Spring Swing Steelhead Flatwings

[Frank G. Swarner III 0]

Hoping to get up to Pulaski at the end of April and lay some line out with the two hander. Never tried for dropbacks.....I've been dead set against it, but after talking to a few reputable fisherman, I want to see what shape the fish are in with my own eyes.

 

These are all variations of Ken Abrame's September Night fly. They are 3" - 4" long and are tied on a Daichii 2451 size 6. I used calf tail or kip tail for the platform and the first collar rather than bucktail.

 

[letumgo 0]

Outstanding set of flies, Frank! I want to try a number of these myself this spring. I became a big fan of the flat wing style flies after fishing them last summer. The lifelike swimming motion of the flies in the water is amazing. These all look like they are going to fish great.

[Frank G. Swarner III 0]

Than you Ray!! Glad you like and fish them yourself......you know first hand how seductive they are in the water......nothing moves like them, every touch of current makes them come alive.

 

I love watching them swim!!

[bobfly 0]

terrific looking lot of flies Frank. Any secrets in the tying. I`m not familiar with this style Bob

[GR8LAKES FLYER 0]

Excellent ideas !! :headbang: :headbang:

 

I'm sure these would swim great . Very tantillizing . I'm going to tie up a few as soon as I finish posting this . I think some darker versions though for my home waters .

 

Thanks for posting Frank !!

 

 

Mike

[willowhead 0]

Thankx for postin' these Frank..........i've been meanin' to get into these for a while now. Bout time i did.....can you tell me why it is that you choose that particular hook to use??????????? Just curious.....? Can you also give a little bit of a materials list???????????? Wish i was up there to go fishin' with ya. I was thinkin' of makin' a quick run up before goin' to Florida..........but i been on the road so much lately.........Arkansas to New York, to Arkansas, to Michigan, to Oregon, to Arkansas to Missouri to Arkansas...........uugg. I guess New York is gonna have to wait til June................meanwhile Florida to Missouri to Arkansas to Idaho to Arkansas to Oaklahoma, to Arkansas to Louisisana, to Arkansas to Georgia............is next. Then New York................ Good luck on the water..........sure wish i was goin' with ya. Damn, i just remembered............i need an oil change. :hyst: And so does the truck. mark.....

[Frank G. Swarner III 0]

Here is the material list for the "September Night Fly" straight from the book "Striper Moon," by Ken Abrames.

 

Tail: Silver Mylar alongside two white saddles tied in flat over gray bucktail

 

Body: Silver Mylar tubing ( I choose to use a flashy dubbing)

 

Throat: Long white bucktail tied as a 3/4 collar, both sides and bottom one hair thick

 

Collar: White marabou, folded or doubled three turns.

 

Wing: One natural black saddle hackle over two strands of blue mylar ove fifteen strands of purple bucktail over long white bucktail.

 

Quote from the book pertaining to this pattern:

These flies imitate finger mullet. they must be tied in full silhouette, about as thick as a man's index finger. The mullet move through Rhode Island in September. There is no finer striper fishing in the surf when the mullet are moving along the shoreline. Enough said.

 

I am tying these for steelhead so some are a tad slimmer and I like playing around with different color combinations to keep it interesting.

 

The short shank of the hook doesn't apply as much leverage as a long streamer hook does. The hook also acts like a keel to keep the fly swimming correctly. The book calls for an Eagle Claw 254NA 1x short - 1/0 to 3/0. That is a bit too big in gape for the look I want so I use something similar but smaller.

 

I'll do a step by step at some point.....fishing is getting good

[willowhead 0]

FRANK, just two months and two days to go.............. :yahoo: YES!!!!! :yahoo: "COME ON DOWNNNNNNNNNN" :headbang: :thumbup: :thumbsup: :smoke: :serenade: :scooter: :punk: :nopity: :kicking: :gun_bandana: :drunk: :clapping: :cheers: :ban: or UP as the case may be.