May Flies From the Vise

[RexW 0]

"March Brown" Salmon Fly - more or less

  

This Salmon pattern has been around since the 18th century.

  

OK, my fly has a lot of problems, but I tried several new techniques and materials. The Tag would look better at twice the length. The Tail is way too long and at a weird angle (had trouble with the tag kicking it up). The wing is too short. This is widest all-turkey wing that I've done and it "shrunk" more than I expected when tied in. The rib spacing has issues, especially the 4th and 5th. First time to use partridge for a throat and it would look better with one less wrap, But, wow, it was easy to make throat with partridge. I need to work with it more.  I'm sure there are other issues that I've missed.  But, I'm still having fun tying them.    

  

Per Kelson's recipe:

Tag: Gold oval tinsel

Tail: GP topping

Body: Well... Kelson used a mixture of monkey and seal fur, but I don't have either of those. So, I just used some synthetic dubbing that I do have.

Rib: Gold oval tinsel

Throat: Partridge hackle

Wings: Mottled Turkey

 

[Flat Rock native 0]

29 minutes ago, RexW said:

 

 

I rate it a 10/10.... 11 with real monkey...12 with seal, too .Great work with slips and beard...

[Moshup 0]

Sweet RexW.

[Kimo 0]

10 hours ago, Bruce Derington said:

Yes, I remembered the "composite" term and Bam! But thank you big time for posting.

Check your Facebook Messages.

Kimo

[RexW 0]

Thanks Guys, these are fun flies to learn to tie, but humbling to photograph and enlarge. 

[Kimo 0]

Latex Scud, Olive/Pink
Seems like I'm always tying these for friends.



Kimo

[flytire 0]

White Wulff

Hook - Dry fly style
Thread - Black
Tail - White bucktail
Body - Cream dubbing
Wing - White bucktail
Hackle - Badger

[Flat Rock native 0]

Kimo, ...turning friends into beggars, one cool scud at a time...

[flytire 0]

9 hours ago, RexW said:

"March Brown" Salmon Fly - more or less

  

This Salmon pattern has been around since the 18th century.

  

OK, my fly has a lot of problems, but I tried several new techniques and materials.

 

thats great! not many tyers try something new

 

The Tag would look better at twice the length.

 

the tag is fine. about 5 turns is all thats needed. see "steve andrews" videos on you tube and count how many turns he uses for tags

 

The Tail is way too long and at a weird angle (had trouble with the tag kicking it up).

 

build a thread base at the front of the tinsel tag thats level with the height of the tinsel. then tie in the crest feather. that should eliminate the weird upward angle. crest feather are curved by nature. using small or x-small tinsel also works for tags and helps to prevent the kick up of the feather

 

The wing is too short. This is widest all-turkey wing that I've done and it "shrunk" more than I expected when tied in.

 

a tad longer would be nicer

 

The rib spacing has issues, especially the 4th and 5th.

 

rotary vises help with even spacing. 5 turns is "somewhat standard" with the 3rd wrap in the center of the body

 

First time to use partridge for a throat and it would look better with one less wrap, But, wow, it was easy to make throat with partridge.

 

throat looks okay

 

I need to work with it more.  I'm sure there are other issues that I've missed.  But, I'm still having fun tying them.    

  

Per Kelson's recipe:

Tag: Gold oval tinsel

Tail: GP topping

Body: Well... Kelson used a mixture of monkey and seal fur, but I don't have either of those. So, I just used some synthetic dubbing that I do have.

 

maybe hares ear would be a good substitute for "march brown" dubbing

 

Rib: Gold oval tinsel

Throat: Partridge hackle

Wings: Mottled Turkey

 

 

the above comments are just my opinions and dont matter too much 😀

[RexW 0]

Thanks Flytire.  I have another version of this pattern's recipe that uses Hare's Ear for the body and the tag goes from the barb to the point.  I may try that version next. 

It has been both fascinating and frustrating how a seemingly subtle change such as using medium size tinsel instead of small size makes a big difference in the final "look" of the fly.  I have a lot of respect for the folks that are good at this style of tying.   But these flies are fun to tie.   

