dafack01

Here's part one of the question: I'm trying to concoct a streamer for Smallmouth for stained-muddy water and high/muddy water. Aside from the usual dark colored plastics (which woolly buggers and the like will cover), I've found inline spinners and buzzbaits to be effective, and my little brother really likes a firetiger Rattletrap mini-trap when he goes. The common theme here is something that is big, bright, and makes a lot of racket. I have an idea to make a #2 Twin-Tailed Madonna with those new barred Chartreuse rabbit strips, and spin the head chartreuse over orange. My idea for the rattle is to take some sorta worm rattle, slip it into some orange mylar tubing, and tie in the rattle/tubing combo as close to the head as possible. The net effect I'm going for is a fly-rod rattling jerkbait of sorts. Now for part 2 of the question: How do you attach rattles to bottom-bouncing crawfish patterns? So far, I've had good success without rattles with my plastics, but it's definitely worth a try. Especially if the water's up and stained. I'm thinking that some sorta Deceiver or Half-n-half in crawfish colors (with a marabou or rabbit-strip claws) will be most conducive to a rattle. The best way I can think of is to do the tubing idea again, maybe mylar tubing for some flash or some flat-colored tubing to blend in a bit better.

It's those changes in lattitudes, changes in attitudes, nothing remains quite the same...

Mine arrived! Thanks Steve and everyone!

One time my friends and I slayed 'em using red worms on a stream in Michigan's UP. As a result I'd back up the already-suggested San Juan Worm. Good thing about those is that they only take about 2 seconds to tie. Maybe a few Marabou Leeches too. Palmer some earthy-toned marabou on a hook (go multi-colored too for a cool effect) and dead drift, letting the marabou work for you. Could be either a leech or a worm.

It's hard to detect friendly sarcasm over forums. Sorry about that!

I was just using that example to illustrate that claw size (IMO) doesn't have much bearing on a fly's effectiveness. Same with Tube Jigs. They have long tentacles dangling off of the pattern that are proportionately a heck of a lot longer than the claws on that Crawfish OLB posted. If you're hung up on my reference to a soft plastics used for spinning/casting tackle, take Smalliehunter's rabbit strip craw. It has huge claws, and I doubt he'd keep on using it if it wasn't effective.

The Muddler Minnow was designed as a sculpin pattern to fool the moster Coaster Brook Trout of the Nipigon River. Heck, anything with a spun deer hair head is considered a Muddler (kinda like the word "bugger" is used to classify just about anything with that resembles a Woolly Bugger). Tie a muddler head add anything you want to the body. Rabbit strips, marabou, a woolly bugger body, a matuka body, or any other streamer body.

SD's right. Some fly tiers use small claws and swear by 'em. However, I can tell you from first hand experience that a 5" Yamamoto Hula Grub with twin twistertails that are about 2" long (to immitate the claws) will catch fish like crazy. Doesn't matter the size. 5", 15", or 25" (unfortunately I've never caught a 25" smallmouth ). They'll all can't resist the things. The most important factor in crawfish patterns (to me) is something buggy looking with a lot of seductive movement. Claw size doesn't matter.

I just want the fly to get down to the level I want to fish ASAP. I'll be fishing smallmouth streams with this, so deep depths aren't essential, however I've heard over and over and over that sink-tips get your fly down quicker and catch more fish than floating lines do. Also, I've heard that since the tip sinks, you can use shorter leaders, giving you a better connection to the fly which aides in strike detection. Everyone I've heard talk about the short sink-tips says they catch more fish with 'em. What prompted this was Dave Whitlock's comments about them in his recent article in Fly Fisherman Magazine about fishing Streamers for Smallmouth. He recommended the 5' sink tips because they get your fly down quicker than a floating line, but they handle like a floating line (I'm assuming that means you don't have to pick up and roll-cast before your overhead cast). He said that the 10'+ sink tips didn't handle as well. My line is an SA wet tip with a 10' sinking section. It's basically a floating line with a 10' sinking tip tacked onto the end.

Lets not go overboard now! ~James It's entirely possible that there is a 30 pounder or 2 prowling those waters. Think about this. You have 70 miles of year-round trout habitat where the summer water temperatures NEVER venture beyond 60 degrees. Since it's a tailwater, the water temps stay reasonable through the winter, and combined with Kentucky's relatively mild winters you have a year-round growing season. You have TONS of forage big and small. From midges, caddis, and sulphurs to shad, sculpins, and crawfish, to Skipjack herring, other Trout, Carp, White Bass, and Walleye. The average river width is about 150 feet with holes that are about 25'-30' during low flows. All the necessary structure is in the river, from a virtual forest of downed timber to chunk rock, to boulders, shelves, runs, and pools. You have a one fish, 20" limit imposed a while ago. The river's big enough, cold enough, has enough big forage, and managed very well to support such large fish. If the White River System and Lake Tanneycomo can support 30+ pound Browns with virtually IDENTICAL conditions (except for the fact that Tanneycomo's a lake), Cumberland River can too.

I won't be able to go there again until mid-May or so because of School. But you can bet I'll be bringing the 8wt and some 6" Streamers and try to nail one. :headbang:

Thanks! I still want the line to be powerful, and I'm afraid that if the 10' sink-tip doesn't fish like a floater like a 5 footer does I'll have to sell the line and get a Teeny Mini-Tip or something. I'd prefer not to resort to e-bay.

