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Are these flys, and would you fish them with a fly rod

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Ive got a question for you guys that im sure will arouse some different opinions. I don't intend for any arguing, although im sure there will be some. My question is to what point will you call a fly a fly, and whether you will still fish it with a fly rod. As an example i tyed up two flys that i am planning to fish for pike with. The first one consists of a plastic squid body and a curly jig tail. And the other is a spinner skirt, and a curly jig tail. Both flys are made of lure components bough at bass pro shops. I put a hook into a fly tying vise, i lay down a thread base, i tyed in some chenille for the glue to make contact with, i glued the plastic lure material down, and on the second on i tyed a thread head and added some eyes. So what i have just made, are they flys or are they lures?? Why have you made this decision?? Know that you've sorted that out, next question. Would you fish them with a fly rod or with conventional fishing gear? Why have you made this decision??

 

My opinion,

I still do consider these flys. I tyed them at my fly tying table. I lay down some tying thread and tyed in some chenille. Although that's about all the actual tying aspects to these flys i still consider them flys. Sure they may be primarily made of lure components, i still feel that i tyed these. I am not a picky fly fisherman who loves tying only there perfect dry flys. So i really dont care that they have so much plastic built into them. I still tyed them and they are flys that i am going to fish with. If i just took a hook and stuck some plastic body onto it however i wouldn't consider it a fly, that is a lure. The fact that i have spent time and fly tying principles into these is what makes me consider them flys.

 

Would i still fish them with a fly rod. Well obviously if i consider them flys im going to fish them with a fly rod. But even if i considered them lures i would still fish them with a fly rod. I dont only fish with a fly rod because i want to fish small flys. I enjoy fishing with a fly rod for other reasons so i dont really care what im casting. No im not going to be fly casting a metal spoon or a deep diving crank bait anytime soon. But something such as this i will still fish with a fly rod. I fly fish for more reasons than so i can accurately cast a #20 dry fly. Casting the fly rod, the amazing fight, the fun in it. There is so much more to fly fishing than what is at the end of your leader.

 

This is my personal opinion, what is yours on the matter?? Please keep in mind peoples opinions are there own, and if they think something differently than you there is nothing wrong with that. Go ahead and bash the idea if you dont think it is correct, just dont bash an individual because of there personal opinion.

Thanks

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Here's my opinion, if you can cast it with your fly rod and you want to then why does it matter what someone would call it?

 

What would determine weather I would cast it on conventional gear is weight. If its no fun to cast it on a fly rod then go conventional.

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Here's my opinion, if you can cast it with your fly rod and you want to then why does it matter what someone would call it?

 

What would determine weather I would cast it on conventional gear is weight. If its no fun to cast it on a fly rod then go conventional.

Ditto, word for word. Perfect answer, for my money.

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But a fly is a lure ....as it lures the fish into taking it down as food .

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I doesn't matter to me what you call it. But, by your definition, you would call a 2oz buck tail jig a fly. And that's pushing it. By the looks of it, I'd rather cast what you tied with a spinning rod. Is that a 4" grub or 5? Either way, I bet that thing weighs a quarter ounce. I don't own a rod over 7wt, and I doubt I could cast it with that.

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I don't really think it matters what you call it. I would call it fishing with a fly rod not fly fishing because I don't view the lures you tied as flies. By the way, the flies/lures you tied look very good. I make several balsa and foam bugs I cast with fly rods and don't consider them flies. But that is my opinion and just amounts to terminology.

As long as someone enjoys creating and fishing them is all that matters.

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Guest rich mc

it doesnt matter to me but if your in fly fishing only waters a conservation officer may think otherwise. rich mc

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it doesnt matter to me but if your in fly fishing only waters a conservation officer may think otherwise. rich mc

Rich, I could be wrong but ive never seen a fly fishing only area unless it was for trout.

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I have the perfect 7 ft St Croix spinning rod to cast those on if they indeed weigh 1/4-3/8 oz. And it's caught keeper sized striped bass, it was a tussle but it did it when schoolie fishing, I'm sure it would hold Pike just fine. I don't own a flyrod that would be any fun casting those with, regardless of what you call them ( they look like skirted jigs to me though).

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Depending on the weight I would say they are a jig or a lure.

 

 

What are you fishing them for and what rod will you cast them?

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lure

 

but i think you already have validation that you can call just about anything anything you want

 

in the grand scheme of things, who really cares

 

beats-me-I-dont-know-IDK-no-idea-Steve-M

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Ditto..what they said...

 

I have a question: Have you fished these on a fly rod? Weight? Were they trouble to cast? They look like they might twist the leader unless you use a heavy leader.

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Not my idea of flies, as they're molded plastic, even though you've tied them to a hook, but like others have said, do your own thing. I've got a bag of those squids I like for chasing flounder with baitcasting tackle. Some are soft plastic & I use them on jig heads, the others are like yours & I rig them with wire, weight, flash & often a spinner blade ahead of them. Too heavy for my fly rods. Hadn't considered using them with a fly rod anyway.

 

The curltail grubs, I have a lot of them, but again don't use them with my fly rods. Time & place for everything IMO, and that's something we all have to make our own decisions about.

 

In the course of my fly fishing life, I've used various plastic baits, small spoons, tiny jigs & small spinners with my fly rod for panfishing, but don't do it too often now. I'll still occasionally use spinner flies, but that's about it.

 

Yes, in some trout fishing areas, regulations may exclude molded plastics, so be sure what "fly" you tie on doesn't violate the law. I know back in MD, they specifically excluded molded plastics in fly fishing only areas. wink.png

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Yes they are fairly heavy, but to me no more heavy than some of the bigger pike and musky flys. No i wouldn't want to be casting them with a 5 weight, but with a 10 weight and the right line i feel they would be doable.

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I like them! I would fish them.Here some fishing areas specify artificial lures only.Doesnt say they cant be rubber or plastic.

 

Funny how a 7 inch lure tied with deer hair,feathers and a heavy cone head is considered a fly but a 3 inch lure made with rubber may not be a fly.Who makes these rules?I would say the fisherman determines if it is a fly or not.I have seen antique flies that would not be flies by today's standards but they were very much so yrs ago.

 

I say fish it.Its yours.You made it.You have a right to call it whatever you want.Go catch some fish!

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