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 .

Paul's January 2023 Fly of the Month

 Duracell Nymph

Hook:  Fulling Mill Jig hook or Jig hook of choice, Size #12. 

Thread:  8/0 Camel or Wood Duck Thread.

Bead:  Silver Nickel Tungsten Bead 3.3 MM or sized to match hook.

Tail:  Coq De Leon Fibers, Dyed Brown.

Rib:  UTC Ultra Small Red Wire.

Body & Thorax:  Ice Dub UV Brown.

Collar:  Brown CDC Fibers spun in a dubbing loop. Finished with 2-3 addition thin wraps of Brown UV Ice Dub behind the bead. 

I’ve had great success fishing with this fly throughout the entire season.  Also, if you fish the TMA’s here in CT, sometimes the trout acquire ‘gold-bead-itis’.  A fly with a copper, silver, rainbow, or alternative color can sometimes make a difference.  This is perhaps my best producing ‘silver’ bead fly.  And boy does it sink with the Ice Dub material.  Although there are not many materials needed for the Duracell, it is not an easy tie.  It’s very difficult to form a slender dubbing noodle with Ice Dub.  The material very hard to tame.  I recommend using some tying wax and you might even want to moisten your fingers.  There are also some special tools(clips) available to help form your CDC Collar dubbing loop.  That should help to make tying this fly easier for you.

 

To tie this fly begin by placing your bead on the hook and hook in the vice.  Start your thread behind the bead, take a few securing wraps, cut off the tag end and wrap down to the bend of the hook.   Next, strip & prepare 5-6 fibers of Coq De Leon fibers to tie in for your tail.  They should be approximately a hook shank in length or shorter depending upon your preference.   After you have secured them, cut off the butt ends, then tie in your Red Wire Rib.  I usually tie it in behind the bead and wrap back down to the bend. 

 

Next, dub a body & thorax of Ice Dub UV Brown.  Dub a tapered body ending just behind the bead, then back off your thread a turn or two.  Now wrap your wire forward to create a segmented body.  Tie it off with your thread and ‘helicopter’ the wire butt end off the hook shank.  Prepare your CDC feather fibers and dubbing loop.  There are commercial tools that can help you do this. I use a household plastic clip to hold the fibers clipped from the feather. I then bring the clip with the fibers to my dubbing loop and spin it.  Now wrap your CDC Dubbing loop around the hook shank 3-4 times, stroking the fibers rearward as you do so.  This should create a nice ‘wet fly’ type collar.  Tie and clip off the remaining loop. Finally, apply a small dubbing noodle of Ice Dub behind the bead.  This will help train your CDC Collar fibers to flow rearward.   Whip finish the fly and you’re done. 

Fly Fish Food has a great video on how to tie the Duracell Jig Nymph 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 December 2022 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Chewy's Minnr

Hook:  Mustad 34007 Size #1/0 hook. 

Thread:  UTC Ultra Thread 1400 Chartreuse.

Eyes:  Chrome or Nickel Dumbbell eyes.

Tail:  Medium Pearl Mylar Tubing.

Body:  Bill’s Body Braid Pearl.

Wing 1:  Arctic Fox Fur White, Off White, or Tan.

Flash:  Pearl Krystal Flash

Wing 2:  Extra Select Craft Fur Chartreuse.

Head:  Deer Hair in Chartreus.

This is a clouser variation that really catches fish.  It was not developed for stripers but it’s a killer fly for them.  I think the reason why it works so well is because of the bouncy of the deer hair in the front of the fly, and the motion of the Arctic fox at the rear.  The originator didn’t use dumbbell eyes and instead uses a tungsten bead.  He did this to minimize the splashing of the fly when it hits the water, especially in shallow locations for warm water species.  This is not a concern when fishing for stripers here in New England.  Therefore, dumbbell eyes are the best was to go with this fly.  I tie this fly in Chartreuse as shown here, and in a Pink variation.

 

Start your thread behind the eye.  Take touching wraps to the bend and back up to the dumbbell ‘tie in point’ behind the eye.  You are going to tie in your eyes ‘1 dumbbell eye length’ away from the hook eye.  I usually make two thread bumps and ‘cradle’ the eyes between them.  Like a traditional clouser you are going to mount them on  the ‘top’ of the hook shank.  X wrap & figure 8 wrap your eyes.  A drop of head cement or UV resin goes a long way to keeping the eyes locked on top of the hook shank.  Now cut a ¾” piece of Medium Pearl Mylar Tubing.  Remove the paracord from the center.  Tie it in off the bend of the hook.  Next, take scissors or a bodkin and ‘tease’ out the tubing fibers.  Now tie in 3-4” of Bill’s Body Braid.  Advance your thread up to the dumbbell eyes.  Wrap the Body Braid forward take an ‘X’ wrap around the eyes.  Tie it off in front of the eyes and cut off the butt end. 

