Paul's November 2023 Bonus Fly of the Month

 The Fly Formerly Known as 'Prince'

Hook:  Tiemco 3769 Size #10-#18 or preferred Nymph Hook. 

Bead:   Gold Bead to match hook size.

Thread:  Orange or Red UTC 70 Denier.

Tail:  Brown Goose or Turkey Biots.  Also a ‘tag’ of Orange or Red Thread.

Rib:  Gold or Silver Oval Tinsel.

Body:  Peacock Herl.

Collar:  Natural Partridge or Brown Indian Hen.

Wings:  Large Silver Holographic Tinsel or 2 Strands of Pearl Krystal Flash (It’s what I use and prefer).

If you fish the Housatonic, you definitely want to have a Prince nymph in your box.  The addition of a ‘Flash’ wing can sometimes increase the productivity of the ‘Prince’ nymph.

To tie this fly begin by placing your bead on the hook and your hook in the vice.  Start your red thread behind the bead and take some securing wraps.  Cut off the tag end and make touching wraps down shank and halfway down the bend.  The red thread will serve as a tag on the fly.  Next, tie in two Brown or Tan Goose Biots for the tail.  Match the Biots so that they splay outward.  They should extend approximately ½ hook shank beyond the bend.  After making a few securing wraps, adjust the Biots so that they extend symmetrically beyond the hook bend.  After trimming off the butt ends of the Biots, bring your thread up behind the Bead.  Tie in your Oval Tinsel and wrap down to the bend. 

Next, tie in 3-6 Strands of Peacock Herl at your Biot tie in point.  Bring your thread up behind the Bead, leaving a little ‘eye length’ space.  Wrap your Peacock Herl forward using touching wraps to create the body.  Tie it off and cut off the butt ends.  Now, palmer and counter wrap your Rib forward and tie it off.  Cut off the butt end.  Next, tie in your Collar feather by the tip.  Trim and cut off the tip.  Using your hackle pliers, take 2-3 ‘wet fly’ wraps around the hook shank.  Stroke the feather fibers back as you wrap.  Capture and tie off the stem with a couple wraps.  Cut off the excess. You are now going to tie in your Holographic Tinsel or Krystal Flash wings.  Normally on a ‘Prince Nymph’ the wings would consist of White Biots.  The flash wings supercharge this fly.  I prefer to use Pearl Krystal Flash for the wings.  Tie your wings in behind the bead.  They should extend slightly beyond the body.  Tie them off and whip finish the fly, creating a small hot spot collar behind the bead.

InTheRiffle 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 November 2023 Fly of the Month

 Paul's Housatonic Crayfish

Hook:  Size #4 3X long Streamer hook. Can also be tied in larger sizes.

Tying thread:   Brown Uni-thread or 6/0.

Weight:  6-10 wraps of .25 lead.

Claws:  3-4 strands of Pearl Krystal Flash over which are 2 Brown Matched Marabou Feathers.

Antennae:  2 Black Pieces of Krystal Flash.

Thorax/Carapace:  Medium Tan/Brown or Coffee Chenille, topped with 6-8 pieces of Peacock Herl.

Legs:  Brown Saddle Hackle, palmered around the Thorax/Carapace.
Abdomen/Body:  Medium Brown Chenille.

Tail:  Brown Swiss Straw tied behind and on top of the eye and fanned open. Coated with ‘Hard as Nails’.

I developed this fly close to 40 years ago.  It was all due to my lack of expertise fishing for trout and learning to tie flies. I struggled during that spring on the Hous, trying to learn the hatches and patterns that would land trout.  By the time the summer heat arrived I had become somewhat proficient with my casting and was really getting into catching Smallmouth Bass.  At that time fishing for ‘smallies’ was not popular and targeted by only a few fly fishers.  After catching a couple bass with Crayfish hanging out of their mouths, I just had to find a Crayfish pattern to fish on the Housatonic.  What also provoked me to find a Crayfish pattern is that the crayfish population on the river is monstrous.  It’s also one of the primary food sources of ‘smallies’.

Back then, I tried a few crayfish flies, some designed by some famous fly tyers.  They worked but I noticed that flies with more movement were the most productive.  On almost all of those flies the claws were stationary, composed of deer hair or cutout pieces of ‘raw hide’.  I decided to design my own crayfish, using marabou for the claws.  My catch rate improved dramatically. 

