First Saltwater flies

[Jimr1961 0]

I wanted to tie up some flies for Tarpon, etc. for an upcoming trip this spring and one of our members pointed me in this direction. I hope I did them justice.

 

And I'm not sure about this one.

 

I wanted a flatwing with bead chain eyes, but should have added some bucktail to the collar ,eyes, then more bucktail instead of tying on the eyes first. It sort of looks like a flatwing / clouser cross. It looks cool, but I'm not sure.

[tidewaterfly 0]

IMO, you did real good!

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

When you wrote First Saltwater Flies, you must have meant the first you have ever purchased and owned. Those look like professionally tied flies.

 

Kirk

[mikechell 0]

First "Salt Water" I am thinking, Kirk. This Jimr1961 is a veteran fly tier, just not a veteran salt water guy ... right?

[agn54 0]

I hope you like sore arms because those will get nailed. Nice work

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Great looking bugs... and yes, they'll get bit. For anyone that hasn't used big flies for tarpon, we usually set them up on intermediate lines with about a nine foot leader (heavy butt section - five feet minimum of 60lb, then a 20lb tippet with an 80lb fluoro bite tippet...). And yes, Jim's headed my way in the spring.

 

Tight lines

Bob LeMay

(954) 435-5666

[Jimr1961 0]

Cool Thanks for the kudo's.

 

I was pretty sure I nailed them. I almost took the razor blade to the flatwing, but decided to sleep on it. Just because it wasn't quite what I had in mind doesn't mean it won't catch fish. Doesn't hurt to try. The next one won't be so anemic around the mid-section.

 

My next effort will be Tarpon Bunnies, whenever I get around to picking up the zonker and cross-cut strips in the colors I want.

 

 

I'm no pro, just interested, observant and a little obsessed. I tied some crappy trout flies for a couple of years in jr. high school, then put it down until last spring. I'm having a lot of fun with it, so far.

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Don't bother with the cross-cut strips any good full strips will do... they're just not really needed. All you're really trying to do is build up a body with the rabbit before switching to the feather collar... For the 'Glades the first colors will be the black/purple or the red/black... Unlike the clear waters down in the Keys you'll want at least a 3/0 pattern so that the fish can not only see the thing but also feel it (if that makes sense).

[Jimr1961 0]

O.K., my first Swamp Rabbits

 

I completed them down to the first coat of crazy glue on the head, then realized I forgot a very important step. I forgot to start off the tail with a sparse bundle of bucktail, so the rabbit strip was hanging low against the bend of the hook. After some thought, I ran the point of the hook through a latex glove, pulling the material forward, toward the eye and carefully tied on the bucktail, then teased the zonker strip tail through and added a couple of thread turns and a spot of CG. I think it will be anti-fouling now.

[Peterjay 0]

What I know about tarpon you could write on the back of a postage stamp, but the flatwing is spot on as far as style goes. They're usually tied VERY sparse, even more sparse than your example - some tyers actually count the number of hairs. If you haven't used that style of fly before, you might want to try it out before you throw it in the heat of battle. IME, they're fouling machines.

[Jimr1961 0]

One of the first flatwings I tied was a sparse Threadfin shad imitation with three wings. I used a very small clump of some olive pseudo hair fibers (maybe z-lon) and it looked good, but fouled terribly. On the water, I bit the stuff out and there was no more fouling with that fly. When I got home, I snipped off the point at the bend and now use it as a practice fly.

 

I tied this one about 3 months ago with the idea of suggesting a stocked rainbow trout. I haven't had the chance to fish it yet. Maybe before the end of the year. Big Stripers and LMB love stockers!

[Jimr1961 0]

Sorry, I stuttered.

[SCOwens 0]

Good stuff

[Jimr1961 0]

More stuff, These are a lot of fun.

 

Colorful Clousers

 

Swamp Rabbits

 

Silhouettes

 

Crystal Schminnows

[ditz 0]

Those are some nice flies. The Crystal Schminnows have been real fish catchers for me. I also like craft fur shrimps in tan and brown or a combanation of the two. Muddler Minnows with a wire weed guard can work well also. Don't forget some floaters. Gurglers, poppers, sliders, and -----(CRS has kicked in and can't think of the name) (tail and then craft foam body folded over and glued to create a floating minnow that will pop) I will think of the name shortly.