Capt Bob LeMay

Just nothing like polar... When you fish it you'll find out that it's much, much more durable than bucktail for a similar application - so fish those flies. Years and years age we used to use polar almost exclusively for big 'cudas. No matter how many strikes, the polar bear wing would survive those toothy critters...

I buy (and use) quite a bit of maribou (thank heavens lots of folks eat turkey....). I buy my maribou by the pound usually and make a point of purchasing "four inch strung blood quill" which should be what you're looking for. these days I see quite a bit of maribou that's intended for wooly buggers and it's much shorter than the four inch stuff I prefer.... The best I ever got was from an outfit that's no longer around - Hobbs Feather Company. They kept a high standard and would also break down a pound of the strung blood quill into your choice of four or five colors. Hobbs, by the way, was the only outfit I ever dealt with that would provide an end user (they were a wholesale outfit...) with a complete color chart of all the colors they dyed (and each color came with a sample of, you guessed it, blood quill..). Wish they were still in business. Here's a pic or two of the patterns I use with maribou for any wanting ideas... One of my anglers yesterday used a Crystal Schminnow (the small white fly) in size #4 to catch and release a pretty little tarpon.... Tight lines, Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

Fishing docklights is a staple for my anglers when we're doing night charters.... The only thing that changes are the species and the time of year. I'd bet that docklights from Maine to Key West (and everywhere in-between) are well worth a look in warmer weather. If you're down in south Florida where I am docklights are a year 'round proposition.... Great night, great pics, enjoyed the report... Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

Black bear hair works in a variety of venues. It's a great tail on larger jigs meant for largemouths (particularly the kinds of jigs used for brushbusting with "jig and pig" combinations) for those not exactly into flyfishing.... I've had great success with all black flies in sizes from #2 up to 1/0 in winter backcountry fishing for snook and redfish up in the fresh and almost freshwater portions of the Everglades as well... I'd rate black bear hair as a bit more durable than bucktail (and it's certainly nice not to work with dyed black hair, which is a PITA). Black bear ties in quite a bit like polar bear so it lends itself to bendback or other reverse tied (hook up) patterns. Substitute black bear for the wing shown on this Neon Bendback to get some idea of what's possible for the salt (or freshwater apps). It also works well for any Clouser pattern... Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

Just saw this thread and I have both a 9 and a 10wt TicrX rods that I'm very fond of. At first they feel a bit odd since the butt section is a bit stronger than most fly rods you'll handle, but you very quickly become accustomed to it. I'd rate this series as much more of a "big fish" blank and we use it accordingly. The 9 has taken many small tarpon up to around 40lbs and I wouldn't hesitate to have one of my anglers hooked up on fish up to 50lbs with it. The 10wt has handled tarpon up to 80lbs and held up well (I use tarpon to rate my rods since they're the most common big fish we work with them -when we go after sharks I never use anything light at all - a 12wt is a minimum for the sharks we work...). As far as the BVK rods, locally they have a reputation for not holding up and there have been many breakages -but down here in south Florida even the small fish pull much harder and the mangrove jungle conditions up in the 'Glades, combined with long boat runs in occasionally bad conditions (my daily run is usually 60 to as much as 80 miles round trip in a small skiff...). Some of my Sage rods have made the return trip for warranty work more than once a year.... By comparison the TFO rods are much lower cost to return and they come back to you in one third the time as some of the "premium" companies return times... Hope this helps Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

That'll get bit....

