, and the other half with Red Senyo Lazer Dub.  Next, with a pen tube or tool, sweep back your wing & belly along the hook shank.  Use your fingers to continually stroke and align your wing and belly.  When it’s trained back and in a position you like, use thread wraps to bind them down.  Next, top your Chartreuse Wing with a couple more strands of Pearlescent Flash.  They should extend along the entire length of the top wing.  Next, prepare a thin Chartreuse Grizzly Saddle Hackle to be placed over your top wing.  It should extend along the entire length of the fly.  Once in position, lash it down.  Finally, whip finish your fly. Affix your 3D molded eyes to the fly.  Cover the eyes and the head of the fly with UV resin or Epoxy. 

 

Below is a great video on how to tie this fly by CastbyJohn Fly Tying.

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 .