ditz

Hey PJ.....I must admit that I have never used rubber legs on my 12 poppers. I still have a box full that I made back in the early 70's. Back then I got 1/4" cork cylinders from E.Hille and I used kip tail for the tails and then some hackle. I eventually eliminated the tails and just used hackle. Yes they caught a lot of fish and some bass up to 3.5#. They were basicly all I tied in those days and then I started doing some deer hair bugs. There were no trout where I lived and I still don't fish trout. I have too much fun with warmwater but I sure have a love for the salt. When I got back into FF and tying about 5 years ago somehow I got involved with craft foam and it is readily available. The spiders just fit easily into the scheme of things and they have worked very well for me and I have found them faster to tie, they never sink, and if I loose one it matters not. I also tie them on thin wire hooks and if I get hung in a tree I just pull it loose by straightening the hook or I lose it and tie on another. I seldom lose a spider though. I also almost never catch a bass on them either. Maybe I should make up a few small poppers with rubber legs and give it a whizz after all these years. I do still have all the make'ins. I recently used a paper punch to punch 1/4" hole s in some 2mm foam and used CA to glue the small disks into a short cylinder that looks like it would make a quick to make popper that would not need to be painted and should float almost as good as my old cork poppers. I guess I need to finish up a couple to see how they work.

#10 is my main size but I also use a lot of 8's and 12's. Once in a while I will use a 6 or 14. I never go smaller than 14. At one time a #12 popper was my main topwater but I have gone to a yellow craft foam spider on a #10. The spiders are faster to tie and work just as well or maybe better because of the rubber legs. Love those panfish on the flyrod.

The question I would ask is if you have had the same problem with any other hook? If not then the problem is probably is with the hook. Probably either make from the incorrect steel or wrong heat treat. I would almost bet it is the the wrong steel assuming you have no problems with any other hook. The problem comes when the wire is changed from one type of steel to another. Are you sure you are not clamping the hook too tight? You could be stressing the hook with the vise. One other remote posibility is a damaged vise jaw.

By far the best day I ever had on the ice for yellow perch was with minnows about 1 1/2 to 2" long and they were very slim and quite shiney. I would tie a small bait fish fly that is quite shiney and make it so that it will hang in a horizontal position on very light line. 2# or less. That will be some good eating.

I have my first Triangle taper and it seemed to do real well in the backyard but I have yet to have it in the water.

I don't know where you will be fishing but I doubt there is too much flash. If I was going to make a trip to the north for pike I would even tie a few with all flash. Sometimes they like lots of flash.

I would like to be in as well with a bend back.

You might consider an original Thompson A vise. Good used ones are available on ebay and they have been used to tie millions of flies for many years.

hey Fred....how did you do on the pictured flies? A sweet water fella is interested.

Nice report kirk. Thanks

A flouro tippet and/or leader might also help get the fly to sink. I know congo hair does tend to float so you either need a heavier hook or a little weight added. I also like to use beadchain eyes. I use it on craft fur shrimp to get it down but still casts well. I normally use the pull chain size and it is easy to obtain. For larger clouser type flies I use the plumber chain size and it still casts well. I only use the heavy barbells under heavy duress It is nasty to cast IMO. .....A drop of CA at each step of the ties should eliminate the hair falling out problem. Nice fish.

Since it is muddy and visibility is poor have you tried poppers in size 12 thru 8? Rubber legs on them may help as well. For subsurface you may try black or Chartruse to aid visibility. Black wooly worm might work well too.

I like it too. Bendback shrimp is a great idea. Some long mono eyes on each side would really make it stand out. Thanks for posting.

I have caught a lot of northern SM and most of them on Jig, crankbaits, and 1/4oz Creek Chub Plunkers. I never fly fished them up there but a noisy popper would be a must have and some hair bugs too. For bait fish imitations I would carry some in all shades of green on top and creme or white on bottom and probably some flash in the middle. Crayfish would be good but in the area we fished there was a lot of deep water so you may need a sinking line of some sort for crayfish and helgramites. I bet muddlers would work well and a black one would probably pass for a helgramite. If you are fishing low pressure water lots of flash will work well for SM and pike. There is some great fishing up there. Have fun.

Thanks for another great report Cpt Bob. It is indeed a lucky fella that gets to spend a day in the boat with you.

There are 2 good looking flies posted above. In what sizes are they tied? The bottom one appears to be on a 4 or 6 but the top one has nothing to reference size.

The only time I take a travel kit is when I am planning on an extended stay. Most of my kit is salty stuff and I pack it in small to medium sized sealable totes. My salt hooks are all in a plastic Plano box. Thread is in a box too. Tying tools are in another little flat tupperware container. It all goes into the trunk neat and rides with no problem. I only dig it out when I need more flies of a working pattern or need to 'match the hatch'. My vise is a clamp on and it seems that there is always a place to clamp it that is convienent.

What Steve and others have said will all work. A few years ago for a friend I rewrapped some new guides on an UL spinning rod with nothing more than some tread that had tension applied by a couple of books and I used my knees to control the rod. I used only simple wraps and it was no ultra pretty job but he is still using the rod as I wrapped it. I will say it was a real pain to do it that way but I had no interest in doing anymore rods and only did it as a favor to him.

All of the above suggestions are great. I use the spider in yellow because I can see it. I also use small poppers with 1/4"dia foam or cork with nothing but some hackle on the rear of the hook. A small McGinty Bee with only the body and some hackle is simple and the fish seem to the like the yellow and black when fishing wet. The also like Blind Squirrels but they are a little more involved to tie but they will catch anything. Clousers with beadchain eyes will work and fairly simple to tie. Tie small for BG and bigger for bass. I could go on and on. I love BG fishing and is by far my favorite sweetwater fish. Great to eat though I seldom do anymore and they will keep a light rod bent all day usually.

Peterjay.. You need to be careful about posting such an invitation. Us retired folks are footloose and fancy free to make such trips at will. (within reason). ....I would like to tie into a big red on my new 9wt too and I have never been to Virginia. I have been all around it but some reason I never got there. Wait....I may have lied, I was in D.C. when I was a teen with my parents. I did not flyfish then though.

My puter did not like that site either. Pompano in the surf would be my target with that mole crab and yes a good close up pic would be great as well as a recipe. I don't spey but maybe it will work with normal flycasting. I am sure I can muck up something that looks similar to the original fly.

Hey SCO....On the bottom row of the multi fly pic there is a fly that looks like it may be a sand flea imitation. I have tied a couple but have yet to have the oppotunity to try them out. Mine don't look as good as the one pictured. Would you mind giving a couple of details on it and have you used it with any success?

TW...I am looking forward to getting one in the mail. I agree that they look like some good food. I will look up the sbs you refered too.

I think it should work just fine. I am no expert but I have built a few rods many years ago.

FlyFishin'Jam.....I just keep going back and looking at those shrimp. I have never had the opportunity to chase bones and probably never will but if I ever did I would want at least half a dozen of those in my box. They may not catch fish but they sure caught this fisherman