Propellor Flies?

[BigDaddyHub 0]

During my last visit to J Stockard's website, I purchased a few packs of propeller blades just for farts and grins. I know that props add flash, vibration, and a lot of "flashy" appeal to a fly, but I have never fished a prop fly before, nor have I tied a prop fly. What are some your thoughts on adding props to flies? I have added them to a few buggers (no brainer there), but I have also tied a popper with a prop behind the body in an attempt to mimic the Heddon Torpedo plugs that I loved as a kid. Any thoughts or comments are much welcomed. If there are any physicists or engineers who can add a little scientific theory or fact to the discussion, I encourage you to post!

[DrVette 0]

All i can tell you is that as a kid and early adult i almost never caught trout here in Colorado on a woolyworm. In the late 80s i was given 2 woolyworms with props on them (called pistol petes) and started getting as many hits durring non-rise times as i did with dries durring peak rise times. They made one heck of a difference. I don't know how many times i retied those two props untill i was down to one...i actually swam a hole to retrive it once...untill i finally found a box of props and beads.

They are great...I was wondering why i never saw the pistol pete as an entry to the recipes. I guessed every-one knew about them. Maybe they are just a localy known trick??? I know it is hard to find the small props to tie them with still. I usually stock-up at the blueriver angler's in Frisco Colo. every July durring the Vettes on the Rockies show.

[BigDaddyHub 0]

a local bud of mine fishes the "Uncle Joe's Flies" line of products with extra fine line and a spinning rod. He's always managed to take fish and has just recently taken to flyrodding. I started tying these after he asked if I could mimic a Torpedo or a Rooster tail. I could him that I could, but have never fished one before. I'm heading out the door right this minute to give them a whirl. Just one question, does the prop make the fly rise in the water column or does it hold it's position? Just thinking out loud here. Hopefully I will have a few pics to document my results.

[DrVette 0]

Actually the rising is a good question. I always drift-sink them into position on the river then they naturally rise as you strip them in. The extra drag on the prop seems to lift it faster (floating line) but i don't think there is any more rise than just from that??? They do stay just under the surface though. Almost all of your strikes are just as you start to take out the slack and strip...first 2-3 pulls and wham!

[smallieFanatic 0]

I've never tied them Chris, but I read somewhere that you're supposed to mount them between two bead heads. Good luck and post some pictures.

 

 

 

Jan

[rich5665 0]

Bead, propeller followed by another bead at the eye of the hook then your materials or just propeller, bead then materials. I've seen both ways posted on Google images. Jan's Net craft has a small selection of propellers for lures and flies.

 

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/propeller-spinner-blades/

[flytire 0]

pistol petes

 

http://www.pistolpeteflies.com/

 

adding the propellor to the back could impede the hooking ability?

[Arkansas Mike 0]

Never used flies with props, but when I was a kid my Granddad used

to give me the old Creme plastic worms harness rigged with beads

and a propeller. Those things would catch the fish!

 

 

Mike

[DrVette 0]

pistol petes

 

http://www.pistolpeteflies.com/

 

adding the propellor to the back could impede the hooking ability?

The one in the picture there is the kind i tell people NOT to fish. The trick to tying a good pistol pete is to get the smaller props. I will try to get my camera charged and post a pic tomorrow of a couple i have here. The larger prop in that site's pic causes the fly to be very erratic and will spin the entire line and chase fish off. A very small prop resting lightly against a bead will spin more naturally and attract fish. If you made the fly larger than they show that size prop would still work. You want to find a prop that is about the same size as your body diameter NOT the hackle diameter for best results.

And their description is wrong. The Guy who developed them lived on the St Charles Mesa and fished the Jarfano (sp?) and Arkansas rivers mostly...Some-one later started using those larger props and they just are not as good. The guy who invented them was a Friend of my Grandfather and passed away around 1988. I wish i could remember his name. My uncle and Grandfather were helping him sell them in other states when i received the 2 i had. They became well known all over (so i thought) almost immediately. I could never figure out where he got the props from. I had tried the knock-offs with little success untill i found my first box of smaller props at the rainbow grocery store in South Fork Colo. just down the Rio Grande from Creede Colo. around 1990.

If possible avoid the larger props and seek the the smaller ones...you will not regret the extra effort.

I hope i have the name right of the place in Frisco. They moved from out by the Safeway to Main street a while back and confused me untill i found them again a couple of months ago.

The real trick in tying a pistol Pete is that you MUST tie (and glue) the bead just far enough back from the eye to allow the prop to spin. If you crowd it and get the prop trapped between the eye and bead it is worthless. My best producer is a grey chaneele with silver rib and grizzly hackle. A very small red yarn tail seems slightly better but so close it may be just my prejudice???

 

As far as i know no-one has ever tied the prop to the back of the hook??? I haven't. It might work with a large enough hook gap???

Another thing i found over the years is just how hard it is to find the smallest bead possible to go onto the hook with-out smashing the barb. For some reason the fish can easily slip this fly with-out a barb. I never have figgured out why that is such a big difference. They mostly set right at the front of the lower lip.

[guppergoo 0]

I just have recently been doing just this technique w/ some propellers I have gotten from BPS. They have only 2 sizes at my nearest store in Nashville. I have been taking a simple wooly bugger but adding a second bead to the front and putting the prop in between. A word of advice - if you weight your bugger w/ lead, plus two beads, and the prop you get a dive bombing fly. Not a problem if that is what you want. I have used these in the olive/sculpin color w/ a bunch or weight and fished it almost like a bass jig on the Stones River and had more success than a standard bugger. Im a noob at tying and fly fishing so take my advice for what its worth.

[steelie 0]

Good Day,

 

Blades and props are really nothing new to fly tying. They have been around for a long time in fact. They were popular in the late 1800's and early 1900s, somehow falling out of favor around WWII/50's, who really knows why. So don't let the "neo-purists" fool you. Blades and props have a long standing history with regard to fly tying. Have fun and fish hard!

 

Steelie

[CoachBob 0]

Jannsnetcraft.com has three sizes of propellers for the cheapest price I have found.

Using plastic beads (Michael's or Hobby Lobby) instead of metal reduces the weight significantly. Depending on the size of the hook eye, a bead in front of the propeller may not be required.

Propeller flies are most effective in moving water where the flow helps the propeller spin. Otherwise fast stripping is needed.

[steelie 0]

Jannsnetcraft.com has three sizes of propellers for the cheapest price I have found.

Using plastic beads (Michael's or Hobby Lobby) instead of metal reduces the weight significantly. Depending on the size of the hook eye, a bead in front of the propeller may not be required.

Propeller flies are most effective in moving water where the flow helps the propeller spin. Otherwise fast stripping is needed.

 

Good Day,

 

Well said!

 

Steelie

[DHise 0]

I also like to string the propeller blades (with a bead) on my leader and you can make any pattern propellerrific.

[Fred H. 0]

I also like to string the propeller blades (with a bead) on my leader and you can make any pattern propellerrific.

Good one Dave. they work better on the line instead of the hook.

Fred