Fly Tying

While I can’t say I’ve exactly “mopped up” with the Mop Fly, I have used it with some success. Like a lot of ugly flies that don’t fit our theories of imitation, but sometimes work very well nevertheless, the Mop Fly has its detractors. If you wouldn’t be caught dead with a Mop Fly on the end of your leader, of course you are under no obligation to use one. On the other hand those of us who are more open-minded are under no obligation not to. All of the wise cracks about the fine line between being open-minded and having a hole in one’s head notwithstanding.

Guest Blogger: Mary S. Kuss, life-long avid angler, licensed PA fishing guide, founder of the Delaware Valley Women’s Fly Fishing Association I’ve been looking for a few good crayfish fly patterns for many years. I’ve rejected the vast majority of the ones I’ve come across. Many of them have a very realistic appearance, but are overly complex for my taste. They tend to be both time and labor-intensive to tie. These are not good traits in a fly that will be put at risk in the hazardous environment of a stream bed. The other problem with these elaborate ties is that, despite looking as though they could crawl away on their own, most of them simply do not fish well. A good imitative fly pattern not only has to resemble the natural food item in question, it also has to behave like it once in the water. Different Crayfish Fly Patterns When I discovered the Clouser Crayfish, in the mid-1980’s, I felt that I finally had a keeper. This excellent design proved very effective when fished dead-drift in riffle and run areas of my favorite warmwater streams. However, it did not track and behave well when actively retrieved. I began to understand that it might be necessary to have two go-to crayfish fly patterns—one for drifting and one for retrieving actively. I had my dead-drift pattern, now I needed to find a good swimming crayfish fly pattern. When I ran across DC’s Fin Tickler in a magazine article, it seemed to be just what I was looking for. This carp pattern was devised by Dennis Collier, who readily admits that his fly is the result of tinkering with existing, traditional carp patterns. I, in turn, have been bold enough to tinker further. This organic process is at the heart of fly design, and has a long tradition in the tyer’s craft. We all stand on the shoulders of those who have preceded us. And no one bothers tinkering with unsuccessful patterns. For me carp are a target of opportunity, not a species that I actively pursue. The carp I’ve caught were ones I stumbled upon while fishing for bass and panfish. I’m always happy to cast to a mudding or clooping carp whenever I have the chance, but frankly it doesn’t happen all that often. Still, I’ve found that most fly patterns intended for carp also make very good general warmwater patterns and will even work for trout under the right circumstances. After all, a predatory fish is a predatory fish. Within a given ecosystem they all eat pretty much the same things. This fly is designed to fish inverted, hook point up. This greatly reduces the incidence of bottom snagging. The placement of the lead dumbbell eyes on top of the hook shank will create this orientation on its own. The lead wire added to the top of the hook enhances that tendency by increasing the weight opposite the hook bend and spear and also by moving the dumbbells a bit further away from the hook shank. Although this rather impressionistic design may not look a lot like a crayfish to human eyes, it has all the right triggers—behavior in the water, internal movement, and color. It has been very successful for me, whether drifted or hopped along the bottom. Bass and panfish alike will often charge it as it sinks on a slack line. The silicone legs are obviously key to its attractiveness. The legs close together as the fly is stripped, and open again on the pause. This mimics perfectly the motion of a swimming crayfish. Use any combination of colors that look good to you. You can’t go wrong with some combination of olive, rust, brown and tan. Sometimes crayfish show highlights of bright orange, blue or green. It’s always a good idea to check out the naturals where you fish. My preferred method for fishing this pattern is to cast quartering upstream in areas of moderate depth and current. Allow the fly to sink on a slack line, mending the line as necessary. Be alert for takes as the fly sinks and drifts. When the fly starts to swing, start a strip-and-pause retrieve. In areas with a sand or gravel bottom, the fly can be cast up or up-and-across current and hopped along the stream bed. MK Baby Crayfish Fly Pattern Recipe Hook: #6 Mustad 3366 or equivalentThread: Danville 3/0 Monocord, BrownWire: 0.025” lead or lead-freeWeight: XS nickel-plated dumbbell eyesTail: Grizzly Marabou, Brown or Sculpin OliveGlue (Optional): Brush-On Super GlueBody: Micro Polar Chenille, Brown or Brown-OliveLegs: Silicone leg material of your choiceDubbing: Coarse rusty brown Tying the MK Baby Crayfish Fly Pattern 1. De-barb hook and mount in vise. Lay a thread base from the head position back to the hook point and forward again to about a hook eye width back from the back edge of the hook eye. Catch in the wire on top of the hook and wrap thread back to the hook point and forward again. Break off the wire at the back of the thread base. Align wire on top of the shank. 2. Tie in the dumbbell eyes on top of the lead wire, just slightly back from the front edge of the wire. Be sure to leave enough room ahead of the dumbbells for a turn or two of dubbing and a thread head. Secure dumbbell eyes well with figure-8 thread wraps and a couple of circling wraps between the eyes and the wire. 3. Tie in a Grizzly Marabou feather at the tail position. Tail should be about the length of the hook shank. Wrap thread forward over the marabou butt, binding it to the hook shank as you go, up to the back edge of the dumbbells. Take two turns of thread ahead of the marabou butts. Wrap thread rearward slightly back into the hook bend, cocking the marabou tail slightly downward. Trim excess marabou butt closely. 4. Tie in a length of Micro Polar Chenille about three inches long. Wind the working thread forward to a point about a dumbbell-width from the back edge of the dumbbells. (Optional) Touch the thread base around the dumbbells with a bit of Super Glue or head cement. This increases durability, but go lightly with the glue. Too much will make a mess. 5. Wrap the Micro Polar Chenille forward in touching turns, sweeping the fibers back as you go. Tie off and remove excess. 6. Select two strands of silicone leg material, align the ends, and fold in half around working thread. Bind down at the front edge of the Micro Polar Chenille body on the far side of the hook. Repeat with two more strands on the near side of the hook. Pull the strands down slightly below the hook shank, and take a few thread wraps over the tie-down to keep them there. 7. Form a dubbing loop about 3-1/2 inches in length. Advance working thread to head position. Load the loop with sparse tufts of dubbing. Twist up enough to secure the dubbing in the loop, but not too tightly. You want a loose, shaggy look. 8. Make two or three wraps of dubbing behind the eyes, sweeping the fibers to the rear with each turn. Make one figure-8 wrap of dubbing around the dumbbells and one or two turns ahead of them. Tie off and remove excess. Form a neat thread head and whip off. 9. Touch the thread head with a drop of cement. Brush out the dubbing with a Velcro teaser or similar implement of your choice. 10. Trim the silicone legs to length, about ¼-inch beyond the end of the marabou tail. Groom up as desired. See Product See Product See Product See Product See Product See Product See Product

