dafack01

Here's a link to the thread titled "Cutthroat Clouser". http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php?sho...5&hl=bull+trout

I read something about Bull Trout on this forum by someone who used gigantic 7" clousers tied with flashy synthetic materials to look like a Cutthroat. He said the bigger, the better. I'll see if I can find it.

Nice tie! It looks kinda like a Rainbow Trout Marabou Muddler. I'll have to try a marabou muddler one of these days. You might try some Whitlock Sheep Shad-style version as well. They are some of the most realistic looking baitfish patterns I've ever seen. The browns down here like 'em!

In the Modern Streamers book, they "recommend" (more like they said it's what they do rather than saying it's better) tying Madonnas as a twin-tail with #2 and #4 hooks and single tails with #6 and #8. For baitfish patterns for Trout (jerkbaits and so far streamers), I REALLY like that 2"-3" range. Not to mention I want the best strike-hookup ratio I can get, so the hook NEEDS to be near or at the very back of the pattern. So I'm going the #2 route and tying it like they "recommend", as a twin tail. Which works for me. It creates more bulk and looks meatier. Do you just tie one rabbit strip on each side so they're horizontally opposed? That's what I did when tying, and I was just double checking. That's really the only way I can see how it can be done. The picture they have in the book doesn't show any exposed skin, just the hair so I was just checking to see if they have any super-secret technique for placing both strips on top of the fly.

Thanks everyone for the tips!

Unless it's winter on a southern resevoir, in which case 1" hairjigs will catch 5 pound smallmouth all day. :headbang: Not that I've ever fished Float 'n Fly or anything. Yet. :devil:

How do you guys find yourselves doing the backs of Herring and Shad? Some pearl material for the belly and midsection is pretty easy to figure out. Should I just do like Whitlock's Sheep Shad and add a little gray to the back, topped with some green? Should I add sparse amounts of a smorgasboard of colors such as purple, blue, yellow, and pink? Should I do earthen tones on the back? I'll probably do one with some Chartreuse in it too. If it ain't Chartreuse, it ain't no use. I'm guessing more earthen tones for the Gizzard Shad backs and the funky colors for the Herring, but I'm not sure. Most of the pictures of Skipjack I've seen (as well as the ones I've caught) have been a mirrory white or silver with a touch of gray on the back. Or should I just do the logical thing and tie up several different combinations and experiment? I dould like a little help though.

Do you just use the EP Fibers or do you mix them with any flash material?

What do you mean by "Hanked"? Is it a hairwing deciever kinda thing?

My next trip to my favorite Trout river will probably be in May, which lands squarely within the prime Striper fishing window. My stoutest setup is an 8wt with a 200 grain Teeny (I also have a Floating Line). I probably won't be able to afford a 10wt by the time we go. When we go, it'll probably be a 2-day float/camping trip combo thing. We'll also be drifting in the prime MONSTER Trout/Striper section of the river. I'd like to tie up some 6" Streamers in Brown Trout colors (KY stocks 4"-6" Brown Trout during the spring in addition to the 9" fish) as well typical shad and herring colors since trolling big (12") Gizzard Shad is effective. I probably won't be tempting any 50 pounders, but I'd take a 10-20 pounder on an 8wt any day. There are also a lot of Skipjack in this river. I'm guessing I'd tie it on a 2/0 or 3/0 short shank Octopus hook or similar, and the streamer will probably need to be made out of synthetic materials. Flashy and Translucent will probably be best, but I've never caught a Striper out of this river so what do I know? :dunno: I read a post a while ago where someone used a 1:1 mixture of Mirror Image and Angel Hair and used a High-tye style of tying. 6" Sizes in Whitlock's Sheep Shad also look promising. What do you find effective for Striper in the 6" baitfish range? I've heard that freshwater Striper are picky beasts, too. At least Dave Whitlock says so.

Congrats! I was just as pumped up when I caught my first fish on a fly rod (a 17" Smallmouth) as when I caught my first fish on a fly I tied (a White Bass that went about 7"). The cherry popper is always memorable!

Well, it'll be 7 years in the making, but I'll FINALLY have my Bachelors in Industrial Engineering from the University of Louisville this May! :headbang: Now comes the PITA part, job searching. Can some of you who have been there, done that give me some tips on where to find jobs, how to find jobs, and other sage advice for the job hunter? I'd REALLY appreciate it!

I might have to cast one once I start shopping. Thanks! The times I have seen Striper at Cumberland River, it would make the most SEASONED Striper fisherman (Salt or Freshwater) weak in the knees. At the times you see a school, the smallest fish is (I'm not kidding you, either) about 10 pounds. The schools of 'em are about 15 fish, with several going to about 40 pounds. A few times I have had 30 pound class Striper express a little interest in my trout offering (one 2.75" jerkbait and one 3" Whitlock Sheep Shad). I have half a mind to just get a fast sinking line for it as my only line. I'll be boat fishing, and the presentations for them both would be better suited with a fast sinking line.

Yup. I plan on having both my 8 (Scott A2) and my 6 (the TFO) rigged up. The 4" Whitlock Sheep Shad, when measured, is actually about 5" long. And the fly DOES fall right! I just hope I can fool a Striper or 2 with it. I have HIGH hopes for the 3" Sheep Shad and #4 Sparkleminnows on my TFO for Trout.

