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Fly Tying
FRANK DION

WINTER FLY PATTERNS FOR SALTWATER

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I do make a few changes in the colder waters of winter... Typically it's as simple as a bit smaller and darker fly than what we'd be tossing when it's warmer. Along the way we downsize our rods a bit, particularly when working all the way up into nearby freshwater areas. Typical patterns would be Clousers on no more than a #1 hook, usually a #2... with browns, brown/orange, purple or black colors. Along with the smaller, darker flies we dispense with shock tippets, using only straight 20lb fluoro (a "poor boy" leader, four feet of 20lb loop to looped to a four foot butt section of 40lb for a #8, or 30lb for a #7 rod... This is the setup we're using for snook, reds, trout, and smaller tarpon (under 20lbs). All bets are off when the big fish flood into Whitewater and nearby areas - then it's large black flies on an 80lb shocker attached to a 20lb tippet on the end of an 11 or 12wt... One of the flies I use the most is the Blacklight Special, tied up on a #1 Mustad 34007 hook with a wire weedguard. The tail is black maribou over pearl flashabou over a very sparse amount of black bucktail... The body is black Body Fur from Dan Bailey, palmered forward to within less than 1/8" from the hook eye and tied off. Before proceeding the Body Fur (which contains fine pearl flashabou-type filaments...) is clipped close on each side to flatten the profile, while leaving top and bottom fibers un-touched. The last two steps are a wire weedguard (#5 coffee trolling wire with a tiny hook bent into the end the thread will catch...)tied into place under the hook shank, then a single wide, webby black saddle is palmered forward for a dense short collar (I include as much of the "fluff" on the saddle in the palmering process as the shaft of the feather will permit..). Thread, by the way is Danvilles, flat waxed, in black. No finish is used, just a tiny drop of super glue after the weedguard is bent slightly away from the hook eye. When the glue it dry the wire is bent down into place (1/16" directly above the hook point) then a final small bend at the very tip end...

 

Once the fly is completed, you can add eyes if desired (I usually do...), either holo or hard plastic will do (the hard plastic doll eyes are much, much more durable than those pretty holographic eyes...). I use Fletch-Tite glue to place a tiny dot of glue, then place and clamp (my extra fancy clamp is nothing but a clothes pin...) one eye at a time.... Fletch-Tite is a cement used by arrow makers to attach the fletchings on their arrows. I find it at my local Bass Pro shop. Now for a few pics.... The first pic is part of an order headed for the shop I tie for, the second shows an earlier version of the Blacklight - before I began adding the feather collar.. the last pic is weedguards ready to use - note the tiny hook in the end of each wire, that's where the thread will anchor the weedguard. Finishing any fly with that darned wire sticking out will earn you a few band-aids until you get the hang of it. With that weedguard on a fly you can toss a fly into the mangroves and usually get it back (and it will fall off that last branch right where you wanted it in the first place...).

 

Tight Lines

Bob LeMay

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Capt. Bob I always look forward to your replies to threads. They are always jam packed with information and you always have some awesome flies. Love that black fly, might just have to change it to a smallie fly. Thanks for the inspiration!

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