Paul's February 2023 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Slim Grizzly Nymph

Hook:  Firehole Sticks 718 Size #14.

Bead:  3 mm Gold Tungsten bead.

Tying Thread:   UTC 70 Denier Olive Thread.

Rib:  Ultra Wire Sculpin Olive Brassie Size.

Body:  Peacock Krystal Flash.

Fly Back/Tail:  Pheasant Tail Fibers.

Wingcase: Nymph Skin.

Legs:  Olive Grizzly Hackle.

Thorax:  Olive Brown Ice Dub

Finish:  UV Resin

This is a great all round nymph.  Tied in smaller sizes it’s a great imitation for Olive May flies. 

To tie this fly start your thread behind the bead.  Making some securing wraps of thread (8-10), advance your thread ¼ down the hook shank.  Cut off the butt end of your thread.  You are now going to tie in your Wire Rib.  After you secure it, wrap down the hook shank to the bend creating a slim even profile.  Bring your thread back up behind the bead.  Next, tie in 2 pieces of Peacock Krystal Flash.  Wrap them down the hook shank similar to the fly rib.  Now bring your thread back up behind the bead to your original tie in point.

Wrap your Krystal Flash body material forward with ‘touching’ wraps.  Tie it off at the original tie in point and cut off the butt end.  Next, prepare 5-6 Pheasant Tail Fibers for your fly back and tail.  Tie them in with the tips rearward at the original tie in point.  Guestimate the length of the tail, keeping all the fibers on top of the hook shank.  Now wrap your rib forward while making sure the Pheasant Fibers remain on top.  Tie the rib off at the original tie in point and ‘helicopter’ off the butt end.  Trim off your excess Pheasant Fibers. 

Next tie in your Nymph Skin wing pad.  The fly thorax size behind the bead should be approximately a ‘bead length’.  Your wing pad should lay rearward.  With your thread create a smooth base for your thorax.  Now tie in your Olive Grizzly Hackle legs by the butt end of the feather.  Dub your Ice Dub thorax leaving your thread behind the bead.  Palmer your hackle forward and tie it off behind the bead.  Usually, 2 ½ to 3 wraps of hackle is all that is needed.  Clip off the remaining portion of feather.  With your scissors trim off the hackle on the top of the fly.  Now bring your ‘wing pad’ forward and tie it off behind the bead.  Clip off the excess material.  Whip finish and cut off your thread.  Place a drop of UV Resin on the top of your wing pad.  Cure it with your UV light and your done. 

The Fly Fiend 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 February 2023 Fly of the Month

 Zirdle Bug

Hook:  Umpqua X Series XT500 Size #10. 

Bead:  Black Slotted Tungsten Bead 3.8mm 5/32”.

Thread:  Danville’s Tan Flat Waxed Nylon.

Tail/Wing:  Natural Pine Squirrel Zonker.   

Body:  Brown/Yellow Stonefly Chenille.

Legs:  Tan Life Flex.

Collar: (Optional) UV Brown Ice Dub.

 

Yet another small streamer with Pine Squirrel Zonker.  Flies like this are just ‘killers’.  Even if you do not tie the Zirdle Bug, here is what you want to learn from this pattern recipe – TIE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE STREAMER PATTERNS ON A JIG HOOK!  They sink fast and fish inverted with an exceptional jigging action.  You can fish them as an anchor on your nymph rigs, with less bottom snags.  This fly can represent a variety of trout food including crayfish, sculpins, hellgrammites, and stone flies.  A great fly to dead drift and catch a lot of fish!  The material list above is to tie the Zirdle in natural colors.  Tie it also in Black, Purple, and especially in Brown & Olive.

To tie this fly place your slotted bead on your hook and place it in the vice.  Begin your thread behind the bead and wrap down to the bend with touching wraps.  Next, prepare your cheneille to be tied onto the rear of the hook shank by striping some of the material from the center ‘core’ with your fingernail.  This will give you a nice piece of thread to bind down your chenille.  Once it’s secured, advance your thread 2/3rds up the hook shank.  Tie off your chenille, then sweep back the ‘butt’ end rearward.  You are now going to tie in your rubber legs.  You need 2 pieces approximately 4 times the length of the hook shank.  (You will trim them evenly later.)  Tie one section on one side of the hook shank, and the other section on the opposite side of the hook shank.  They should extend ‘up’ from the hook shank.  Next, take your body material and take one wrap between the middle of both legs and one wrap in the front behind the bead.  Tie it off behind the bead, cut off the butt end, and whip finish the fly, but don’t cut your thread.  It should look like a Pat’s Rubber Legs without the tail.    

