Hey Fly Tiers...What's In The Vise?

[rgfixit]

It's all about finding a technique that works for you. I sometimes have trouble because of my larger than average hands. But, invention is our friend.

We go to extremes to imitate when 9 times out of 10 the fish will eat just about anything. Many is the time I butcher up a perfectly tied fly streamside because the fish just want something different.

I'm working on some dragonflies right now. When I get 6 done I'll put up some pics. Next up are Helgramites. One of my favorite PITA flies to tie.

They need to sort of look like this. Oye there's a lot going on there!



RG

[fishgalore]

I could not agree with you more on the "fish will eat just about anything" concept. You have many trout guys that think trout can see so well as to be spooked by just about anything and yet they can't see well enough to discern the real from the imposter meal! Of course, part of that reason is they only see it for a split second and react to it. Unless of course they are "educated" and then stop because they know you are "fishing" for them (tongue in cheek). I think they are fooled more than they are on to you or spooked. I'm not saying in certain contexts they can't be spooked and thus don't respond. Nor am I saying that they can't be closed mouthed for other reasons, even though you might think it's because "they saw you". But they can be easily fooled if you approach it correctly. It seems to me that there are many examples, even from my own personal experience, whereby they were NOT spooked by my presence or it (my presence) didn't prevent them from feeding at and around my feet! Now certain bodies of water such as the Upper Delaware may prove somewhat more difficult but they will chase all kinds of things. Some to feed on and some to chase away (gotcha))!

In the photo's below the top flies are the instructors ties and the bottom are mine. Definitely room for improvement but not bad for a 1st attempt ever at these two types. I plan to tie some more of these soon so I can show my progress.







I bought more wire as well to tie more colors of the Brassies too! Then, too, I hope to tie more Black Beauties and some of the variations in that class.

Hopefully Hares Ears and Copper Johns too! Never tried a Copper John yet.

Those Hellgrammite (Dobsonfly) are great for Smallies! Is that what you fish for when using them?

[Bluegillonafly]

Bob...I've always pretty much confined my bluegill fishing to surface stuff.  Want to expand my horizons.  When you fish your "Bluegill Killer" are you using floating line?  Any particular retrieve pattern?  Thanks. 

[rgfixit]

Helgramites are my go to for smallmouth. The lower Genesee River holds some beauties as do many of the streams and creeks around my part of the world. Your flies look great and will definitely work.

I fish the little buggers just like a wooly bugger. The thing is, they drift down very slowly something big gills like. I use a floating line and furled leader with anywhere from 3 to 7' of tippet for streams and rivers. On the lakes I go to a sinking furled leader and fluorocarbon tippet up to 8' long to get down to the fish. I still generally stay with a floating line. You can add weight to the pattern with lead wire or go to a heavier bead.

Let them drift, strip them short or long, swing them through the current...just see what the fish want that moment. I do like to short strip them raising the rod tip to bring the fly up and let it drop slowly again lowering the rod tip.

Change up the colors too. Black with a red tail can be dynamite as can white with grizzly hackle or yellow with black. But, never leave home without an olive colored selection. 

RG 

[dimebrite]

Nice flies and discussions guys. I do get pretty particular with flies myself at times. It is mostly for me though not the fish. Other times I tie very basic and simple and find those ties work best. Especially after they get knarled up from catching a few fish. 

Fishgalore I couldn't agree more. For dry fly and emerger patterns, I found body color was most important for matching what's out there. Otherwise my most successful dries were finished off with a neutral hackle and a single post wing of z-lon mainly for my eye to see. I would often snip the bottom hackle fibers once done to let the head of the fly sit lower in the water... emergers were always just a simple dubbing wrapped body, single post wing pointing back and finished off with a dubbed head. It was flies like these that I enticed way more sips with rather than the fancy book recipes for dry flies...

[fishgalore]

Nice flies and discussions guys. I do get pretty particular with flies myself at times. It is mostly for me though not the fish. Other times I tie very basic and simple and find those ties work best. Especially after they get knarled up from catching a few fish.  

Fishgalore I couldn't agree more. For dry fly and emerger patterns, I found body color was most important for matching what's out there. Otherwise my most successful dries were finished off with a neutral hackle and a single post wing of z-lon mainly for my eye to see. I would often snip the bottom hackle fibers once done to let the head of the fly sit lower in the water... emergers were always just a simple dubbing wrapped body, single post wing pointing back and finished off with a dubbed head. It was flies like these that I enticed way more sips with rather than the fancy book recipes for dry flies...

That's pretty much what the guys at the fly shop said. KISS! & easy ties..........I like the concept.........like you I'm particular and like to make 'em "right"......... it's just who I am........they also said for the post wing some guys will use Chartreuse or bright orange to see it better. They said it won't make a difference as to whether you get a take or not. That again rings true to what RG said earlier. "They will eat just about anything". Color is likely, in many cases, not the issue. How many pink stone flies exist in the real world? And yet I've read plenty of comments about them working and many guys tie them. Same thing with Brassies & other colors that are not really normal colors to their experience (i.e. the fishes experience).

Good read on black stoneflies below. I've found what he says about them to be true and on the river I fish most locally. Even size 12 worked well. The idea of adding pink bead heads and different colored tails works. I used red biots for antennae and tails and they worked fine.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/2014/01/winter-trout-flies-hatching-stoneflies

[rgfixit]

Well I played around with the dragonfly pattern. I really like just sitting down at the bench and letting the imagination wander.







Bass are pretty dumb really, so I'm pretty sure one of them will eat these . They're pretty big by my standards but, my 5 wt TFO Axiom has plenty of gas to drive these.

Fun stuff anyway.

RG

[Raquettedacker]

Bass are not dumb....   There just opportunists..
They must be Italian and just like to eat a lot....   

[rgfixit]

Hey we could start a new argument thread...."Carp Are Smarter Than Bass" 

RG

[fishgalore]

Well I played around with the dragonfly pattern. I really like just sitting down at the bench and letting the imagination wander.







Bass are pretty dumb really, so I'm pretty sure one of them will eat these . They're pretty big by my standards but, my 5 wt TFO Axiom has plenty of gas to drive these.

Fun stuff anyway.

RG

Betcha they work............I like 'em!

[Bartman44]

Hey we could start a new argument thread...."Carp Are Smarter Than Bass" 

RG

Carp are smarter than some of the people I work with.  Nice looking flies RG.

[Raquettedacker]

Hey we could start a new argument thread...."Carp Are Smarter Than Bass"  :rotflol:RG

    And its easier to catch a 3 eyed gold fish than a brook trout....   

[rgfixit]

 

RG

[rgfixit]

Carp are smarter than some of the people I work with.  Nice looking flies RG.

Some days I believe carp are smarter than the person I work FOR.

RG

[fishgalore]

More Brassies today, size 16 in red, chartruese and dark blue. Black is next then some more Black Beauties and some variations of that midge imitation.