 

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

For Mogup... really like your Flatwings.  I've never used them down here in south Florida since most all of our baitfish have a different profile (wider, broader...).  You asked about snook patterns - here's a few we use in different situations...

This is pretty much all we use at night and of course it's called the Night Fly... It's used around docklights or bridge shadows for both small to medium sized tarpon and snook when there's shrimp coming on the tide and it's all white so my anglers can see it in relation to the fish.... These are done up with old Mustad 7766 hooks in 1/0 or 2/0.  Tail is six wide neck hackles - three on a side after tying in a clump of white calftail very slightly forward of the hook's bend.  A sparse bit of Flashabou Accent in pearl over all... The collar is three wide webby saddles with as much of the "fluff" at the base left in.  Thread - Danville's flat waxed nylon in fl. red for 1/0, fl. yellow for 2/0 (at night you need all the help you can get picking out sizes..). I also do this pattern with Owner Aki hooks as well... 

These two bendback patterns on Mustad 34007 1/0 hooks are for working up shallow in dark backcountry waters along heavy mangrove jungle shorelines... The first is my version of Flip Pallot's Prince of Tides, the second is my own Big Eye Bendback (the one shown is one of three different color variations).  I've never found a properly bent hook from any manufacturer so I prefer to bend them myself with two pairs of pliers -and only a very modest bend... Bendbacks don't work well for tarpon at all, at least that's what Chico Fernandez (the guy who popularized this type of pattern) had to say about them... 

These two Seaducer variations are just the ticket for fishing shallow with relatively light rods (6wt to 8wt) and suspend nicely as you pause between strips.  I do them in a number of color combinations - all on a #2 or #1 hook (occasionally a bit bigger).  Each has a wire weedguard to keep it snag free as much as possible.  The green and white shown uses all saddle hackles for tail and collar - the pink and white uses neck hackles for the tail - then saddles for the collar.  Note the "fluff" showing in the collar on each.  Many ask if it's maribou, but it's just using a bit more of the saddles when palmering up a collar.  The pink and white shown with plastic eyes pushes a bit more water than the all saddle hackle version....

This is the Silhouette, my own pattern I've been tying since the early eighties - some mistakenly call it a weighted Seaducer - the big difference is that the Silhouette has the tail feathers, curved side inwards - like a tail on a Deceiver,  the Seaducer has the tails splayed...  I do them in many colors - but mostly fish the all white version in 1/0 or 2/0 with a very strong hook - usually an Owner Aki.  Every one has a wire weedguard and those very noticeable presentation lead eyes... This is my primary baitfish pattern when there are lots of pilchards or herring around and fish are gorging on them.  It also works well when you're live chumming with 3 to 4"  whitebait (the collective name for pilchards, herring, small menhaden ) along the coast of the Everglades and the Gulf coast as well...

This is one of our primary big snook flies - it's a Tarpon Snake variation with a 4/0 Owner Aki or Tiemco 600sp hook ( just one of several color variations we use).  This kind of bug needs a minimum of a 10wt rod and we always fish it on a full intermediate line.  It's mostly used around docks, blown down trees and any other structure in three to ten feet of water... Worked deep and slow any snook will be big - some too big.  Big tarpon, cobia, and others will take this pattern around the world.  I've had some anglers that were very successful with it for Giant Trevally as well....

 

Hope this helps, snook are one of our primary targets day to day in the backcountry or fishing along the east coast at night from Miami northwards.

 

 

 

 

[Kimo 0]

2 hours ago, Flat Rock native said:

Kimo, ...turning friends into beggars, one cool scud at a time...

Thanks Bra'h.
More like addicts. The first one is always free.

Kimo

[Landon P 0]

[Mark Knapp 0]

6 minutes ago, Landon P said:

 

I'll take a dozen of those and a dozen of those and a...............

[Flat Rock native 0]

1 hour ago, Kimo said:

Thanks Bra'h.
More like addicts. The first one is always free.

Kimo

Show me to the line,  may be down to Charlie’s Flybox one of these days... Soon I hope!