One final piece of advice with this fly, crayfish swim fast, with a short darting motion, tail first.  Claws are extended in line with each other.  So, you have to get this fly down deep.  Weighting it with lead is strongly recommended.  You may also need a split shot above the fly.  When fishing this fly, short fast strips, then stopping, can result in hook ups.  Also, there is a technique called the ‘Crayfish Hop’.  Drift or Euro nymph your fly, then with your rod tip, jerk it about 12”.  It’s what most resembles how a crayfish swims. 

To tie this fly, begin by placing your hook in the vice.  Take a few securing wraps of thread behind your eye and cut off the tag end.  You’re going to tie your tail first.  To prepare it, take a 5-6” length of Swiss Straw and fold the first inch over your bodkin.  Fold it over the bodkin 2 more times.  Pinch the 3 folds together to create a fan approximately the width of your hook gap.  Tie it on top of the hook shank directly behind the eye with securing wraps.  It should extend 3 hook eye lengths from the tie in point.  When you tighten down on your wraps, the folds should fan out for your tail.  Adjust the tail/Swiss Straw if needed until your satisfied with its final shape.  Coat the back and front of it with ‘Hard as Nails’.

Next, affix your lead weight to the hook shank.  Take 7-8 wraps at the bend end part of the hook shank, right where the Thorax/Carapace is going to be located.  Bind it down with thread wraps.  Next, off the bend of the hook, tie in 3-4 strands of Pealescent Krystal Flash.  They should be approximately a hook gap in length.  On top of that tie in 2 Brown Matched Marabou Feathers.  The claws should be a hook shank in length off the bend of the fly.  Top that with 2 Black Pieces of Krystal Flash for the Antennae.  They should be 1 ½ times the length of the Marabou Claws.

At the tie in point behind the Claws/Antennae, tie in 6-8 strands of thicker Peacock Herl.  Without advancing your thread, tie in the Brown Saddle Hackle by the butt end.  Trim off the excess.  Next, tie in your Medium Brown Chenille.  It should be at least 6-7” in length.  Take 3-4 wraps forward with your Chenille.  Wrap back over it a couple times to create a bulbous Thorax/Carapace.  Tie it off but do not cut off the butt end.  Now palmer your Saddle Hackle around the Thorax/Carapace.  3-4 wraps should do it, brushing the hackle fibers open with your free hand.  Tie it off and cut off the butt end.  Next, take all the Peacock Herl and pull it towards the tail.  Tie it off with your thread, then cut off the butt ends.  You should still have a segment of Chenille hanging from your hook at the back of the Thorax.  Advance you thread to the tail, then take touching wraps with your remaining Chenille to create the abdomen.  Tie it off at the tail.  Cut off the butt end and whip finish.

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 2023 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Black Thread Frenchie  

Hook:  Hanak H XC 400 BL size #16 or Jig Hook of Choice.

Bead:  Silver Slotted Tungsten 3.0 mm 1/8” or size to match hook size.

Body/Thread:  Black UTC Ultrathread 70 Denier.

Tail:  Coq De Leon Pardo 4-6 fibers.

Rib:  Brown Semperfli Tying Wire 0.2.

Coating:  Body & Ribbing coated with UV Resin.

Collar/Hot Spot:  UV Orange Ice Dub.

 

This is a great nymph that can be tied in smaller sizes.  It can also be tied in a variety of colors.  

To tie this fly begin by placing your jig hook and bead in the vice.  Start your thread behind the bead.  Give it a few securing wraps.  Cut off the excess thread.  Wrap your thread down to the bend.  Next, tie in your Coq De Leon Tail.  It should be no longer than a hook shank length beyond the bend.  Cut off the butt ends.  Now tie in your Rib Wire. I like to capture it behind the bead and wrap down to the bend. 

 

Create a uniform tapered body with your thread.  Now wrap your rib forward creating a segmented body.  Tie it off behind the bead and ‘helicopter’ off the excess.  Coat the fly body with UV Resin and cure.  (An alternative is to coat it with ‘Hard as Nails’).   Next dub a sparse amount of dubbing to create a slender dubbing noddle for your Collar/Hot Spot.  Create a Collar/Hot Spot behind the bead.  Whip finish the fly and your done.  

Fly Fish Food 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 .