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siestafred

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Everything posted by siestafred

  1. Very nice ! Headed to the Ristigouche in early June and this fly will be in my box for sure. Usual best fly that time of the year is a Grey Rat, but his pattern could rock too. Cheers......Fred
  2. I really should call this pattern "Veggie Shrimp", because I made the shellback from the material in one of those rectangular clear plastic containers my wife gets her leafy veggies (like Arugula) in at Publix ! Now if it ever warms up here in the Sarasota area I could put it to a good test. I've tried earlier versions and the fish seem to like it fine. Cheers......Fred
  3. Sure, no problem. Hook: Mustad 34007 #1 Tail: Schlappen feathers, 2 /side + Crystal Flash Body: Palmered EP Sparkle Brush Back: Deadly Dazzle, Mullet Brown Throat: Red Marabou Finish: 2 Coats of CCG, 1 coat of Hard as Nails
  4. So, first post for me in some time ! Still saltwater fishing and tying, but not as much lately. Anyway, I got tired of having toothy critters chew off the eyes on my baitfish patterns so I finally bit the bullet and got some Clear Cure Goo. Tied up a couple yesterday for practice and although I made a bit of a mess and need more reps, I thought this one turned out ok and decided to share it. I'm pleased with the eyes now, they won't be coming off after a Snook or two !! About 4" overall, so a good general pattern for SW Florida. Cheers.....Fred
  5. I'm a Canadian and although I've never personally been there I know a number of guys that have gone. We have regular flights from Toronto to Cuba and as well there are a number of fly fishing travel companies that put packages together. Just Google "fly fishing Cuba" for more info. Reports over the years have generally been pretty good (Bones, Tarpon, Permit) although some are now saying it's been overfished and is suffering. WFN has had shows on for quite some time now that have featured it. Cheers........Fred
  6. Good lookin' flies !! I like the idea of a "shrimp" Gurgler. And applying some Sally's is a fine idea too. Fred
  7. I got a nice Gator yesterday with the Shrimp. Great fight. Amazing the pound for pound difference between 18``and 24`` trout. It`s like a geometric progression in strength. Sure put a bend in my 8 wt !! GG34, the gel stays on the flies a long time, but does not ruin them. They get a bit `rubbery` but the gel does not seem to dry out even after sitting for days. You`ll know what I mean once you try it.
  8. The one I've tried is Pro Cure Gel Shrimp. I put a small dab of about 1/8 to 1/4" on (say) a 3" Clouser and gently rub it into all the fibers. It seems to last 12-15 casts before I need to add more. Usually after landing a fish I add more anyway unless it's just a small fish. It's a bright pink/red color but that does not seem to affect it's catching ability at all. Let us know how you do !!
  9. Sounds like a terrific trip.....good on you for the DIY part. I've tried for tarpon in Key West on a trip with the little woman but never got a hookup. That must be the ultimate rush though, because I was crapping my shorts just watching them go by and casting to them. Tarpon migrate up the west coast here in FL starting about now and they can be caught all summer. Unfortunately I'm always back in Canada by then so I miss out. Cheers.....Fred
  10. Hey Sully.....where's the Belize report ?? Betty, you'd be right about washing the flies off.......but on a decent day those salty critters chew 'em up pretty good so that by the time I'm done they're usually trash anyway. Also, I only put a small dab on so the action only gets slowed a bit on the first couple of casts. After that, the flies are fine even though the scent keeps on working.
  11. Interesting opinions all. Seems to be a split mostly in favor of "whatever it takes", but I sure sympathize with the "purist" attitude. I'm a C&R barbless guy as well, so it's been hard to admit that the scenting usually (no guarantee) makes for a better catching day. Long as the fish are cooperating I'll be inclined to not use scent, but I only get out about once per week and so on days when the fish aren't taking for me I'm going to use the Pro Cure. Life's too short (as they say) to go to all the effort with the kayak and all and end up having poor action. I only use a small dab on the fly, so I haven't found it to be messy or sticky at all. Not tempted to lick my fingers though !