The only time I wash materials is to prep them for dyeing (but it's been years and years since I did much dyeing - commercial supplies are tough to beat....). Yes there are some dyed items (black and red come to mind) where the dye will actually come off on your hands (and will end up on your face or in your eyes If you're not careful to wash and dry them after a tying session -or during -if you're doing a day long tying session....). The problem with washing them is pretty simple - yes it works, but the resultant materials will have faded a bit as far as color goes (so you takes your choice as Popeye would have said...). The only exception to this for me involves materials that come to you that are simply too greasy so use, as is (mostly bucktails or other natural hair/skin type items).... On the rare occasion that I have to deal with that sort of stuff I just do step one in my dyeing process -which is to wash the item(s) in warm soapy water (Dawn detergent cuts animal fats better, Joy cuts petroleum or synthetic contaminants better), then rinse thoroughly in cold water shake as much water away as possible then allow to dry on newspaper. When the materials are pretty thoroughly dry ---- they're not! Take an extra day and clothespin them to a fence or clothesline outside in the sun to really dry them out (you'll be glad you did since they'll store much, much better if properly dried, period). Instead of washing materials the technique I find most helpful (particularly with feather products) is to thoroughly steam them and allow to dry before use. Steaming feathers of any kind very quickly restores them to natural shape, sheen, and "fluffiness" (if there is such a word). With a bit of positioning, steamed feathers can be dried to that you can minimize any natural curl or maximize it -just by how you lay them out on the newspaper or paper towel to dry. Once again, though for feathers on the skin (necks and saddles) it's wise to go the extra step of a day outdoors drying to make absolutely sure you're properly dried them out.... One addtional caution about steaming any natural materials - make sure not to get them too hot or you can actually burn them while steaming. Keep the materials to where the steam isn't so hot that you can't take it on your skin to be safe... I've attached a pic of my version of that old standby tarpon fly -The Cockroach... The big, wide, webby neck hackles for this pattern really benefit from steaming on the skin before tying up.... Hope this helps Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

I've posted about this on other threads so here goes again.... As a commercial saltwater tyer I'm very concerned about the durability of my flies among other small items... After trying a variety of glues and techniques here's what I use -and the eyes usually outlast the the materials on the fly.... The fist thing you need is Fletch-Tite, it's a glue in a tube made specifically for folks that make their own arrows -it allows the attachment of the feathers (the fletching) on arrows and is very durable. It also comes with a long thin tube that's perfect for placing a single drop of glue exactly where you want it... I've always found the stuff at my local BassPro shop -but it should be available anywhere they sell archery supplies. I get a pretty good life out of a tube once it's opened as long as I use the cap that comes with it. Now for how I use the stuff... Using only one eye at a time I glue it in place then clamp it with an Irwin mini-clamp or just a plain clothes pin for about 10 minutes, then repeat for the other side and you're ready to fish. Over the years I've gotten away from those pretty holographic soft plastic dome eyes since they don't hold up well at all. I much prefer the hard plastic doll eyes that come with a stem that you have to clip off before using. They're 10x more durable than the holographic items in actual use - but they don't look nearly as pretty on a new fly. I'm attaching a couple of pics to go with this -the first shows the hard plastic eyes, the second the holographic eyes that I no longer use... Hope this helps, give it a try.... ps/ messed up on the pics -the second pic shows lead eyes instead of the holographic example Tight lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

Welcome to the forum.. many of my best patterns were originally designed to mimic one lure or other since I didn't start out with a fly rod either. I'll look forward to seeing your bugs. Tight lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

In addition to the advice already given I try not to use a shock or bite tippet on reds or trout (or any time I'm using smaller flies, #2 on down. even for tarpon or snook....). Instead I go to straight fluoro -usually 20lb but I'll go lighter if I have to since refusals or spooks point in that direction.... Here's an old bonefish trick that works well for spooky shallow water fish that are slowly moving along. I've always thought of it as "gambling"..... I lay the fly out six to ten feet in front of the fish and very carefully note exactly where the fly landed since I'm not going to move it at all. Now for the gambling part - you're betting the fish will move within sight of your fly before you move it (and many times you'll be disappointed since fish tend to follow their noses and wander some). When you're sure the fish is within sight of your fly then hop it once and let it settle. If they're hungry you'll usually get an immeidate response. The main reason it works is that it allows you to present the fly and have it laying in wait so that the fish never sees the cast or the related line stuff that happens when everything hits the water on most casts. All they ever see is something that darts up then appears to go back to cover -that's all it usually takes to provoke a strike. If the fish isn't co-operating and doesn't move toward your fly then you pick it up and try again. We have some really spooky big bonefish in nearby Biscayne Bay and this trick seems to work when all else fails - but I won't use it if there's much current since your ambush just won't work then... Hope this helps... Tight lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

As a former bureaucrat myself... I can understand what's going on - not that I like it or approve... It's the same impulse easily found in any town when there's a serious budget shortfall. Are they going to chop anyone's brother in law or special project or are they going to cut back on cops, firefighters, and teachers? You can guess how it usually goes...

Glad I was able to work a charter on Sunday since the Park will be closed now until the shutdown ends... The only good news from this end is that the Parks's boundaries end at Chokoloskee/Everglades City so I'll be able to work from there northward to Naples while all this fuss is occurring. The last time there was a govt shutdown they not only locked us out of the Park but stationed rangers on the water to keep anyone from entering Park waters by boat....

