Natural Patterns

[Southern Fly 0]

Hi all, I’m very new to tying to find 2 patterns.  Trying to find a wet fly pattern to tie for crappie or panfish using deer hair or squirrel (size 10 hook), and a wet fly using natural fur for bass(size 2/0 hook)?

I’d appreciate your help or any book suggestions that would cover panfish or crappie wet flys!       (I only have ponds and lakes here)

[cphubert 0]

Southern Fly welcome to the forum. The gill getter is an easy pattern that uses deer hair and rubber legs The Big Three Bluegill Flies #1, the Gill Getter - YouTube

wet fly use a dubbing fur tail and body with a squirrel hair (tail) wing. Google can image search to give you idea's or a squirrel strip "bunny" fly

warm water fly pattern books my favorite is Flies for Bass and Panfish (Stewart) but I am sure others will help you as a lot of members tie more of these than I do.

Chris

 

[flytire 0]

Fly Patterns — Panfish On The Fly

Fly Patterns - Warmwater Fly Tyer - by Ward Bean

[WWKimba 0]

Bluegill Flies – Texas Flyfishers of Houston  - Click on the Squirrelly at the top of the section - just bead chain and squirrel tail!  That should meet your needs.  Also, my Squirrelly Blond (a variation of the Brook's blond series) could help you out.  The many variations of this fly uses DMC metalic floss (found in most stores that sell sewing/needle point supplies) and squirrel tail as the wing and tail material.

Kim

[DarrellP 0]

Squirrel is slippery.  It sometimes makes me say NSFW words.

[DFoster 0]

2 hours ago, DarrellP said:

Squirrel is slippery.  It sometimes makes me say NSFW words.

Squirrel is slippery- Tim Flager has a simple solution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hV1KNILIhM&list=PL-x7IXRms3aXO5wQ1ab2yk2zi1otsswvD&index=1

[niveker 0]

15 hours ago, Southern Fly said:

a wet fly pattern to tie for crappie or panfish using deer hair or squirrel (size 10 hook)

Of course, there's alot out there with a quick Google search, but here are a few I personally use. 

Grizzly King with a wing of bucktail or squirrel tail works well for panfish and bass.  I don't usually tied them as small as a #10, but you can be happy if you've a mind to. 

Don't be afraid to substitute small chenille for the floss body

Picket Pin is a great fly, easy to tie.  This one I subbed groundhog tail for the squirrel tail wing - my opinion is recipes are seldom written in stone.  

Madam X uses beer body hair and is typically fished dry, but when it gets waterlogged and sinks after a fish or two it makes a great wet fly just under the surface.  Cover the body with floss and they last longer and sink better

Mini-muddlers a use both deer and squirrel and sink much better if tied in the original sparse style of Don Gapen and not the ugly monstrosities you see in fly shops

I'm sure I have more, but this is off the top of my beanie.  

16 hours ago, Southern Fly said:

wet fly using natural fur for bass(size 2/0 hook)?

I don't tie that big, but you may have problems finding natural fur long enough for a hook that size, maybe not though.  

Hard to  beat a Clouser style fly for versatility and ease of tying, just sub any body material as you like.  

Whatever you choose, tie some up and post them.  

 

[Philly 0]

On 2/1/2023 at 3:42 PM, Southern Fly said:

i all, I’m very new to tying to find 2 patterns.  Trying to find a wet fly pattern to tie for crappie or panfish using deer hair or squirrel (size 10 hook), and a wet fly using natural fur for bass(size 2/0 hook)?

That's a limited pallet to work with.  Most of my panfish patterns are tied with foam or other artificial materials and I usually don't fish smaller than a size 6.  I do use marabou and bucktail jigs but they include some flash materials.  Bass flies, I do tie them up to 3/0.  A bucktail Deceiver is one possibility,  a sculpin pattern, the Clouser minnow has already been mentioned.  Most of my bass flies are a mix of natural and artificial materials and include some type of feather.   For a 2/0 fly you could use Zonker strips(strips of rabbit fur).  There are also squirrel zonker strips, but they're more suited to smaller patterns.  Back to size 2/0 using rabbit fur Zonker strips.  You could tie a pattern with a Zonker strip for the tail, and then wrap another strip around the shank for the body.  You would just have to make sure you stroke the fur toward the back of the hook as you wrapped it.  I don't tie them so I don't have a picture to post.  You could do the same pattern and use bucktail for the tail and a wrapped Zonker strip for the body.  What weight rod do you plan on using to throw the 2/0 flies?