  12. So, here's the thing. Sometimes saltwater fishing with flies is just tough.....limited visibility, full moon, bad tides, you name it. I see guides chumming for Reds and I see on TV fishing shows that swim baits get slathered in Pro Cure to improve catch rates. Now, I've always been a bit of a purist (read "fly fishing snob") and won't ever fish with live bait or any kind of spin gear no matter what. Sometimes I've out-fished those guys with my flies, but often it's the other way around. Fish do find their food by sight, smell and sound. But this winter the catching has been tough in the Sarasota area and a guide at a local fishing store talked me into trying some Pro Cure on my flies. Guess what......all of a sudden I'm catching many more fish. So, is it all good? Or is it "trickery" unsuited to true fly fishing? Is it "cheating"? What say you? (Oh, has anyone seen any Green Drake "scent" anywhere ?? Fred
  13. Great looking tie. Think you might have a bit of trouble with fouling? I find those flimsy materials and long legs are a bit problematic at times. Reds will chase it though !! Fred
  14. My m.o. these days is yak & wade (where possible) for Reds, and I have to say they have been fairly scarce of late. Not really sure why, although we had a major red tide for about 6 months last winter and that no doubt had an effect. Have had some pretty good action on Snook though, and lately there are lots of Jacks running around. Cheers......Fred
  15. Best "close" trout fishing is Calgary area, especially the world renown Bow River. Lots of awesome trout rivers to the west a bit, like the Oldman, Livingstone and the Crowsnest Rivers. That may be too far for you, but if you're interested the best guide IMHO is Naoto Aoki (pronounced "now-toe"). Here's his link.....www.naotoaoki.com Cheers.....Fred
  16. Thanks Matt. Out yesterday for the first time since arriving here for the winter, and the Snook are about in good size and numbers. Plus, they seem to love that Shrimpy Clouser. Tight lines.....Fred
  17. Crabs like this Merkin are golden for me in the whole Sarasota-Bradenton area. Also try this innocent looking Shrimpy Clouser. It was my best last winter. I usually skip the rubber legs and it doesn't seem to matter. Tight lines......Fred
  18. As mentioned above by Capt Bob it's critical that you check your tippet after every fish. Only a minute to re-tie if it's been roughed up and it'll save you a bunch of heartbreak ! Fred
  19. Thanks Bob. The variable weather has kept us off the water a lot here in Sarasota as well, with high winds and numerous fronts. But when I've been out the fishing has been pretty good, with numerous good sized gator trout, a few medium reds, and some good snook coming to hand. After this week's front things will pick up nicely as the water warms. That Shrimpy Clouser I posted a few weeks ago has been taking everything. All my other flies are getting a long rest !! Fred
  20. This pattern is not nearly as bulky as it looks here. When wet the craft fur compresses and pulsates. If you look at the second photo in Pattern Info you'll see the look of the Wing n Flash on the top and the bottom of the fly. When wet it gives the fly a super translucent look, just like a shrimp. It's a great material to use for accents and the reds and trout seem to love it ! Fred
  21. Nice tie ! I'd call it the "Roach"......
  22. Losing a good or favorite rod & reel sucks for sure.......but it makes you feel like such a clutz. You can always replace the hardware but the humiliation lasts a long time. You can't buy your way out of it. Years ago I had a Winston Boron II 8' 4 piece 4 wt rod I loved for mountain stream trout fishing. One day I was hiking from one spot to another with the rod pointed out behind me. I had just broken off a nice Brown and decided to wait until I got to the next pool to rig it up again. Halfway there I happened to notice that the top section had pulled out and was nowhere to be found. Try looking for a 2 foot section of fly rod in the deep woods with all kinds of branches lying around...no chance ! Cost to replace that one section was almost as much as a new rod. I never did. I still look at it in my garage every once and awhile and feel the angst.....but now I never go anywhere with a rod that isn't rigged unless it's in a case.
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