BoSmith

Very interesting....Never saw those hooks. Slight bend with pliers and great hump shanks for poppers!

I didn't think of that, that's a good idea for sure.

Started playing around with the Crawbody, they work well if you get a solid base under them. Looking forward to giving them a try once the ice melts. I have always had decent luck with crayfish patterns.

I used burlap in a way to make both the underbodies for the stone and the crayfish to be flat so that I could get a nice realistic profile without filling the hook gap.

If interested you can see the step-by-step here.

https://tieflycast.wordpress.com/2017/03/17/underbody-building/

Finally got around to giving these frogs a go on the vise. Found these skip gap hooks and had some fun playing with belly profiles. Can't wait for the ice to melt to give them a cast.

Finally got around to giving these frogs a go on the vise. Found these skip gap hooks and had some fun playing with belly profiles. Can't wait for the ice to melt to give them a cast.

Very nice flies. The spruce is such a handsome pattern. I have had some good luck with it for brookies as well. Duck mountains in the fall, the brooks can't resist that colour combo.

I have found that in tailwaters skinny flies work better most of the time. I have also found the best luck in Stillwater situations with the fatter bodied version.

Not using snaps and remove the beads from the wire changes the action very little. Like hatchet jack said, it's a small trade off for not losing the fly and fish.

Good looking stuff denduke! I like the puffy paint and plan on getting some to dab on foam. I had a lot of fun with foam frogs on worm hooks this summer here in Okeechobee. I can cast these in the thickest mats and pads on the lake. Yours would be great in open water and sparse cover. I agree, I'm not sure if the color makes a big difference when you're sliding through pads and they are crushing it. But when they are slurping it down without a ripple, maybe that extra detail made the difference. Like you say it can be fun, and if it boosts confidence it'll certainly catch more.

Now that's a slick pattern! I'm definetly making some of those tied on the worm hook this winter. Well tied.

Yeah it's a good system. I'm surprised more people don't use it. Too many people risking their trophy fish to a snap swivel.

The beads also add a lot of action to the fly by adding weight way out in front and getting the nose of the fly to dip in a hurry. If you have not tried them, give it a shot. The added rattle doesn't hurt either.

I am also very interested to see what these do in the water.

As for the paint jobs, its more for the fisherman I think. The livetarget frogs in the hardware department have gotten intensely realistic. Eye candy for the lure enthusiast. Don't get me wrong, I also love to put the time in making them look good on the top side. It is a lot of fun.

A very accomplished fly tyer and fisher once told me that the bottom can be any colour so long as it's white. That said, I do like black and yellow, but I have had the best luck with white bellies.

This is an older video of mine that you may have seen already. I did some underwater profile shots in the bathtub. 'fish eye view'

https://tieflycast.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/bass-popper-faster-stronger-better/

Great photos and SBS. Really like that PDF and hi-vis.

Thanks

I have added an updated video to my musky fly tying section. It's a method of using wire tippet in a manner that makes it quick change and reliable. This system has not let me down yet.

https://tieflycast.wordpress.com/2016/11/21/gear-musky-leaders-and-tippets/

I thought ghost as soon as I saw it.. Ghost Yeti? I also liked Chew's Ghost.

 

More Silver Grey in the vice these days: Here on a Partridge M2 #2/0

 

That's a handsome bit of feather and iron!

I resisted social media from back in 2008 when I started blogging, continuing all the way to 2015.... the ol' 20/20 hind sight says i probably shouldn't have.... I'm now getting some of the best inspiration from Instagram photos. It's a gold mind of good ideas and positive vibes.

#flytying ... check it out.

There are a ton of good looking flies in this post! nice work all around. Is anyone catching on those big fellows?

 

It's amazing the amount of effort not needed to click on a link with the

lightest of index finger pressure. And sometimes one finds a jewel of

a site like yours Shane, well done!

I visited too, well worth the brief time to review. In many Wyoming still waters, especially on the Laramie Plains, we fish a pattern very similar to your Michigan Wiggler.

 

Hook 1or 2x long nymph size 8-12

Wgt or bead optional

Thread- Black or brown or green

Tail - Pheasant tail fibers

Shell back, same PT fibers

Abdomen- Peacock herls

Thorax -peacock same abdomen...with palmered brown or rusty rooster

 

Fished it on floating line, best from a watercraft -casting back towards shore, near openings in the cabbage, slow, steady, undulating retrieve. Had several 20-30 fish mornings, before strong winds arose, Rainbows, Cutts, Browns 16-22 inches- all released

Sounds like a good fly and morning of fishing!

 

 

Yep, I understand. Just FYI'ing.

It has become an issue around here because the board is frequently being treated as bait for someone's blog or youtube.com channel. I personally do not have a problem unless they decide to monetize their sites/channels, then this is not helpful information, just spam in another guise.

I don't make a dime off this. I just like to write and share the knowledge I have collected and learned. I used to enjoy contributing to the fly data base here as well. Buts that's changed now and I've moved to my own free based blog.

 

https://tieflycast.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/easy-to-tie-easy-on-the-eye-dry-fly/

 

Something from my blog for tying an easier dry fly when getting down to the <20 sized hooks. This can also be useful for >20 sized hooks. Also makes them far easier to fish. The pattern is based on a BWO but can be translated into any parachute pattern.

Nice tutorial Bo.

Thanks!

I have also been working on musky and musky flies.

I have found a bit of success this November...

must have made 20,000 casts.... lol

Lots of great flies here people!

Happy tying over the winter.

Shane

• 
• 

KILLER muskie flies there Shane!

Thanks a lot!

I like yarn only because it sinks better. I have found that the hot glue egg looks the nicest as it's perfectly round when done, but they don't sink very fast either.

Sorry, Bo.

If you post it here, I read it. But I rarely go to other sites or blogs to read someone's article.

Fair enough. I'm sure you understand I cannot pour hours into an article like this and then just dump it on a forum. That said, the content is still free.

I have also been working on musky and musky flies. I have found a bit of success this November... must have made 20,000 casts.... lol

Lots of great flies here people! Happy tying over the winter.

Shane

https://tieflycast.wordpress.com/2016/05/16/easy-to-tie-easy-on-the-eye-dry-fly/

Something from my blog for tying an easier dry fly when getting down to the <20 sized hooks. This can also be useful for >20 sized hooks. Also makes them far easier to fish. The pattern is based on a BWO but can be translated into any parachute pattern.

https://tieflycast.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/the-box-winter-steelhead/

3 flies that I will not venture out into the cold without. How I tie them and tips to make the common patterns more successful for winter steelhead. This flies have been tried and tested on Erie, Huron, and Ontario tributaries while having some specific influence from Lake Michigan.

I have put together a collection of thoughts and ideas as well as a few favorite patterns for winter steelhead flies for the Great Lakes region. Basically this post is a collection of concepts and patterns that I have had success with over the years. I know that most of the content will not be earth shaking for most of you, but I do appreciate the feedback I get from the members of this site. I tried much harder to get some 'animation' in my voice overs and dropped the banjo (for now). Take a look and give me some feedback, criticism, or a thumbs up if you like the content. It's greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Shane