Sean Juan

The mono loop is great for long flies with relatively few "strands" of material ei a long zonker strip, flat wing saddle hackle, that sort of thing. Murphy's law applies to all long flies and fouling if it is at all physically possible its going to happen. This also applies to trailer hooks. Another tactic could be to first tie in a tapered tail of superhair (or any other thick synthetic) then dab your fingers in softex and run it along the tail 2/3's of the way. That will be your baseline a solid foundation for the EP to work around. The fly will still foul (they all do) but it will likely be much less so. I find in general synthetics work best when in conjunction with other materials - of course most of the flies you see listed are tied with just the one material since they were designed but the guy who invented it. Try it first though, it may be fine - looks wise its really perfect.

It looks just about perfect. However I'm not certain how well it will fish. You'll have to let me know. Only reason I say it is because I find there is a point when the overall length of the fly is dramatically larger than the shank that things start to get dicey. I don't know how that material will react so its just an unimformed observation at this point. Another way to approach this fly would be to build half of it on a tube and the rest on the hook junctioned to the tube, would place the hook at the mid point of the fly may be better for hook ups.

My question is why don't you trust tube flies with toothy critters? Figure the fighting connection is the same as any other fly, unless you just can't get a heavy enough bite tippet through the tube. Other than that I agree with redwings - I'd even try just a single dressed hook at the rear, that way the fly will sit on the water with a tilt, much better hook ups especially for explosive takes. The fire tiger fly on the bottom looks like a winner - if you find that it fouls a lot - run some softex through the material to the bend it will stay flexible and with that long tail action wont be an issue - you could also tie it on a shorter shanked hook, and then extend it by tying on a piece of heavy mono.

OLB, Angel hair is a very thin wispy flash material - I don't think it belongs on the same list as the EP fibers. I'm not certain (keeps getting harder to keep the synth's separate in my mind and the differences between them are getting more and more marginal) but I think the differences between Slinky and Standard EP fibers are largely cosmetic - really not sure though. I use a lot of congo hair too - at that price its the perfect material for Bluefish or pike flies - I think it is a bit thinner than the EP fibers.

Hey Sage, Getting with Mamma Ruggles should definitely be on the list

Hi Joe, First under my fly patterns - check for the Buffy the Striper Slayer - I have a mini step by step on setting up a spreader. I use EZ-body for them because its readily available most of the other stuff I've heard about I've never seen in a shop. For a tubular fish like a sand eel I'll remove the two support threads, for a herring I'll leave them in. My favorite flash is angel hair - the worst thing about some flash material (saltwater krystal flash especially) is that it is heavier than the other materials and will sink faster, making the fly look like crap. This can be used to your advantage - I use a lot of red Saltwater krystal flash as a throat on baitfish patterns since it also serves as a type of keel. I generally stay away from long synthetics since the longer a synth the more it looks un-natural in the water. Take super hair for example, its a fine material but used at its full length it just doesn't have the same appeal as say using it at its 1/2 length to support a long saddle hackle, or some yak hair. That said my favorite is a material called Bear's Hair available from the Bears Den flyshop http://www.bearsden.com/product3224.html Hmmm guess they call it Syn-yak now. I like it because it has a krinkle which gives it movement, sheds water, and is very light - tie it sparce or you'll end up with a kite.

I need it too.

Theres a lot of variety when it comes to synthetic materials. Depending on your point of view there is either a ton of difference or no different at all. I can confirm there is a difference in terms of thickness and limpness, I can't confirm whether or not it matters. Angel hair will fill the same void as GSS, as will instant sushi, wing n flash and probably a dozen more that I just don't know about.

Hmmm guess I'll be teaching Daisy how to steal fly boxes.

I love to read. My favorite books are history books though especially those written fairly close to the time of the events. I just find it interesting just how much depends upon people's personalities, bad luck, or simple mis-understandings. I also love those choose your own adventure books, I recently started digging through my books to find better story books, I found those and been tearing through them. Ah the joys of nerddom.

Going to tie tonight. I'll be making a version of a smelt pattern that I use for landlocked salmon, but I'm not sure all you guys fish in areas with smelt. So if there is some other color scheme you would perfer like a trout or perch or whatever just let me know. SJ

I think deeky has it, not all deer hair was created equal. On top of that you want to make sure that you are prepping your bundles right, make sure all the fuzz is removed from the base and that you trim the tips off before you start. Tying with deer hair isn't easy, its a skill like any other and needs to be practiced. Its not a bad idea to just practice spinning on a hook you have no intention of fishing. Try a bundle about the size of a pencil, then try one four times that size. Try holding the hair at a 45 degree to the shank, then a 90 then flat parallel. It may just be the collected results of a lifetime of head injuries but I find I learn a lot more by trying to screw things up than by trying to do it right. However you learn it I really think you should, and don't give up. Deer hair flies are some of the most fun to tie.

Absolutely love yak hair...not the easiest to work with and I find it performs much better in conjunction with other materials especially synthetics.

I'm in... I usually mix naturals and synthetics, but I'll go all synth for the swap.

