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TheCream

Bronze Goddess variants

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I slightly modified the pattern, but only slightly. This fly caught a load of bass in a local creek last week and I needed to stock back up. My slight changes were in color and in hook choice, I used a DaiRiki 20* bent shank "craw hook" in a Size 6 for these.

 

I splashed in some orange with the brown on this one:

 

P8290542_zps3204522f.jpg

 

And black/blue was always a great jig color in conventional gear days, and it works just as well in fly form:

 

P8290540_zps9cee7338.jpg

 

This one is modified a little more. I wanted more of a chub/shiner/minnow color scheme. I also subbed in a dubbing loop of Silver Minnow Belly Laser Dub for the head:

 

P8290541_zpsd7104a25.jpg

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Yea Mike Jacobs came up with a great pattern here, tied up a few of these about month ago had good success with it also.

 

Mike

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Didn't want to create a new topic for this, but the way I see OP hackled his may have answered my question. I'm tying up a few of these based on the SBS found here http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns3.asp?page=33 . Do any of you use this pattern? My problem is with the mallard hackle. I have a whole bag of hareline mallard flank and it looks like only 2 of the feathers in the whole bag are long enough to wind as a hackle for something like this. And those two have way long fibers. Is that normal? It's not bronze mallard flank, it's that the problem? Anyway, I tied one up with the mallard, and one using a pheasant feather. What do you think? Am I just using too many wraps? I may just do a mallard collar like cream did now that I see his. Also I subbed laser dub for the chenille. 20170226_142330_zpsjenw5h3q.jpg 20170226_142402_zpssa2nooql.jpg

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Fishinguy, I've had a great pleasure of tying the bronze goddess several times under the guidance of Mike Jacobs, the originator of the pattern. He's gone away from winding the mallard hackle as detailed on Ward Bean's site. He now recommends stripping clumps (4 or so) of mallard fibers and tying them in behind the lead eyes and fanning them out to build the collar. This allows you to get a more consistent fiber length. I also found that the stem thickness of some of my better length feathers was too great to get the wrap quality I was looking for. I can try and post a picture later.

 

I don't need to tell you, your flies will fish! I'd love to see how your take on the pattern progresses.

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Thanks so much for the insight! I'd love to see an example of how the originator is tying it these days. The mallard hackle was really a sticking point with me, as I'd only be able to tie a couple of these flies per bag of mallard feathers. $$$

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Mike chose bronze mallard for the pattern because he had an excess of "lesser quality" feathers left over from selecting the nicest feathers for classical tiers. I've tied the goddess using dyed wood duck with equal success and much cheaper!

 

Here's a look at how he does it these days.

 

Once you've finished the tail and body of the fly, select your feather of choice. Here I have a bronze mallard.

post-58182-0-02718600-1488678320_thumb.jpg

 

 

Strip off a small clump.

post-58182-0-01548800-1488677787_thumb.jpg

 

 

Tie it in behind the eyes at the desired length, fan it out a bit with your fingers, and repeat.

post-58182-0-87465000-1488678436_thumb.jpg

 

Then wrap the chenille around the eyes to finish of the head. And you have a Bronze Goddess.

post-58182-0-88996200-1488677756_thumb.jpg

 

Many an Iowan small stream Smallmouth have fallen to that fly.

 

Let me know if you have any more questions and post your results!

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First atempt with saddle hackle and the duck tied in in clumps. Used a dubbing blend, as I don't have a chenille I like with this pattern. 20170306_211658_zpsh9i8c0wz.jpg

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Right on! That's buggy as all heck! It'll fish! I personally like the laser dub you used in the flies above a bit more than this dubbing, but you got the idea. I've not always liked the the look of wrapped chenille for the head of the Goddess and have used dubbing to finish the head as well.

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I love this fly. I made a video and placed online. Check it out at www.ozarks smallmouthalliance.com

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