Jump to content
Fly Tying
utyer

Wacky Flies:

Recommended Posts

I have done a lot of crazy patterns over the years, fuzzy nymphs, Crazy Charlies, but never a Wacky Fly,

 

Here are some wacky worm flies I am working on. They sink and about 8" a second once the chenille gets fully soaked.

 

 

post-12074-0-96491700-1381496667_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-87572700-1381496679_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-62390800-1381496815_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

OK, you got my interest. First, do you rig this bait like a standard wacky rig with a weight several inches below it? I have wanted to try this with a fly rod. Second, What is the weed guard made of. Did the hook come with the weed guard already on it. Third, the really fat ones, what chenille is that. Looks very fat. Is it just large size , or did you twist two together. I have made many worms for fly fishing. Even made a twister so I could make like a gully's worm with two colors. Will have to post the twister some day. I got the gears for it from an old fishing reel. Works really well for furling chenille.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Never fished a wacky rig so I have weighted the flies with either a cone head, 2 beads, or lots of lead wraps. If I need to, I will add lead to the leader. Weed guard is 20# Berkeley Nylon coated leader. I wrap the weed guards on. That fat chenille is from Big Lots. They have a yarn brand called Gala. Its pretty random what they have at any given time. The black one is furled chenille, also from Big Lots. The Paton Bohemian chenille would be almost as thick as the fat chenille I have.

 

Here are a few more worms all furled with chenille from Big Lots.

 

 

post-12074-0-64822200-1381500989_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-37535100-1381500994_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-63753100-1381501004_thumb.jpg

post-12074-0-29552000-1381501016_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That last one is interesting. Is that a dubbing rope or is that a chenille yarn you found? Also like the one with the legs. Both would be good for salty species around the rocks here.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There all made from yarns I found at Big Lots. There brand name on Yarn is Gala, but it is available elsewhere. Big Lots usually has random lots of yarn, never the same thing twice it seems. That last yarn is a bit like polar chenille, it has long flashy fibers I color the core with different markers.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
OK, you got my interest. First, do you rig this bait like a standard wacky rig with a weight several inches below it? I have wanted to try this with a fly rod.

 

 

Wacky rigging is unweighted. Stick a hook right through the middle of a soft plastic, no weight. Weight several inches below a hook that is baited is "drop shotting". These flies look like they imitate a senko or other stick bait rigged "wacky" style. Typically the soft plastic baits that are fished wacky style are made by mixing very fine sand or salt into the melted plastic, because most of the plastics used commercially are buoyant. A standard senko sinks a few inches every second with a "shimmy" motion during freefall.

 

I love these flies and have been meaning to try to imitate a senko myself because of the success I've had with them! I pour my own soft plastics though so it's just as easy for me to use the real thing.

 

Drop shotting is a technique I haven't used much but I have had success with while ice fishing, using a weight to drop a really small fly and keep it 6'' off the bottom. Open water I tend to fish over weeds a whole lot, while drop shotting really shines on reefs, over gravel, and across sand. If I tried drop shotting in the weeds I'd come up with a line full of snags and salad.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest rich mc

ive worked with the bohemian chenille for years on my worms and Shannon streamers . trying to create awacky worm has been the most challenging. ive tried mono stems to tie on but it just cant get a jello type wiggle as it slowly falls. instead of trying more I just wiggle the rod tip sideways as it fall which is close enough. I had one tyer tell me he uses a pen spring pulled straight tied across the hook and ties the chenille to it. rich mc

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I don't want to hijack this thread, but I have to comment on Mainbutter's drop shot. The drop shot works beautifully over weed beds. If the weeds stand three feet up from the bottom, use 3' 6" drop shot to keep the lure just above the weeds. It's better than any other method for fishing above the weeds, since you can "dip" the lure down into the weed tops by dropping your rod tip 6 inches, then pop it back up on a tight line. This does two things, when the lure is "hiding" just in the weed tops, wary predators will approach, then popping the lure back up to tight line "twangs" the line, creating just enough vibration to draw in those fish for the strike.

 

Back to fly fishing. Interesting flies, Utyer ... but I am thinking the wind resistance is going to make these a bitch to cast.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Mike,

 

You may be right, I haven't fished them at all yet. Casting in the conventional sense would be a bitch. I am hoping that with my kayak, and a 10' rod, I can just lob them into the weeds, and try to work them that way.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Something else that can be used to make "Wacky flies".

Get one ofthe squeeze balls with the rubber sticking ut of it.

Tie those on the hook and look like a small worm.

 

Rick

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm new to the forum. I must say that as a long-time bass fisherman the utyer wacky rigs look like the real thing. I have recently started putting Senkos on a bare hook wacky style on my fly rod. They're a litle tricky to cast, but I do just what UTYER has posited. I just lob them at logs, brush or reeds and let them sink. Love the patterns!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Nice idea on those flies.

 

Attached is my idea on a senko

Also tie it with Dumbell eyes so it sings quicker

post-46109-0-19809600-1430923825_thumb.jpg

post-46109-0-94753600-1430923834_thumb.jpg

post-46109-0-86365400-1430923843_thumb.jpg

post-46109-0-31401600-1430923853_thumb.jpg

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Once they soak up water, they may not be quite so hard to cast if you have a heavy rod. I do a lot of bass fishing with a 9' #9wt. line, since I often have to at least TRY to horse one out of some really snaggy places. Lose a lot of flies that way, but it sure keeps life exciting. I'm betting those flies will work very well, and it'll darn sure be something the fish haven't seen before. They may have little brains, but what they have seems to notice every little thing, and seeing something new often gets their attention AND makes them want to bite it to see what the heck it is. With the success of the wachy worm technique, I can't imagine it NOT doing well - provided it's castable of course, and I hope you'll report back on how they cast. And BTW, if they get rather sluggish to cast, you might just want to use a smaller chenile. It really doesn't take a huge thing to make bass bite, ya' know? Just a FWIW. Looking forward to your report.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Never fished a wacky rig so I have weighted the flies with either a cone head, 2 beads, or lots of lead wraps. If I need to, I will add lead to the leader. Weed guard is 20# Berkeley Nylon coated leader. I wrap the weed guards on. That fat chenille is from Big Lots. They have a yarn brand called Gala. Its pretty random what they have at any given time. The black one is furled chenille, also from Big Lots. The Paton Bohemian chenille would be almost as thick as the fat chenille I have.

 

Here are a few more worms all furled with chenille from Big Lots.

 

NICE!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...