Lets talk realistic Frogs Flys.....

[Mike West 0]

This has bugged me for years and I've been out of the fly tying game for at least 15 years now but I'm about to get back into it and this my first priority,come up with a frog pattern that is semi easy to tie and acts like a real frog.

 

That is the key,easy to tie and acts like a frog....I don't see one pattern that acts like a frog. If you know one show it to me please!

 

When frogs sit in the water all they have is their heads and eyes out of the water,the rest of their body sits below the surface,and especially the rear legs hanging low.

 

You getting the picture?

 

Like I said I've been out of it a long time now and there are so many new materials and techniques it's crazy...I didn't have the internet when I quit.

 

I'm thinking some kind of synthetic hair/fur for the legs..maybe a little weight in them and then the body same thing but foam or deer hair on the front for the head but the main body something else that will sink up to the eyes....just the head floats,the rest sinks.

 

I tied this for years and it looks cool and all that but it's a beast to cast,takes a 9wt-10wt to throw and lands on it's back half the time and Dave's Swimming Frog is easier to tie and is more productive. I had to wrap lead wire in the bend to get it to land right.

 

I want to tie this frog with new materials and I have a 100 ideas running through my head on how to do and it all has to with new materials not available to me when I did this.

 

Lets hear your input and ideas.

[mikechell 0]

I do this one ... which is fairly simple and easy. It just barely floats with the back of the foam at the water's surface and everything else hanging below. When jerked, the foam loop at the back is where the "pop" comes from ... just like the legs of a real frog.

 

 

 

If you go here ... http://www.flyrecipes.com/ ... and click on "ready to tie a fly", you'll see my SBS for it.

[heavynets 0]

The frog on the left is very easy to tie using two layers of craft foam, green and white. When the legs are mounted as shown, they move back when the frog is stripped forward, thus giving the illusion of the frog's kick is moving it forward. It does not look as natural when in the resting position, but the fish don't seem to care.

 

The other foam frog is a weedless design.

[Goose77 0]

Hey Mike...you know I've been watching these frogs quite a bit. You're right, when they're just sittin' there their legs are splayed. But when they move they are very long and streamlined. I don't know how to get both looks. I guess splayed hackle [often saddle] for a tail with a diver/diving slider head is what I've settled on most. It does look good when stripped fast or slow, but at rest it's not doing what you're talking about. They do work fine for results, but I believe I know what you mean...it's not a perfect picture at rest. Headscratcher for sure. Cheers, Ed

[Big Fly Bob 0]

The shape of the head is what will make the bug sit in the water with the back end down like a frog. The head must taper smaller to the rear enough that the back end will be lower. I like for all my bugs to set at about 40 degrees down to the rear. When the bug is stripped the back end comes up into line with the pull of the line amking a lot more movement in the bug's tail. It would work the same for a frog. You can see it here with what I like in bidy taper and sitting in the water the way I like it.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

There is an older pattern called the Bunny Ribbit--that's "ribbit", as in the noise a kid will make if you ask him/her "what does a frog say?" -- the "bunny" part refers to the rabbit strips (aka Zonker strips) that are used for the rear legs. The head can be spun from synthetic fur or some other semi-buoyant material. The legs soak up water and cause the rear of the fly to sink and the legs to dangle down, imitating the resting position of the natural frog. Here's the picture Google coughed up; I've seen better ones but this gives you the idea:

 

 

 

 

 

[Mike West 0]

The shape of the head is what will make the bug sit in the water with the back end down like a frog. The head must taper smaller to the rear enough that the back end will be lower. I like for all my bugs to set at about 40 degrees down to the rear. When the bug is stripped the back end comes up into line with the pull of the line amking a lot more movement in the bug's tail. It would work the same for a frog. You can see it here with what I like in bidy taper and sitting in the water the way I like it.

Big Fly Bob,

Exactly what I was looking for!

Is that deer hair and bucktail? What makes the ass end sink like that?

I've tapered my poppers like that and skinnier,they don't sink like that.

[Big Fly Bob 0]

The weight of the hook bend and the materials will make it sit like that. I occasionally tiee longer poppers that are more minnow looking and will have to tie in a little piece of lead wire back on the hook bend to get them to sit like I want. I think it is important enough to take the time to do it. Bob

[Mike West 0]

 

will have to tie in a little piece of lead wire back on the hook bend to get them to sit like I want.

I've done the same thing to some monster sized deer hair frog flies but not that size. I did mine so they would land upright, ass sinking wasn't the goal.

You got that fly almost sinking to the eye....and it's spun deer hair? What's that hook made out of..lead?

I just can't see a deer hair fly sinking like that because of the hook weight.

 

Still curious and thx for responding

[Rocco 0]

I appreciate the craftsmanship that went into that sculpted deer hair frog in the first post. But IMO it looks like a four legged frog that takes way too long to make, and has dubious realism as a floating/diving frog. A video of it in the water might convince me otherwise....

 

Rocco

[Big Fly Bob 0]

 

 

will have to tie in a little piece of lead wire back on the hook bend to get them to sit like I want.

I've done the same thing to some monster sized deer hair frog flies but not that size. I did mine so they would land upright, ass sinking wasn't the goal.

You got that fly almost sinking to the eye....and it's spun deer hair? What's that hook made out of..lead?

I just can't see a deer hair fly sinking like that because of the hook weight.

 

Still curious and thx for responding

 

These are the soft foam and they will usually sit like that with nothing but the hook if tapered right. Longer bugs may need the lead wire but normal length are no problem.

[Nicocatrix 0]

Does anyone know a good sinking or suspended frog pattern? I've seen a lot of frogs swimming, and they almost never skitter along the top. They usually dive for the bottom and hang out in the mud until whatever is scaring them goes away. Seems like most frog patters involve foam, which floats.

[Swamp Fly 0]

I wonder if a Merkin or Tarpon Toad in the right colors fly would work.

[Mike West 0]

Does anyone know a good sinking or suspended frog pattern? I've seen a lot of frogs swimming, and they almost never skitter along the top. They usually dive for the bottom and hang out in the mud until whatever is scaring them goes away. Seems like most frog patters involve foam, which floats.

You can spin and stack wool just like deer hair.

I've messed around and tied wool frog patterens before

[flytire 0]

Does anyone know a good sinking or suspended frog pattern?

 

 

http://gourmetsportsman.blogspot.com/2013/05/first-look-ribbit-swimming-frog.html

 

 

dont use any foam

 

 

heavily weight an stp frog

 

be creative. experiment