:headbang: :headbang: :yahoo: :yahoo: :yahoo: My spring break trip is almost set!!!!!!!! Probably next Wednesday and Thursday. I'm staying in Kentucky and heading to Cumberland River for Trout and (hopefully) a few Striper on Wednesday, then we're driving up to Green River Lake on Thursday to (attempt to) catch a few Muskie!!!! I've been tying flies like a madman for the Cumberland Trip. #6 and #4 Sparkleminnows, 3" Whitlock Sheep Shad (tied on a #2 Gammy SC15 hook- it's smaller than it sounds), 4" Whitlock Sheep Shad (tied deep like a Gizzard Shad on a 2/0 Gammy Octopus Hook- hopefully this will catch a small-medium size Striper), Woolly Buggers, and some palmered zonker-strip Sculpin Patterns. I also bought (I know, I know) a Zoo Cougar and Woolly Sculpin. I'm HELL BENT on catching some Trout on a longrod. Now if only the wind will cooperate. I've heard that trolling live Gizzard Shad behind a planer board is effective for Striper at Cumberland, so I'm hoping a thick, meaty Gizzard Shad immitation will fool a couple of the smaller (24"-30") Striper down there. The 2/0 Octopus Hook is hidden nicely in the pattern, too. I just need to give it a tank test real quick to make sure it falls right. Now I just have to find a Muskie Shop on Green River Lake that'll sell Muskie-ready Rattletraps and spinnerbaits. Sorry, I want to catch just one friggin muskie :wallbash: . I have yet to catch one. I don't want to make it even HARDER for my first one by using a fly rod.

No fly is original these days. The days of "original" flies were back in the 1800's and early 1900's. Any pattern devised since the turn of the century is just a modification. There are no more "original" patterns.

Squeak is good. When Bass are hitting Spinnerbaits, topwaters, rattletraps, etc... they are VERY agressive. Squeaky lures will attract them, not scare them off. Heck, one of the BEST topwater Smallmouth Lures on the PLANET is the Buzzbait. From my experience, the squeakier the buzzbait, the more the fish like it.

Are you referring to Pearl Green with an Olive Marabou Tail or 2 seperate flies; one Pearl Green and one Olive? The fish in Elkhorn really like Sluggos and Flukes, so I'd bet they'd dig the Pearl/White as well. And it makes sense that the Black Light pattern works. So many bass (green and bronze) love a black and blue jig.

I'm not a member of the fly fishing club. I haven't really thought about it actually. And I have checked out Parallel 38. Cool store. I bought my first 6wt (Scott V2) and 8wt (Scott A2) from them. I really dig Bullfrog Creek, too. I just bought my TFO TiCr and a RIO Nymph line from them, as well as a lot of fly tying stuff. About 98% of my spinning and casting stuff comes from Bullfrog. I've dipped my sparkleminnows in the sink and the angel hair (actually Wing 'n Flash) doesn't fold back. When I swirl the water around I get some movement, but a lot of movement like you get with Marabou or something. When I blow on it good head on, the fibers start breathing good though. I think I'm tying them sparse enough. I've tied them to look kinda like the ones you have posted, sparkle. Should they fold back in the sink when wet or stay like they are regularly when still and move back when stripped or in the current?

I'll have to try those. Thanks! Been to KY, eh sparkle?

I haven't even been fly fishing for a year, so Woolly Buggers are still "new" to me. I'm concocting a few craw/sculpin/madtom patterns involving palmered Pine Squirrel zonker strips, but I'm starting simple for now.

I'll have to be boring and vote for a Smallmouth as well. They'll readily eat flies and they fight like hell. Those Peacocks sure are fun to catch, too! I've caught a few of them in S. Florida. Fight as hard as a smallmouth, and are 10x meaner. Never caught a bluegill on a fly. I need to change that. I'm also jonesing for May/June so I can go after some Wipers with the longrod! I've got a 200 grain Teeny and an 8wt that's just BEGGING to catch one of those things.

Nice! I've been tying up some Sparkleminnows too. I have high hopes for it for Smallmouth and Trout (You can probably guess where I'll be fishing for each since you live in Louisville, too). I wonder if it makes a difference if the Angel Hair is folded back like that or sticking straight up? I've seen a few with the Angel Hair sticking straight up (like the ones sparkleminnow has posted), and I've seen several more (including yours, someone else's, and the ones at Bass Pro) with the angel hair folded back like that. And I also like that reddish hue down the middle with the red thread! Kinda reminds me of a Rainbow Trout. I might have to try that...

Sparkleminnow, you're the evil mad scientist of the fly tying world. :headbang: I've GOT to play around with some Coffey Grinders. I've been paying attention to the thread on Riversmallies. Have you had much luck getting that thing to "Walk the Dog" like a real spook? Or does it just kinda wallow around? Can you make one that's castable on a 6wt or is it pretty much a thing for an 8wt?

I'm with Troutbum7. Anything with gills. I'll be headed out fishing during Spring Break (the week of March 13th). We'll definitely be hitting Dale Hollow for some Smallmouth and Cumberland River for some Trout. Depending on how Cave Run is doing, we might even go try our hand at some Muskie. I'm kinda hoping that the Smallies at Dale Hollow are holding shallow enough for me to do a float 'n fly with my fly rig. If not, I'll just mount a spinning reel on my 8wt and pester 'em that way. :devil: I'm REALLY hoping to catch at least a few of the following this year: Muskie (don't care how big, I just want one of the friggin things :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: ) 20" Smallmouth 18" Creek Smallmouth 27"+ Brown Trout 21"+ Rainbow A Carp If we go to the UP Michigan this summer, I'd like to catch a 20 pound Laker out of Superior (already caught a 19) A Striper A 7 pound Hybrid Striper With that said, anything tuggin' on the end of my line is a good fish.