Just a question for your question... You say that you want it to fish like a floater - is there anything specific that you are looking to accomplish? Depending on your answer there may be a better approach than cutting the line. Just as an example if you wanted a line that could cast easily and sink a fly a few feet - then a long furled leader of flurocarbon makes for a nice light weight sink tip.

I remember distinctly getting my first outfit when I was six - note to parents who live in cold climates fishing gear makes a horrible Christmas present - I was literally bouncing off the walls waiting for spring. I had been tying and fishing flies with a casting bubble before that. I'm 31 now and I live a life geared around fly-fishing. Nearly every decision I've made, from the job I work, where I live, to the woman I married was influenced by fishing.

I can't really tell by that picture - if that is the picture. But one other technique with craft fur is to spin it - just like you would wool or deer hair. I've done it a few times. The biggest benefit over wool is that it sheds water quickly and so is easier to cast, but it is less durable and harder to spin.

I'm always looking for a new job...since I was nine I've been unemployed exactly three days. Thats probably the best advice I have right there - by always looking for work you stay ahead of new technologies, you stay sharp and it makes your current employer more likely to do what they can to keep you. The other great thing to do is network, and it is an art. If you call someone and ask "Hey do you have a job for me or know anyone who is hiring?" you will make people uncomfortable and less likely to help you. If you ask to speak to someone about their job and give them an opportunity to brag, preach, bitch - whatever - about their field you will learn a lot more, and the person you spoke with will keep you in mind if they have a position or know someone who does. 90% of my jobs I have got this way. Since you are still in school, you have a great opporunity to do this - keep in mind your professors nearly always have better ties to the profession you are studying for than the campus career conselor.

In that case Plum its a very simple answer. It may not be new but its new to him, and thats just as good. I have limited patience with grown men who try to squash a kid's enthusiasm. Like the entire history or fly tying is required reading before you lash feathers and fur to a hook, or that one has to take a global fly box census before presenting a pattern. I was in a similar situation at a show once. I just told the kid that this is a good example of why your parents and teachers tell you not to be overly concerned with what other people think, its because a huge number of them are bona fide ass-wipes. That should answer his question.

There are no hard fast rules in fly tying or fly naming. Probably the most "correct" answer to your question is to simply say that when a bulk of people start refering to a pattern as an independent pattern it becomes one. Little example Consider a Blonde, a Deceiver, and a Bucktail Deceiver all imitate baitfish The blonde has a bucktail tail and wing The Deceiver has a saddle hackle tail and a bucktail wing The Bucktail Deceiver has a bucktail tail and a bucktail wing All three are considered independent flies with the accepted history being that Lefty created the deceiver by making changes to a Blonde and Bob Popvics improved the deceiver by essentially changing it back. The reason I think is simple, the Lefty's Deceiver is collectively known - if you read "Tie in the tail Deceiver style" you know exactly what that means. So thats my yard stick. If I announce the name of a fly to a group of knowledgeable fly tyers and they know what I mean then its a pattern, if they totally don't know what you mean its a new pattern, if you can describe it by refering to a different pattern its most likely a variant. So back to the example. I often tie my baitfish with a bucktail tail and a calf tail wing - I don't consider them a separate pattern. I'm not really sure what its a variant of though because a case could be made for all three parent patterns. Ultimately, the last person to decide this should be the tyer - you'll know you have a successful pattern when there is yet another variant of your variant.

Two men were sitting next to each other at a bar. After a while, one guy looks at the other and says, "I can't help but think, from listening to you, that you're from Ireland " The other guy responds proudly, "Yes, that I am" The first guy says, "So am I And where about from Ireland might you be?" The other guy answers, "I'm from Dublin , I am." The first guy responds, "Sure and begora, and so am I. And what street did you live on in Dublin ?" The other guy says, "A lovely little area it was, I lived on McCleary Street in the old central part of town." The first guy says, "Faith & it's a small world, so did I.! So did I. And to what school would you have been going?" The other guy answers, "Well now, I went to St. Mary's of course." The first guy gets really excited and says, "And so did I. Tell me, what year did you graduate?" The other guy answers, "Well, now, let's see, I graduated in 1964." The first guy exclaims, "The Good Lord must be smiling down upon us! I can hardly believe our good luck at winding up in the same bar tonight. Can you believe it, I graduated from St. Mary's in 1964 my own self." About this time, Vicky walks into the bar, sits down, and orders a beer. Brian, the bartender, walks over to Vicky, shaking his head & mutters, "It's going to be a long night tonight" Vicky asks, "Why do you say that, Brian?" "The Murphy twins are drunk again."

I make my own and use them for most of my fishing. I make them out of 4lb vanish for salt water, pike and bass - they turn over big flies, last for a very long time, and provide a lot of tippet protection.

Nice flies as always John, good to see you posting again - figured you were working on your book, when's that due out? I've been using your technique on all my crease flies too, more natural than mylar tape.

Nice flies I really like the colorization in the middle group...I usually have white tied in just out of habit.

And the gill plate, perch have a sharp spike at the edge of their gill plates that I always forget about until they remind me.