I was talking to one of my good friends the other day. He dropped his little brother off at our High School Alma Mater (and the Alma Mater of the BEST QB in the NCAA, Brian Brohm) to get signed up for wrestling practice. He was talking to one of our teachers who said that just a couple weeks ago Trinity's AD, outdoor enthusiast, and former football coach went to my favorite Trout river in Kentucky (It doesn't take a genius to figure out which river I'm talking about) to help the KDFWR do an Electroshocking study on the upper 15 miles or so of the Trout portion. So what's the frustrating news? THEY WERE SHOCKING UP 20 POUND BROWNS. Not one 20 pound Brown, mind you. MULTIPLE 20 pound Browns. And to add fuel to the fire, THEY SHOCKED 'EM ALL UP IN THE STRETCH I FISH ALL THE TIME! Why won't any of 'em hit my fly? :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: I'm thoroughly convinced that there are 30+ pound Browns in this river. And the scary thing is that the Trout fishery would be a little better if there weren't so many BIG Striper in there! Striper fisherman regularly catch 40+ pound Striper with 3 pound trout in their stomachs. One of these days I'll have to hit the river at night with a 10wt and some 10" Skipjack and Rainbow Trout patterns. Maybe I'll run into a few Striper in the Process? :headbang:

I'm just wondering about the fishability of a 10' sink tip. I've heard the 5' sink tips you can pick up and handle like a floating line with a good powerful rod. What about the 10 footer? Can you cut it back to 5' without any negative side effects?

I'm game! I could use a bunch of good Sclupin patterns. I have a feeling that the Cumberland River Browns and 'Bows would be suckers for a good Sculpin pattern. Not to mention I'd love to see if the Smallies down here in Kentucky have Sculpins on the menu. I've been on a deer-hair kick recently so i'll tie up some #2 Twin-Tail Madonnas. Probably Olive. Heck, the Twin-Tail Madonna can double as a convincing Crawfish Pattern, too. I'm planning on adding lead wrappings on the hook shank (20 wraps to be exact). If anyone doesn't want the lead wrappings or needs a lead substitute, just let me know.

That is DEFINITELY on the "must tie" list. NICE fly! When I tie up some, I forsee many Smallmouth, Trout, and Hybrids caught on that thing. Hopefully a few bonafide Striper, too!

Sounds like a BLAST! I'd LOVE to catch some Snook some day. I'd even love to keep a few for the grill (when it's legal to keep 'em). I've heard that Snook are some of the best eating fish around.

I started fly fishing this past July, and started tying flies around September or October. I was hooked immediately on both. I was 25 then and am 26 now. Fly fishing plays to 2 of my biggest passions; fishing and art. I tried to get back into playing the piano a few years ago (I played it for 11 years when I was younger) and blew WAAAAY too much money in my guitar phase (just never could stick with it). I love listening to music, but I just can't stick with an instrument. The initial newness wears off and I just don't have the drive anymore. Through it all I kept fishing, and I have always been good at art (drawings, paintings, clay, stained glass, etc...). Fly fishing lets me create little works of art and then go catch fish on 'em. What could be better? :headbang:

Was it a Channel, Blue, or a Flathead? Cats are known to eat live things, not just dead and stinky. Flatheads especially. In fact, Flathead Cats prefer their prey live. Flatheads also pull like a Mack Truck. :headbang: They sure won't win any beauty contests though.

Just keep taking her fishing. Go species fishing too. Smallmouth, Largemouth, Stripers, Rainbows, Browns, Brookies, EVERYTHING. And of course don't forget to take her fishing for the (not-very) elusive Trouser Trout. :hyst:

I actually tried that this weekend 7wt and PRESTO! Problem solved. I actually think those muddlers are fun to tie. I just hope they catch Trout and Smallmouth, because I'd hate to have a fly I love to tie that doesn't catch fish. I've been tying the twin-tail Madonnas on a #2 TMC300 hook with 20 wraps of .025 lead to get it down faster.

The Blood quill marabou I have from Bass Pro has too many friggin plumes of marabou (flat palm-shaped as opposed to the non-flat marabou). Where can I find some good Marabou for the Stacked Blonde? I'm assuming that the marabou needs to be in the shape of a tube or a cone rather than flat.

Thanks! I'll have to tie up some 5"-6" baby Brown Trout streamers for the next time I go Trout fishing. Probably won't be until May though. Darn school gets in the way of my fishin'. Those are the only stockers I'll be able to immitate with what i've got. 10" Rainbow patterns wouldn't cast too well on an 8wt. I think I see some Double Bunnies in my future.

How do you all like those jointed flies? My only experience with anything jointed is with jointed Rapalas. I've never found those to be very good. How are jointed flies?

Here's how I'm currently doing it. I'm taking a fairly big clump of deer hair, placing it on the hook shank and making sure it's pretty evenly dispursed all the way around. I make a couple wraps around the hair while holding clump of hair closest to the hook point, and then pull on the thread to flare it. I then make a couple more tight wraps (it kinda rotates around the shank slightly at this point), then move the thread to the front of the stack, and tie a half-hitch to secure it. Repeat. My problem is that EVERY time I try to do it, with EVERY single clump of hair, one side of the spun stack is significantly denser than the other? I'm not sure if it makes much of a difference when fishing, but it bugs the CRAP outta me. How on EARTH do you get a clump of deer hair to spin nice and evenly around the shank? Are the stacks of hair still lopsided before I flare it? Is there something I'm not doing while flaring to prevent any lopsidedness? I spent HOURS last night and this morning trying different stuff to no avail. :help: