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Fly Tying

Tailn'Jax

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About Tailn'Jax

  • Rank
    Advanced Member
  • Birthday 04/19/1983

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  • Favorite Species
    Redfish, Snook, Permit
  • Security
    22
  1. Those are awesome Kirk. I've been making mine for a while now, I've found some 13/0 black glass beads around and I could send you some if you like. Are you using a cautery to melt the mono or sticking with a lighter?
  2. Excellent fly Kirk. I've been making lots of shrimp eyes lately as well.
  3. Those are some awesome patterns. I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who goes to craft stores in search of awesome fly tying materials
  4. No these are unweighted, I'm going to work on some heavy ones for the surf this spring though. You can land a light one right in the middle of a school of reds without too much of a splash.
  5. Check out Paul Fisicaro's website, he's a guide out of Marathon. He's pretty much a fly fishing guide, he would be my suggestion. His business is called Strip Strike Charters. http://www.stripstrikecharters.com/ He has lots of good fly patterns on there that not only work in the Keys but all over. I use several of them in my area. He's a great guy, book a trip with him and he will help you with whatever you need or want to do down there. He has permit on fly locked down.....good luck! Small baitfish and shrimp patterns will catch all kinds of fish down there, from pinfish to sharks. There's lots of places to fish from the road, if it looks good, stop and fish it. There are usually some good mangrove snappers around most mangroves, docks and bridges that are more than willing to attack a fly. Long Key State park is a nice area to get out and wade/kayak fish. There's bones, jacks, sharks, and assorted other fish available here. Further south is an area I have not explored much, but there is some really nice looking water just north of Key West in the Saddle Bunch Keys and around Big Pine. Bones, Permit, and Tarpon are best done with a guide though. These guys make their money knowing where and how to catch these fish, and you'll be happy you went with a pro chasing them, they are by no means easy fish to catch, even with a knowledgable guide.
  6. I'm not from down there, but am familiar with the fishing. That area has lots of grass flats where reds will tail. This is thick grass, so a lightly weighted fly (or no weight) with a good weedguard is the best. I've encountered super spooky reds down there that spook at the sight of your line in the air, just be as quiet and cautious as possible when approaching these fish. They should be schooled up this winter, and it may take a nice warm string of days to get them active, but they tend to stay in the same areas. Fish for snook under lighted docks, bridges, or in the backcountry along deep mangrove banks. I like white for snook, try a schminnow. Trout should be around too on deeper flats, they'll hit just about anything if your in them. Hopefully someone from down in that area can add to this, I'm no expert down south, but its an amazing place, you will see some sights and have a great time.
  7. Perry, in my area of North Florida I like dark baitfish patterns as we have dark mud bottom. When the water is dirty in the summer and on big tides the dark (black) works better than anything because it gives a good profile against a dirty background. There are other times when the fish are keyed in on shrimp, or the water is clear, that I throw tan Kwan type patterns. I catch clear water fish on black too though, just a matter of place and time whether I switch to a more natural color or not. It varies around the state, and I think Kirk could chime in about some of the George Clinton patterns they throw for LA reds. I think as long as the fish aren't too pressured, they'll eat any half decent looking, well presented fly.
  8. Some guys go golf on Friday afternoon, some guys go have a drink. I hit the marsh.
  9. I was needing to sit down at the vise this evening, but with nothing specific in mind to tie I decided to try out some new #6 hooks I got the other day. I am a pretty big fan of the black and purple ep minnow as a low water redfish pattern, and although I think it is perfect the way it is, the fish seem to eat it with reckless abandon, I wanted to see if I could tie it a little smaller for the winter. This is how it turned out, got to use some of my shiny dome eyes instead of the normal dull colored dolls eyes.... I've yet to find a pattern they eat well in the winter, but I hate blind casting, so I guess I don't fish hard enough.
  10. After I got my work done this morning I decided to head out. I launched around 2 started looking for some working fish. I spooked a bunch of reds laid up on the fall, but had a couple shots at some waking fish off the bank on a long flat. These fish were spooky, and I finally saw why. There was a shark (I didn't see a dorsal, so I'm assuming) coming out of the channel and up onto the flat chasing them. This thing was big, and as soon as it came up a huge mass of fish would push down the flat. I moved along looking for some more relaxed fish. On the beginning of the flood I ventured up a creek and began to hear some fish working just inside. They were spread out, and heading up into some really skinny stuff fast. I caught up to them, but ended up spooking most of them in the deep part of the creek. Finally, I found a nice looking area that had some fish working and was able to blind cast a nice 19" red off the bank. I pulled another rat out of here as well on a black and purple EP... I made my way out to a place I found a bunch of fish last December, and the water was already up over the oysters. Theres a deep cut right in the mouth of the creek, and the tide was running back towards me. I set up and cast just beyond the cut, worked my fly back and hooked a fish. This one was small and threw the hook. I put another one in there and got a good bite. I set the hook on the fish and had one hell of a fight on my hands. This red ran me around every oyster bar in the place, but I got him tired out, he turned out to be the best fish of the day, almost 24" and fat... My only sight fished red of the afternoon came right after sunset; it was working a bank slowly, and I only saw the tip of its tail. The fish disappeared, but I got a cast in the general area and it ate. This fish was around 22", and it had the biggest spot of any red I have caught lately, really representative I think... It was another good day in the marsh, despite the wind and overcast conditions. These reds are starting to get cold, all the fish I caught wanted to seize up and I had to lay them flat. I don't think it will be long before the winter pattern sets in, they're darn near in it already. Hope y'all catch some fish this weekend. Ryan
  11. Funky Chicken Clouser/Slider - Pink and Yellow/Chart Hook: 34007 #2 Tail: Chartruse bucktail or Craft Fur Wing: Yellow zonker strip Flash: Chart crystal flash Eyes: small to large lead Head: Pink bucktail flared just above the eyes Sorry about the crappy pics, they're from last winter. Im about to tie some more for winter trout fishing, I will try to take some better ones.
  12. Alright, heres a few more, I didn't take that many this trip, as my night time picture taking skills are lack luster, but theres a few interesting ones... tarpon snook, notice the size of the eye and the jaw
  13. I hit up some docklight snook down south this weekend with some buddies from Jax. We had a pretty good weekend, I think we ended up with 60 or so snook, with some lookdowns, reds, trout, and mangrove snappers mixed in. Most of the fish were 16-22", with all four subspecies represented. A couple nice ones ate too, we had a few that were 25"+. It was windy and nasty, but the snook made it worth the trip. All of my fish came on a #6 soluble minnow.... Good Fishing, Ryan
  14. I prefer lines with a welded loop, once that wears out I nail knot a piece of heavy mono with a loop on the end. If the line doesn't come out of the box with a loop I use the nail knot/mono deal. I HATE those chinese finger trap dacron loops.
  15. I've never had a nail knot come undone, and I always make sure to get the wraps right next to each other before cinching down. I also give the fly line a good hard pull to straighten it out before the final cinch.
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