Now, prepare your Squirrel Zonker Strip for the fly.  Invert your hook and measure the Zonker against the fly.  The Zonker Strip will be pierced by the hook at the rear of the fly.  It will also be affixed behind the bead with your thread.  Your tail should extend approximately 2-3 times the length of the hook shank, but it’s really a matter of personal preference.  You can mark the Zonker with a sharpy or ‘eye-ball’ it for length.  Remove your hook from the vice and pierce the Zonker with the hook.  Adjust it so that it will lay flat on your fly body.  You should have some excess Zonker that extends beyond the bead.  Trim those hairs off the hide to establish a flat tie in point for your thread.  Take some securing wraps to bind down the Strip behind the bead.  Trim the excess Zonker hide.  You can whip finish the fly if you so desire, but I like to dub a little collar with Ice Dub.  Finally, whip finish your fly and cut off the tag end of thread.

There is a great video on how to tie this fly by Mosseycreekflyfishing 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 January 2023 Bonus Fly of the Month

Roamer Fly

Hook:  Allen SW002 Size #2 Hook or Mustad 34007 Size #2 hook. 

Thread:  Uni-Thread White.

Weight:  8 Wraps of lead wire at the rear(bend) of the hook.

Tail:  Clump of Bucktail at the rear of the hook, over which is a few strands of pearlescent flash.

Outer Tail:  Two Grizzly hackle feathers.

Inner Wing:  White Bucktail half the length of the tail, over which is Olive Lazer Dub.

Body:  Large Olive Polar Chenille. 

Collar:  Reverse Tie in White Bucktail then sweep back.

Throat:  Red Krystal Flash under hook eye.

Head:  Two clumps of Olive Lazer Dub on top.  Two Clumps of White Lazer Dub on the bottom. Combed back towards the rear of the fly.

Finish:  Epoxy, UV Resin, or 2 coats of Fingernail Polish.

This fly was developed by a tyer named Jake Villwock.  It moves a lot of water.  Tie it in dark or black colors for nighttime fishing.  You want to use it to search for the big boys.  The weight on this fly is in the rear.  It wobbles and jigs a little differently than if the weight was in the front.

To start this fly lay down 8 wraps of lead at the rear (bend) of the hook.  Start your thread behind the wraps and wrap on both sides of it to anchor it securely. Coat and cure the wraps with UV adhesive.  Tie in a clump of White Bucktail at the rear of the hook.  After a couple of wraps press the butt end with your fingernail to make sure it surrounds the hook shank.  It should extend 1 ½ hook shank length beyond the bend.  Top the Bucktail with a few strands of Pearlescent Flash of choice.  Next, pair up and tie in Two Grizzly hackle feathers, one feather on each side of the hook shank.  They should extend the length of your tail.  On top of this tie in another clump of White Bucktail.  It should extend approximately ¾ length of the tail.  Again, press it with your fingernail so that it surrounds the hook shank.  Now tie in a clump of Lazer Dub.  Roll the clump between your fingers, tie it in at it’s mid-point, then sweep all the fibers rearward.

Next, tie in your Polar Chenille.  Palmer it forward until it’s 2 hook eyes back from the front of the fly.  Next, reverse tie in a clump of White Bucktail.  When swept back it should extend to the end of your Lazer Dub Wing.  Now tie in your Throat of Red Krystal Flash under the hook eye.  To create the head, tie in 4 clumps of Lazer Dub behind the eye.  You can use a darker color on top if you like.  Tie the clumps in at their midpoint and sweep all the fibers rearward.  Take thread wraps in front of the Lazer Dub/head.  Whip finish the fly.  Comb and stroke the Lazer Dub fibers rearward. Finish the fly by applying head cement or UV Resin on your front wraps. 

Allen Fly Fishing 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 .