Easy sculpin pattern

[bowmike 0]

Trying to come up with a quicker and easier variation of the sculpin helmet fly. All it takes is 3, pine squirrel strips, a little bit of chennille. This is my favorite color. Some head cement and the sculpin helmet. This is not that elaborate but i know it will work. I want to try it on Steelhead in the Erie tribs. I heard they eat the Gobis and this is a similar looking fish i believe.

 

 

 

I weight the hook from a little past the curve to just before the eye to allow room for sculpin helmet. I then wrap the weighted wire back to about .25" in front of where you started. I then secure the wire to hook with some thread. Then Just push the longer "tail" pine squirrel strip on the hook (hook is upside down on vise) Secure the tail.

 

Next tie in your chennille and taper the body towards the front. Once you reach where you stopped the weighted wire secure the chennille.

 

Take one strip on pine squirrel and secure it on a side to create a fin. Take another strip and secure it on the other side.

 

Now wrap the thread the whole way up to the eye and you want to build this up, then whip finish. Put a lot of super glue or head cement on this thread build up and just a tad on the fins. Slide on the helmet and push it all the way to the thread.

 

You must leave a little room before the eye create a "thread dam". Tie your thread back in and wrap until the helmet cant move. Whip finish and add some more head cement. I like to add a little color to the sculpin head as well.

 

You can tie this pattern many ways but this one seems to be the quickest and easiest with not a lot of material. I am playing around with many other ways to tie these flies and I think that this time of year would be great to use them. Big Brownies are stocking up for the winter right now.

[feathers5 0]

It looks very good. It will sure work. How does it look wet? If I were to tinker with it, I might add a wrap of red hackle for gills. Not really needed, but I like a little gill red on my streamers. It will work the way it is for sure. Post a picture of it wet. I'd like to see how cool it looks when wet. Of course, I could tie a few myself. Nice tie.

Bruce

[bowmike 0]

Hope to test it out some time this weekend. Will post a picture of it wet then and hopfully in a trout's mouth

[ditz2 0]

I like it. I also use red squirrel zonkers for several things and have some plans for a couple of others. I am an old fogey but I am not familiar with sculpin helmets. What are they made of? Lead?

[bowmike 0]

I am not sure what they are made out of. The eyes are stickers though.

 

This is the website of the company that makes them. http://flymenfishingcompany.org/products/fish-skull-products/sculpin-helmet/

[tidewaterfly 0]

Mike, that's a good looking fly! Would be a killer on bass too! Lots of variations you could do from that also, just by changing the body material or the fur strips, and still keep it simple.

 

Superb job!

[bad fish rising 0]

sculpin helmets are 1 of the hardest things i have ever tried to cast

i cant believe you put more weight on it

those things are better suited to being fished under a bobber on a center pin reel

[bowmike 0]

These are some others that i have attempted almost like a wooly bugger aspect to them. I am anxious to try them on bass and small mouth as well

 

 

sculpin helmets are 1 of the hardest things i have ever tried to cast

i cant believe you put more weight on it

those things are better suited to being fished under a bobber on a center pin reel

 

 

I had switched to a faster action rod this year. I also live in South Western PA so our streams are quite narrow. I can see your point on the weight and will have to make one withought the added weight . My problem with the lighter versions is that when you fish them and twitch they tend to bob up a littel too much. The way the head is shaped keeps it nearly snagg proof depending on the bottome. If the patern is too light i see it popping up and not moving like a sculpin in some of the streams I fish i can not just angle my rod down to keep him on the bottom and move like it should. GREAT POINT, however. Thanks for the insight

[ditz2 0]

I think I got the answer I wanted.

 

 

sculpin helmets are 1 of the hardest things i have ever tried to cast

i cant believe you put more weight on it

 

I seldom use large lead barbells cause I hate to cast them. I would rather go fishless than cast those heavy monsters but just my opinion.

[trout man 0]

Where do you find those sinkers on the head?

[bowmike 0]

I order mine through hairline. You can find them on the link i had posted above or just type in Sculpin Helmet on google. I think Jay Stockerd has them as well. These are the mediums. They make a large but as stated above them are a little tough to cast.

[bad fish rising 0]

i had some small ones given to me.

i tried to cast them on an 8wt ticrx TFO rod.

its an extra fast rod.

i was using a 295 grain indi line that will turn over anything except these

 

i wish they made this helmet in aluminum or resin so it has the shape without the weight