Byrd's Gillbuster Fly Pattern

[gillage 0]

Does anyone have a materials list and/or SBS for the Byrd's Gillbuster Fly Pattern?

thanks in advance.

[Philly 0]

Gillage, I found this picture on a Texas site.  Poster says it's a "Byrd's Gill Buster".   It this what your're looking for?   The list of materials he gave was

Hook:  ?  Looks like a streamer hook, 2xl, possibly 4xl

Tail: White Zonker Strip

  Weight:  White Dumbbell eyes

Looks pretty easy to tie.  Three pieces of material.

Too late to tie up one now.  After I attend church on Zoom, I'll tie one up and take a picture.

 

[gillage 0]

Not sure, read about them without a picture or materials list.

Always on the lookout for a bluegill fly.

I did a search and came up pretty empty handed.

Thanks

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

I don't tie for freshwater (hardly ever...) but I do have a bug that might be useful in freshwater that's similar to the photo shown... It's called a Crystal Schminnow (my version of Norm Ziegler's famous gulf coast snook pattern).  It's ancestor was  probably a Wooly Bugger...

This one's on a Mustad 34007 #4 hook and it would be a simple matter to switch the body from pearl crystal chenille to ordinary chenille (or wool, or several other less flashy body material) - and the same goes for the beadchain eyes -easy to switch to your choice of lead eyes... 

 

At any rate here's the SBS for the Crystal Schminnow (my version).... We use it for baby tarpon and anything chewing on tiny glass minnows in the backcountry of the Everglades....

Hook:  Mustad 34007, in sizes #6 up to a #1

Thread:  Danville's Flat waxed nylon in fl. green

Eye's:  #5 beadchain (occasionally I'll use ex. small Wapsi presentation eyes for a deeper version)

Tail:  Sparse amount of white calf tail, with a few strands of pearl Flashabou over, then white maribou over that...

Body:  Pearl crystal chenille, medium (larger if tying with larger hooks..

Note:  I've tied this pattern for shops in a variety of colors and sizes... including root beer, tan, tan over white, etc.  This is the mostly commonly requested color, the pearl/white - and it's the one I usually hand one of my anglers when we're working small tarpon if we're not using popping bugs... 

Tying sequence... Eyes tied in first - one eye width behind the hook eye.  Thread worked to bend of hook then tail tied in, then crystal chenille tied in on top of hook shank to just in front of tail - then wound forward, through the beadchain eyes then figure eighted one time around eyes before tying off at hook eye.. Weed guard optional... 

 

Be a hero... take a kid fishing!

[gillage 0]

Thanks Capt. Bob

I like that and will need to tie some up.

[Philly 0]

Here's another simple pattern that I tie up.    Not sure where I got the idea, but I was trying to imitate a Mr. Twister grub.  I call it an Estaz Bug, since that's the main ingredient in the fly

Hook: Straight eye streamer hook size 4 to 12

Thread: Clear mono or polyester thread or match the body color

Weight:  Lead wire(wrapped on the middle of the hook shank)

Tail:   Marabou over flash material of choice

Body:  Pearl Estaz or color of your choice(trimmed to grub shape)

Picture of the fly and a smallmouth I caught on a size 4 white(pearl)one

[Bazzer69 0]

20 hours ago, Philly said:

Gillage, I found this picture on a Texas site.  Poster says it's a "Byrd's Gill Buster".   It this what your're looking for?   The list of materials he gave was

Hook:  ?  Looks like a streamer hook, 2xl, possibly 4xl

Tail: White Zonker Strip

  Weight:  White Dumbbell eyes

Looks pretty easy to tie.  Three pieces of material.

Too late to tie up one now.  After I attend church on Zoom, I'll tie one up and take a picture.

 

These being tied in the U.K. in the seventies, but called The Dog Knobbler I think the pattern was by Trevor Housby. 

[petelangevin 0]

Looks like a productive pattern.   I tied a bunch of the crystal

schminnows up for my florida trip that was cancelled by the pandemic.   Going to try them on schoolie stripers instead.   But i suspect breem and bass will crush them too depending on the size.

[gillage 0]

1 hour ago, Bazzer69 said:

These being tied in the U.K. in the seventies, but called The Dog Knobbler I think the pattern was by Trevor Housby. 

Ah, good to know.

thanks for the help

[Bazzer69 0]

3 hours ago, gillage said:

Ah, good to know.

thanks for the help

I used to tie it in a variety of colours, the fish seemed to like black, white, orange and green ( dark olive)

B

[Philly 0]

I tied up a couple based on the info on the Texas site.  One with sparkle Chenille, one with Crystal Chenille.  It looks like the name changes with the materials used.  The Dog Nobbler, at least the ones I looked at, used marabou for the tail and when weighted small bead chain for the eyes.  Still think the Texas one will ride hook point up, but won't know till I fish it.

Materials 

Hook:  Straight eye streamer hook, size 6 4XL

Weight:  White dumbbell eyes

Body:  White Sparkle Chenille, Pearl Crystal Chenille

Tail:  1/8" wide zonker strip, white, yellow

 

 

 

 

 

[gillage 0]

Nice work Philly.

Thanks for the input and the research.

Much appreciated

[richmce 0]

when i started fly tying 20 yrs ago mr byrd was a popular tyer. he was mostly into micro size flies for gills  his most popular fly was like a size 10, tail was rabbit removed from the skin and body had it in a dubbing loop

[knotjoe 0]

On 5/10/2020 at 9:06 PM, petelangevin said:

  But i suspect breem and bass will crush them too depending on the size.

IME, most anything does and it's kinda sucky  yet really cool at the same time.  It's the most basic of jiggy flies...simple tail, easy body, weighted head.  Essentially, the $0.25 crappie jig idea in more sizes and variation.

They do catch just about everything well and often better than the more thoughtful flies we like to think should work better.  I utilize the style from #16 on up to whatever in furs, hairs, marabou, craft hair, nylon rope (tails) and bodies from easy chenilles to various dubbing blends of anything dubbable, be it touch, loops, or pre-made brushes.

Call it a standby and "first fill" idea for any flybox.  It will humble you and your other more elaborate efforts at the vise, but in the most pleasant manner imaginable at the waters.  It's not a boring fly, it's...just right.  Often.   

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Add almost any fish in the inshore areas of the salt or brackish waters  - that's feeding on small bait - glass minnows, bay anchovies, small fry of any kind..... They just get shredded in the right circumstances when larger offerings get ignored...  Every now and then in my home waters (the Everglades) big fish eat tiny flies (and usually when you're fishing them with a rod that's much too light for what's on the other end..).   Great fun while it lasts!