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FlyTieDad

Lightning Bug

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Hello All,

 

I've just come up with a new fly I thought I'd give a try tying.

It's loosely based on a foam beetle.

 

But as you can see it is uniquely suited for night fishing.

 

Anyone see one like this before?

 

-FlyTieDad

 

 

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post-47783-0-67315000-1497233088_thumb.jpg

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Nice tie. Yours looks more like the lightning bugs I'm use to seeing. Harrison Steeves does a "Fire Fly" which is the only other one I've seen where the tail glows in the dark. What material did you use for the tail?

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Nice tie. Yours looks more like the lightning bugs I'm use to seeing. Harrison Steeves does a "Fire Fly" which is the only other one I've seen where the tail glows in the dark. What material did you use for the tail?

 

Thanks!

I used glow in the dark latex so that it had the rib look of the Lightning bug.

 

The body is gray rabbit and a synthetic yellow.

The back is black foam.

The collar/head is dubbed red wool, I'm not sure it's the best option but it works for now.

 

- FlyTieDad

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In my area, we feel very lucky, if we see one or two lightning bugs a night.

But, I remember nights in Indiana when the "lights" just above the fields were seemed numerous than the stars in the sky.

This might be a good night/evening time fly up there.

 

I believe that the same chemicals that give lightning bugs their glow, also make some of them less palatable to some predators. I do not know if fish are affected by those chemicals or not. But if you use it and don't get ANY hits ... I'd go with "bad taste experience" as the reason, since the fly, otherwise, looks like fish food.

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I've always had good luck with Harry's flies, Silver. I know I tied a few of the Fire Fly's at some point since I still have a spool of that Kreiniik in my materials drawer. I caught some pan fish on them, but I think the fish took it for a beetle rather than a lightning bug. I like FlyTieDad's concept, may tweak the materials a bit when I tie one.

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I've always had good luck with Harry's flies, Silver. I know I tied a few of the Fire Fly's at some point since I still have a spool of that Kreiniik in my materials drawer. I caught some pan fish on them, but I think the fish took it for a beetle rather than a lightning bug. I like FlyTieDad's concept, may tweak the materials a bit when I tie one.

 

I've already went with a head/collar of red floss instead of dubbing on the red wool.

 

I've also add a bit of brown hackle around the dubbing on the thorax to help it move better in the water.

Please let us know how you change it and I might incorporate it in mine as well.

 

-FlyTieDad

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