Haven't posted a report in a while since almost 80% of my anglers recently haven't exactly been fly anglers. Yesterday I had brothers David and Phillip Smith aboard for a day on the gulf coast of the 'Glades, in the Shark river area. David worked the fly rod while his brother worked a light spinning rod (and the combination of flies and lures kept the fish interested in most places). Right after Phillip caught and released a nice snook David tossed a small popping bug into a tiny creek entrance and we were off to the races. I'll let the pics tell the story. His rod was an 8wt loaded with a floating line and a small #1 poppper, the Speedbug.... If you look closely at the posed shot you can see that bug in the fish's lower jaw. Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

Before you do any prying... the first thing I'd do is try to work the spring clip (if it has one...) that allows you to remove the spool. Sometimes a bit of crud or corrosion prevents you from depressing it fully so that the clip clears the groove in the spool shaft. If you're lucky, that's all it will take... if not you're on to step two... There's always the possibility that either the pawl, the spring, or the screw itself that mounts one or the other has come loose and it binding. Take a rubber mallet (the object here is not to scar, mark, or deform anything.... Strike the spool sharply in the dead center, then see if the spool moves better at all. If it's still binding then go to the back of the reel casing and tap it from side to side to see if you can loosen things. Good luck with this, since if nothing else works you will end up trying to pry the spool loose (and probably damage either spool or casing). Since it's a Hardy you might get some assistance from them -but I believe Hardy was sold recently so how you'll fare I couldn't guess. The Hardy model that I'm most familiar with is the old Marquis (the original Scientific Anglers reels were all Marquis models) and I at one point I had a few of them in larger sizes. If I remember correctly the mounting points for pawls on those reels were simple rivets - not screws, and each reel had two of them.. Good luck, hope this helps ' Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

Very good looking bug....

Can't remember how many anglers fishing fly with me end up with cuts on their stripping fingers by the end of a hard day's action. I keep both band-aids and sport wrap on board for just this purpose. Savvy anglers bring their own finger guards.... I wish I could say that such small injuries were because of big fish -but most will never, ever use a fly rod as much where they usually fish than they will in a day in the 'Glades or a night around bridges and docklights over in Biscayne Bay. Your hands are continually wet which softens the skin and eventually most will begin to wear through that outer layer. I want my anglers in good shape for that one fish where stripping and setting the hook means everything.... There are quite a few products out there from stripping gloves that protect thumb and first two fingers on your weak hand (the stripping hand) or just small finger tubes that give the same protection. Once you try them you'll always want them with you when you're going to be working a rod continuously for hours.... tight lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

I learned long ago to match my rods much more to the size of the flies we use than the size of the fish. Here's a quick overview of what I usually advise beginners.... A 7wt rod shouldn't have a fly with a hook size larger than a #1 (and a #2 is probably better...). An 8wt can be used with flies tied on 2/0 hooks for short range casting but sticking to 1/0 and under is much easier. You can figure where this is going so I won't continue... Here's the second portion of that same routine. As you move from "just one fly rod" and expand your arsenal try to keep two sizes apart (if you have an 8wt then your next size up should be a 10wt, if you have a 9wt then add an 11wt, etc.). It's helpful as well to remember that different types of fly lines (floatiing, intermediate, quick sinking) give you different capabilities as well. All of my heavier rods (10 to 12wts) are set up with intermediate lines for their versatility and their casting ability. Intermediate lines will carry a heavy fly better than almost any floating line... at least that's been my experience... Tight lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

Since I'm hardly a purist (and many days I'll have one angler using fly gear while his or her partner is using spinning gear...) we've been known to troll the occasional fly as we're moving the skiff from one spot back to where we started our drift. The object is usually to add a few baitfish to the well for use later.... All we ever do is allow a Clouser or similar bug about a fly line's distance from the transom then work the rod the way the old handliners used to. The baitfish of choice are ladyfish in the 10 to 16" range and when they're around doubles are the order of the day (the spinning rod is in play as well but with a small white jig of some kind). And for those who fish freshwater trout -our baits, when we use them, are the same size as the trout many fly anglers target.... The reason for the live bait is simple -everything in the 'Glades will eat a ladyfish if they get a chance... This snook ate one on Monday... We occasionally get one this big on fly but most of our fly caught snook are a bit smaller than this.... Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

Since I buy my feathers by the pound and hooks by the thousand per size... that's a pledge I ought to take...

