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N.U.Angler

A Couple Rat's

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Saw that I still had time for the contest so I decided to practice on a couple Salmon/Steelhead fly's. drug out a couple old double hooks I had, may tie on singles for the contest?

 

any comments welcome?

 

Also took a trip up the river yesterday with the camera, anybody recognize this North Umpqua landmark?

 

Howard

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Howard. Of the two I definitely lean towards the the Blue one,much better lines.

Bob

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I too would choose the Blue but would rather see the head finished with red thread . I just prefer the colour contrast it gives to the rest of the fly........Frank

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:D Hello

 

I have tied and fished RATS for over 15 years now.

Regarding your RATs you've got the bodyshop well covered, BUT ALOT is left to be done with the hackle and the wing. According to my standards the RATs are mainly fishing flies and not "show flies". That doesn't mean you can't show off tying a RAT. So here's my pointers

 

1. Hackles. To light, too long, too untapered and too bright

2. Wing. Too anxious stacked showing white and black marks. Stack it OK but pull gently in the middle to create a teardrop shape in the wing.

3. Height of the fly. Too damn high. Keep all flies low and streamlined but do not leave out details.

 

Am I being to picky? Well maybe I should enter this contest......?

 

Theese are my ideas of how a RAT should look like, at least when it comes to fishing.

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Awesome rats guys.

 

I have never tried this pattern here in Iceland but the blue one could be great early summer and the yellow on hot summer days and in the autumn.

 

Think I might give them a try this summer.

 

Thanks for sharing..

 

ps. Howard, the blue one is much better...

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I did a retie of the blue on, we'll see how it does. out here on my river it seems to be better to set the wing high, the river currents will pull it down, and I wasn't happy with the orange one to start with, I tried so new steelhead genetic hackle, its' big like you want, but more like dry fly hackle, its' too fine.

 

Tompa; I really like the looks of your Orange Rat, fishy!

 

Please don't forget we are half way around apart and on different rivers, also I tend to overdress a show fly.

 

Howard

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Awesome rats guys.

 

I have never tried this pattern here in Iceland but the blue one could be great early summer and the yellow on hot summer days and in the autumn.

 

Think I might give them a try this summer.

 

Thanks for sharing..

 

ps. Howard, the blue one is much better...

 

Pallagust,

You may indeed want to give this one a try as Poul Jorgensen created the Blue Rat specifically for the rivers of Iceland because blue is such a successful color there. The pattern was first fished by Joe Bates, Jr. on the Laxa i Kjos and Nordura.

 

Howard,

Poul's instructions for tying the fly call for the grizzly to be appled as a "false hackle" under the fly with a bunch of grizzly hackle fibers also tied in on the top of the fly so as to not have any hackle hiding the cheeks of jungle cock and blue kingfisher.

 

Regards,

Bruce

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As for fishing out here in the NW on the North Umpuqa and Rogue I've had really good luck with tying this fly with Hot Orange floss, everything else being equal. One thing nice about this pattern is you can change the floss and achive many different results.

 

Just a comment,

 

Howard

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BTW: I tend to tie my Rat's more towards bates than Jorgenson. Just a thought.

 

 

Howard

 

 

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