Craft Foam Baitfish

[Sandworm 0]

About 10 years ago. I was tying at the International Flytying Symposium in N. J. . While at the show a friend of mine named Masahito Sato showed me a way of using Craft Foam to make the coolest looking Baitfish patterns . I have been tying them ever since. Fiish SMOKE this things . That being said , here's a couple of Flies I came up with using his idea.

Top: Brown Trout Fingerling

Mid: Yellow Perch. "

Last: Red Fin Sucker

Hope you like ' m

[add147 0]

Sandworm,

Those are COOL as all get out!!!! Care to share step by step or point me in the right direction on how to make those?

[johnnyquahog 0]

I also watched a demo by Sato maybe 15 years ago, He is/was very innovative. If I remember correctly he also had a pattern called the willow that I liked and fished. I never really fished this series but did make up a handful just in case. This was my rainbow - maybe 6" or so.

 

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[Sandworm 0]

I don't have a step by step on hand . I'm using my phone right now . All of instructional stuff is on C D 's.

If you look at the baitfish I posted in the Pike Candy topic you can see what's under the craft foam head The flies are tied the exactly the sane way just leave off the stick on eyes . Now find some thin packaging card board I use the cards stapled around a lot of flytying material packaging . Cut out a square just bigger then the fish head you want to make. Fold it in half and draw the same shape u see in my photos. Cut it out and open it up like making paper snow flakes. It should look like the photos bellow. That's your templet lay in a sheet of thin Craft Foam (you can buy it craft supply stores. It's about 1/6 " thick and looks like white printer paper. Color it with markers then nail polish something in pearl or iridescent green of purple. Coat the inside of the head with instant glue gel and little on the fly just where the head goes . Wrap the head around from the top down and hold till set. Pop on your eye balls and coat with clear non yellowing epoxy then hand spin it for a few min till semi-set . That's about it. Have fun and play around blending colors.

The last thing you will want to do is put a few rocks in your pockets . Your gonna get Slammed .

Tim

[Sandworm 0]

Hi Johnnyqahog Cool Rainbow. I have seen his flies that look like yours. I personally prefer the longer head. I just think the head is more like a fish head. The only draw back is they don't want to sink . The foam acts like a bobber. The fly skims along just under the surface . I use this to my advantage when fishing a shallow weedy Flat. They sink fine if u use the right hook ( big ) . Not a problem when fishing Pile Or Bass.

[Philly 0]

Nice patterns. You should be able to use heart shaped craft foam pieces for the head, just need to make the notch in the pointy end. Not sure about this time of year but you can find bags of them in the craft stores around St. Valentine's day.

As far as them sinking. I fish my Crease Flies with my intermediate line or my sink tip without any problems. If I'm fishing shallow water 4-8', I'll make my leader length the depth of the water. With the sink tip, I'll let the line sink to the bottom before starting to strip it. The fly will dive toward the bottom if I continue to strip it will suspend off the bottom during the retrieve. If I pause the strip, the fly floats back toward the surface. Smallmouth seem to like this, they'll hit the fly just as it breaks the surface.

[Sandworm 0]

Hi Philly I know what you mean. I fish them on a 10 ' sink tip as we'll for the same reasons you just mentioned. I love the edges of a big weedy bay where it starts to fall off . In the lakes around my house weeds end around 20 ' Ticking the tops of the stuff a couple of feet off the bottom works well when the fish are holding in that area. Also the thermocline around here is just about 20 to 25 . Not an issue this time of year in N. Y. , but from the end of June on it really matters. But there is nothing like early Spring fishing shallow watching a Big " V " coming for your fly from 25 feet away. O. M. G. And having to wait for it to curl on top of fly ! It"s " Aw - ite. .

[Guest rich mc]

similar to some pike flies tied by jim durbani . his are huge his blog is pike flies a sa way of life to find google up cowboy fly fishing rich mc

[Sandworm 0]

Thanks Rich. I'll check it . Tim

[Sandworm 0]

Just looked . I see what you mean. You GOTTA love Pike flies . Where else can you throw a half a Chicken around and not get arrested by the A. S. P. C. A. ???

[Tim Shovel 0]

Fantastic flies, gonna try that perch immatation. Ever considered making a shiner immatation or a smelt? If I wanted to fish one of these on a small (say size 10) hook, what should I use for weight? I was thinking thick wire but I'm welcome to ideas.

[Sandworm 0]

Hi Tim and thanks buddy. I do have a Emerald Shiner and a Blue Back Herring and a few others posted under " Pike Candy ". But here they are one more time. These baitfish don@t have the Craft Foam heads. But you can tie them either way and on any size hook . I tie them as small as 2 1/2 " . You can weight the heads with lead Sub. Wire slightly. They don't act like a cork . They are just about neutral boyancy . I use a material called Stabilizer cloth to make Squids it's like a dryer sheet to the touch but you can't see through it. It's used for machine embroydery work. Look on inside of a sweat shirt with something embroydered on it. It's used as backing. It won' t fray and you can't rip it. Make the heads the same way using this marterial and they will fish like a normal fly. But the floaters have their place like I mentioned in the eailier posts . You can buy it in a fabric supply store where the ladies get their crap . L. O. L. Ask for Sulkey - Medium Whight Cut Away stabilizer cloth . The stuff is GREAT. I use it as wing matterial and all kinds of things . ( the bad news is going into one of those stores is worse then standing in the COSMEDIC'S ISLE AT THE PHARMACY looking for just the right shade of nail polish !!!!! ) the things we endure for our sport ! L. O. L.

Thanks for asking. Tim

[Tim Shovel 0]

I see, I will definitely be tying these up, might run to Michaels today to pick some of that stuff. Thanks for the help

[Sandworm 0]

Sounds good . Keep in touch . Send me some pic's .

If you can't find the cloth at mike's look for a ..... Joanne's Fabric store. . Their the only one's I know of that sell that brand . There's about a Zill ' N differant types . My sister sews . So I swoop in once in a while when she's not looking and cut off a hunk . T

[Tim Shovel 0]

Alright thanks for the input. I will be heading down soon for the cloth