Quagga Mussels

[Mark Knapp 0]

I'm working on a Quagga Mussel pattern for red ears.

Here's the mussels.

and here's what I have so far.

Tied on size 14 jig hook, gray or silver mop for the siphon and the lips, duck flank feathers for the shell, starling soft hackle for the beard and finished with SilverCreeks excellent UV Goo.

[Sandan 0]

You're an artist Mark.

[Mark Knapp 0]

2 hours ago, Sandan said:

You're an artist Mark.

Thank you. Still working on them. They gotta be small for those shellcrushers.

[WWKimba 0]

4 hours ago, Mark Knapp said:

I'm working on a Quagga Mussel pattern for red ears.

Here's the mussels.

and here's what I have so far.

Tied on size 14 jig hook, gray or silver mop for the siphon and the lips, duck flank feathers for the shell, starling soft hackle for the beard and finished with SilverCreeks excellent UV Goo.

Around here we have an invasive species - zebra mussels - the color pattern is very similar.

Kim

[Mark Knapp 0]

4 hours ago, WWKimba said:

Around here we have an invasive species - zebra mussels - the color pattern is very similar.

Kim

Near as I can tell, they are related. Some sources seem to imply the Quagga is a sub-species of the Zebra.

[Mark Knapp 0]

clump of quaggas

[DFoster 0]

They look great Mark!

[WWKimba 0]

7 hours ago, Mark Knapp said:

Near as I can tell, they are related. Some sources seem to imply the Quagga is a sub-species of the Zebra.

Makes sense, I can see the family resemblance!  They came over on European cargo ships and introduced first in the St. Lawrence River when the ships dumped their bilge water.  They hitched rides on boats from one body of water to the next as well as hitting the Great Lakes watersheds.  People found that they would block water lines to camps and such.  Now they have been intentionally introduced to some lakes in this area  to clear the water!

Kim

[chugbug27 0]

Rad mussels, dude

[Mark Knapp 0]

1 hour ago, chugbug27 said:

Rad mussels, dude

Thanks homie

[Mark Knapp 0]

4 hours ago, DFoster said:

They look great Mark!

Thanks bud.

[Mark Knapp 0]

4 hours ago, WWKimba said:

Makes sense, I can see the family resemblance!  They came over on European cargo ships and introduced first in the St. Lawrence River when the ships dumped their bilge water.  They hitched rides on boats from one body of water to the next as well as hitting the Great Lakes watersheds.  People found that they would block water lines to camps and such.  Now they have been intentionally introduced to some lakes in this area  to clear the water!

Kim

Yep, they are invasive in lake Havasu too, but the shellcrackers like them. One mans "Bad Mussel" is another mans good mussel.

[WWKimba 0]

👍

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Mark here's a small crab pattern that might allow you to do a "soft shell" version of that clam fly - the material for the back is called furry foam.  This is my version of Matthews' Turneffe Crab on a #4 Mustad 34007 hook.  I call my version the Spider Crab with those outrigger style weedguards... 

The different color were for use on different colored areas of a bonefish or permit flat... This was a pattern I got to tie regularly for local fly shops in my area of south Florida.  I'm guessing that the body material might adapt well to imitate those clams - but in a "soft shell " version... 

[Mark Knapp 0]

6 hours ago, Capt Bob LeMay said:

Mark here's a small crab pattern that might allow you to do a "soft shell" version of that clam fly - the material for the back is called furry foam.  This is my version of Matthews' Turneffe Crab on a #4 Mustad 34007 hook.  I call my version the Spider Crab with those outrigger style weedguards... 

The different color were for use on different colored areas of a bonefish or permit flat... This was a pattern I got to tie regularly for local fly shops in my area of south Florida.  I'm guessing that the body material might adapt well to imitate those clams - but in a "soft shell " version... 

Very cool Bob. Thanks. I'll try to find some furry foam.