[Harold Ray]

My version of the Thunder Creek Streamer. Everyone's looks a little different. I do these, the ones below with more developed heads, and another that is similar, but has the weighted Real Eyes, so they are tied with deer hair, ride hook point up, like a Clouser, and sink like a rock. Doing it this way, I can fish three water levels with these flies.




These streamers have a more developed head:





Ray

[riffleriversteelheadslayer]

awesome job harold I love them eyes

[David Legg]

Those are terrific flies! Really great looking work.

[FlatzFatz]

SWEEEET...that is one wicked TCS, will also make a great pattern for fishing drops off the flats here in Florida. Big trout hang just off the flats on hot summer afternoons looking for tasty morsels just like that!

[Harold Ray]

I'm in the process of tying a couple of hundred of these, or more! Just depends on when I get tired of tying them. I'm also going to the Sowbug Roundup 2010, A Celebration of Fly Fishing, March 18, 19, 20, 2010, in Mountain Home, Arkansas. I had thought I would tie scuds and woven flies there, but after getting started on these, I think I'll just keep doing them. I have great success with the nymphs and scuds, but these work extremely well, too. They look a lot like the smaller fish larger fish eat every day I think. I'm tying many of these in an attempt to immitate shad which are the Number One bait fish down here for just about everything.

Ray

P.S.

will also make a great pattern for fishing drops off the flats here in Florida

I'll be using these on the Texas Coast, too, on the flats around Aransas Pass, Texas, about a half million acres of shallow water breeding and feeding grounds up and down that area of coast north and south of Corpus Christi, and I'll be on Padre Island National Seashore, just outside of Corpus on the Gulf, with them, too. I think these dudes work anywhere because they look like what fish eat, other small fish!

[letumgo]

Great job Ray! I love Thunder Creek flies. They can be fussy flies to make (the head and eyes can take longer to do then tying the fly), but well worth the effort. The one (minor) suggestion I could make is to try a straight eyed hook, instead of the down-eyed hook. The straight eye hook gives a little more room at the front after the head is finished and it is less prone to plugging when coating the head. Do not take this comment as a negative in any way. It is just something I learned as was reading about and making my own TC patterns.

Again, great job. I think Mr. Fulsher would smile approvingly if he saw your flies.

[JSzymczyk]

For the ones being tied to invert, with weighted eyes, the TDE hook will help in keeping it correct. Unweighted, a straight eye hook is nicer, and called for in the originals.

[smokinprice]

Splendid flies Ray. They look great

[Harold Ray]

Ray and J.,

I have had a problem finding the straight-eyed hooks I wanted, and that's the only reason I've used the hooks I did. If you have a link for the hooks you like for the Thunder Creeks, please post it here so I can buy some. I probably just missed them.

I'll have to say though these do great, in my opinion, when retrieving through the water, beautiful action, even though the hook isn't the one suggested by Fulscher.

Thanks in advance!!

Ray

[letumgo]

Here are a couple links for the straight eye hooks:

J. Stockards Link
J. Stockards Link 2

Cabela's Model 40 Hook

[Harold Ray]

Thanks, Ray, I just ordered a bunch!

Ray

[FishyboY]

wow that is really good tie there! i remember one magazine recently had something on this streamer...... but your idea with the dumbell eyes was a great idea so it floats hook up!

[Arkansas Mike]

Great looking TCS, Ray. Hope to run into you at the Sowbug.


Mike

[Harold Ray]

Mike, I'll be there tying these Streamers.

I thought I would also post the site for buying the "Gator Eyes" I used on the larger headed streamers. I first saw them on a fly here on FTF.

I get those eyes from Deer creek in England: http://www.deercreek.co.uk/Gatoreyesanddumbbells.html I haven't found them anywhere else. I think I saw them first on FlyTyingForum.com, http://www.flytyingforum.com/, looked up the site and ordered some. They have an interesting website and a variety of products. They have fast shipping and the prices aren't bad.


I paint the smaller ones myself, of course, along with some of the larger ones, too, but I really like the look of the Gator Eyes from Deer Creek in England.

Ray

[vtflyhack]

Sweet Job Ray!!!! Your tying just keeps getting better!!!!!
vtflyhack