Remember when dealing with snook,ladyfish, or small tarpon... their lips are like wet/dry sandpaper in 100grit size -they really do a number on any leader they can get to (and of course snook also have a plate on each side of their gills that's actually sharp enough to cut through 80lb mono -ask me how I know...). So each time you get bit examine the bitter end of your leader and be prepared to cut it back and re-tie... As far as topwater goes, any small popping bug, muddler type fly, Crease fly, Dahlberg Diver, or my own razor-cut mullet fly can be useful. Mostly, though I'm only working topwater around beaches at very first (or very last) light unless I can see fish blowing stuff up within casting range.... Here's a sample or two -the first is a Speed Bug with size #1 hook (the body is a Perfect Popper head, soft foam -meant for a #4 freshwater hook..). The second is a Razor Cut mullet in 2/0 with spun and razored deer belly hair, a bit of deer tail over layed with a single rabbit strip.. (I'm showing all white but red/white, chart/white, purple, and other colors work great in different circumstances....). Any time you're working topwater with a bit of depth don't be surprised to get bit by other species -we catch quite a few spanish mackeral, ladyfish (big ones...), and jack crevalle of every size on popping bugs for instance (back in the 'glades).... I'm booked on Monday 70 miles to the east out of Flamingo with a 50/50 pair of anglers (one with fly the other with spinning gear). My fly angler will be in the bow and many of the flies in this thread will be getting chewed on with any luck. Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

That's a great fly for the beaches (and as long as it's mild/warm the fish will be up on Gulf side beaches every day...). Here's the leader setup that I use. Start with a permanent butt section spliced or looped to the end of your fly line. For an 8 or a 9wt I like 40lb mono, about four feet of it ending in a surgeon's loop. For a 10wt line I'd want 50lb and five feet, for an 11 or 12wt I'd want 60lb, at least 5.5 feet (and 6ft is probably better...). The reason for the relatively heavy butt section is to be able to turn over whatever your fly is (and on the salt you'll be using bigger, bushier flies -almost always.... For the beach I won't use a shock tippet generally (I'd rather get more bites even if it means losing an occasional fish...). For the remainder of the leader I'd go with four feet of 20lb fluorocarbon - and that's it. It would have another surgeon's loop to attach it to the butt section and the fly would be attached to the other end with a small loop knot. By the way, this system is called a 'Poor Boy' leader and it's as simple as it is effective. If you run into some bigger fish (10lbs and up) then add a short trace of 30 or 40lb (keep it less than 12" including knots to both leader and fly) as a "shock" or bite tippet. It's only there to give you a fighting chance against a big snook's particularly abrasive mouth (but as noted above -do without it if you can since snook and other species in shallow, clear waters have eyesight that's entirely too good....). Now back to that pretty fly... keep it on the small side, say no bigger than a #1 hook (I frequently use Crystal Schminnows that are tied on #4 hooks for beach snook -and small tarpon as well, but you won't see any of those along the beach....). Hope this helps, I'll post up some Schminnows (my version) so you can see what I'd be tossing at them..... Tight lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

I'm very pleased with the TICRx 10wt we have on board my skiff. Customers have taken tarpon up to around 80lbs with it... With the slightly heavier butt than most 10wts it's a very good fighting tool. Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

Very nice work!

Hi Mud... Sorry for the delay in responding, I've just gotten back in town. Where we are down in the 'Glades, as long as water temps are at least 70 degrees, we're in business (but that's a winter and spring proposition when most waters are colder -that's what makes the Everglades such a great cold season fishery, it's just warmer than anywhere else inshore...). If your water temps were down significantly from where they should be, the big tarpon may just have stayed out in deeper water (they're very, very temperature sensitive....). Glad you did well with your setup. I've never been successful with a fast sinking line -the only thing we use is a full intermediate, then count it down until it's right near the bottom before dredging it back in.... Hope this helps Tight Lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666

I've been using Fletch-Tite, an arrow makers glue for some years now. You can find the stuff at any archery shop (or your local Bass Pro shop). It comes in a tube, with a long small applicator that is just right for applying a single drop of glue. I do one eye, then clamp for a few minutes (clothes pin or micro clamp)then the other.... Hope this helps. Tight lines Bob LeMay (954) 435-5666