In front of the eyes tie in a clump of Artic Fox Fur for your wing.   Hopefully it will extend between a half & full hook shank length beyond the bend of the hook.  Make sure you split the clump to leave equal portions on each side of the hook shank.  Next, tie in two pieces of Pearl Krystal Flash on each side of the hook shank.  They should extend to the end of your Fox Wing.  You are now going to top the wing with Extra Select Chartreuse Craft Fur.  Tie and bind it on top of your wing.  Next, take a clump of Chartreuse deer hair.  The size of the clump will vary depending upon the size of the hook you use.  You are going to bind it down on top of your Craft Fur.  While holding it in place, take tightening wraps so that the butt ends flair.  If additional Deer Hair is needed you can repeat this process.  Now ‘sweep’ all the Deer Hair fibers rearward and take a few securing wraps in front of them.  Whip finish and tie off the thread.  Finally, trim the Deer Hair to create a tapered head.   Apply some head cement to your thread wraps in front and you’re done.

Umpqua Feather Merchants 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 December 2022 Fly of the Month

Jelly Jig Fly

Hook:  Hanak Jig hook Size #16.

Bead:  3.2 mm Silver Slotted Tungsten bead.

Tying Thread:   UTC 70 Denier Florescent Orange.

Body:  Semperfli Gel Core Body Micro Fritz, Dark Mocha Brown.

Tail:  Spanish Coq De Leon, Pardo.

Veil: Ice Dub UV Brown.

This is a great all round nymph even though it’s composition is different.  Instead of dubbing, thread, quills, or biots; the body is Semperfli Gel Core Body Micro Fritz.  It also has a veil of Ice Dub the reminds me of LaFontaine’s caddis pupa.  IT’S DIFFERENT THAN ANYTHING ANYONE ELSE OUT THERE IS FISHING. That’s important when fishing TMA’s.  The Jelly Jig is one of my ‘magic’ flies.  Very effective when there are tan or dark caddis on the water.  It is also an extremely easy fly to tie.  You can ‘knock’ out a lot of them very quickly.

To tie this fly begin by placing your bead on the hook.  Start your thread and take some securing wraps.  Cut off the butt end of your thread.  Bring your thread behind the bead and make some tight wraps to lock it in place.  Next, take 3 Coq De Leon Fibers and tie them at the rear of the hook shank for your tail.  They should be approximately a hook shank in length past the bend.  Now, tie in your Gel Core Body material behind the bead.  Wrap back to the bend, then bring your thread back behind the bead.  Using ‘touching’ wraps, bring your Gel Core Body forward and tie it off behind the bead.  With your thread still behind the bead, take a ‘pinch’ of Brown Ice Dub and tie it down at it’s ‘mid’ point.  After sinching down the dubbing, stroke all the fibers back to create a ‘veil’ around the hook shank.  You can pinch off the longer dubbing fibers if they extend beyond the bend of the hook.  To finish the fly, take a few wraps with your Orange Thread behind the bead to create a small ‘hot spot’.  Whip finish and apply a drop of ‘head cement’ to the thread wraps. 

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 .

Paul's November 2022 Bonus Fly of the Month

 Peacock & Partridge Wet Fly

Hook:  Hanak Wetfly Hook H230BL Size #12, or hook of choice. 

Thread:  Fluorescent Green UTC 70 Ultra Thread.

Tag:  Fluorescent Green Thread.

Rib:  Small Gold or Copper Ultra Wire.

Body:  2-3 Strands of Peacock Herl.

Soft Hackle Collar:  Hungarian Partridge Feather. 

This is a ‘traditional’ pattern that is very effective catching trout.  One comment I always state about ‘wet flies’, they are one of the most effective patterns on the river, yet, very few Fly Shops carry them.  If you’re a tyer, ‘This is a Home Run!’  It’s an easy fly to tie and here’s how I do it.

Begin by placing your hook in the vice.  Start your thread on the hook shank leaving an ‘eye length’ space behind the eye.  Take some securing wraps and then cut off the tag end of the thread.  Make thread wraps a little beyond the bend of the hook to create your ‘tag’.  Next, tie in your Gold or Copper Ultra Wire Rib.  Tie it in along the entire hook shank to create an even base for the rest of your fly.  Whip finish and cut off your Fluorescent Green Thread.

Switch over to Black tying thread for the rest of your fly.  Start the thread at the ‘tie in’ point behind the eye.  Take securing wraps and cut off the tag end.  Next, take 2 or 3 Peacock Herl fibers.  Tie them in about an inch back from the tips and wrap backwards binding them all the way to the bend.  Cut the tips off and begin wrapping the Herl forward towards the eye.  You want to create a uniform body.  Wrap up to the initial tie in point and tie them off.  Cut off the butt ends, then wrap your Wire Rib forward.  Use open spiral wraps to segment the body.  Again, tie it off at the initial tie in point behind the eye.  ‘Helicopter’ off the left over wire. 

Now prepare single Hungarian Partridge Feather for the Collar.  Strip off the ‘fuzzy’ feather base.  While holding the tip of the feather, stroke the rest of the fibers rearward.  You are now going to tie in the feather by the tip.  Once affixed to the hook shank you can cut off the ‘tip end’.  Holding the Feather by the butt end, raise it to a vertical position above the hook shank.  Stroke all the fibers rearward.  Take a couple wraps around the hook shank to create your soft hackle collar.  Now secure it with 2-3 wraps of thread behind the eye.  Cut off the butt end and create a 4-5 wrap whip finish.  Add a drop of ‘head cement’ to the thread wraps and you’re done.

There is a great instructional video by Tightlinevideo 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 .