[Southern Fly 0]

Thanks everyone for the advice, I was following materials list of some flys I was planning on tying which called for a size 10 hook, might try some 6 or 8 hooks, but for substitution streamer hooks would Aberdeens work? 

[Southern Fly 0]

1 hour ago, Philly said:

That's a limited pallet to work with.  Most of my panfish patterns are tied with foam or other artificial materials and I usually don't fish smaller than a size 6.  I do use marabou and bucktail jigs but they include some flash materials.  Bass flies, I do tie them up to 3/0.  A bucktail Deceiver is one possibility,  a sculpin pattern, the Clouser minnow has already been mentioned.  Most of my bass flies are a mix of natural and artificial materials and include some type of feather.   For a 2/0 fly you could use Zonker strips(strips of rabbit fur).  There are also squirrel zonker strips, but they're more suited to smaller patterns.  Back to size 2/0 using rabbit fur Zonker strips.  You could tie a pattern with a Zonker strip for the tail, and then wrap another strip around the shank for the body.  You would just have to make sure you stroke the fur toward the back of the hook as you wrapped it.  I don't tie them so I don't have a picture to post.  You could do the same pattern and use bucktail for the tail and a wrapped Zonker strip for the body.  What weight rod do you plan on using to throw the 2/0 flies?

I have a 8wt orvis rod and reel I planned on using, nothing heavy mostly lighter streamers and maybe foam top water on 2/0

[Southern Fly 0]

14 hours ago, niveker said:

Of course, there's alot out there with a quick Google search, but here are a few I personally use. 

Grizzly King with a wing of bucktail or squirrel tail works well for panfish and bass.  I don't usually tied them as small as a #10, but you can be happy if you've a mind to. 

Don't be afraid to substitute small chenille for the floss body

Picket Pin is a great fly, easy to tie.  This one I subbed groundhog tail for the squirrel tail wing - my opinion is recipes are seldom written in stone.  

Madam X uses beer body hair and is typically fished dry, but when it gets waterlogged and sinks after a fish or two it makes a great wet fly just under the surface.  Cover the body with floss and they last longer and sink better

Mini-muddlers a use both deer and squirrel and sink much better if tied in the original sparse style of Don Gapen and not the ugly monstrosities you see in fly shops

I'm sure I have more, but this is off the top of my beanie.  

I don't tie that big, but you may have problems finding natural fur long enough for a hook that size, maybe not though.  

Hard to  beat a Clouser style fly for versatility and ease of tying, just sub any body material as you like.  

Whatever you choose, tie some up and post them.  

 

Thanks so much for all the info, will definitely post some updates along the way! Love the pricket pin, might tie some.

[Southern Fly 0]

On 2/1/2023 at 3:16 PM, flytire said:

Fly Patterns — Panfish On The Fly

Fly Patterns - Warmwater Fly Tyer - by Ward Bean

Perfect links, already trying some from ward bean on the website 

[Southern Fly 0]

23 hours ago, WWKimba said:

Bluegill Flies – Texas Flyfishers of Houston  - Click on the Squirrelly at the top of the section - just bead chain and squirrel tail!  That should meet your needs.  Also, my Squirrelly Blond (a variation of the Brook's blond series) could help you out.  The many variations of this fly uses DMC metalic floss (found in most stores that sell sewing/needle point supplies) and squirrel tail as the wing and tail material.

Kim

Thanks alot! Never thought of the beads for eyes, going to the hardware store now!

[Philly 0]

10 hours ago, Southern Fly said:

Thanks everyone for the advice, I was following materials list of some flys I was planning on tying which called for a size 10 hook, might try some 6 or 8 hooks, but for substitution streamer hooks would Aberdeens work? 

I use the Eagle Claw Aberdeen Crappie hook on some of my flies.  I like the long shank and the wide gap/gape.  I use 3/0 ones for my crayfish patterns.  I use them for streamers, woolly buggers and some of my poppers.  Either the gold or bronze ones.  I like the idea that if you get snagged and get the fly loose you can straighten the bend back into a useable position, at least a couple of times.  Size 6 is the smallest size I use.

[Poopdeck 0]

Fly tying is not an exact science. You may use whatever hook your heart desires. I rarely, if ever, use the hooks called for in fly patterns. I keep basic hooks on hand and use them on many different flies and this includes Aberdeen hooks. in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever tied a fly that uses the exact hook, thread, and materials called for by somebody else who tied a similar fly. Don't be afraid to substitute and don’t feel for one second that strict adherence to anyones pattern recipe is needed to tie a fly that will catch a fish. Tie away and fish them up.