Guest Blogger: Michael Vorhis, author of ARCHANGEL suspense thriller, OPEN DISTANCE adventure thriller & more to come  We see recipes for this fly or that, calling out a variety of exotic materials, usually claiming that the ones most difficult to find are the most critically necessary to a wily fish's eye. This is especially true for trout flies, given that so many other species appear triggered more by color and motion than by the differences between how an Australian Possum and a Fur Seal chose to evolve their fur. It's less common to come across synthetic materials said to be simultaneously magical and scarce. One that comes to mind is the so-called "Utah Killer Bug" yarn, Chadwick's 477, around which has grown a kind of mythologic reverence since the day Frank Sawyer popularized the pattern. Despite the demand for it, this yarn can no longer be found (probably because Chadwick was into sweaters and not trout flies). And so the best substitute is said to be Jamieson's Shetland Spindrift Oyster 290, which anglers in the know claim MIGHT be ALMOST as good, translucency-wise and wet-color-wise, as the revered Chadwick's. Another is a type of fly tying yarn we can get readily from J. Stockard in many colors, but once upon a time you could buy skeins of it in Wal-Mart. It’s Antron. A decade ago a fistful of Aunt Lydia's Heavy Rug Yarn, Antron flavor, would last you ten lifetimes. But don't bother trying to find such skeins now, on auction sites or wherever, because rugs have long since gone to other cheaper fibers. Get it from J. Stockard in a less ridiculous size.  Dear departed Aunt Lydia​​ Many questions beg to be answered: Why are we so particular with these synthetic fly tying yarns? Why this fiber or that? It’s because property-wise they're very different. I'll describe five different kinds of common yarn and tying fibers:  Types of Fly Tying Yarn Polyester This fiber is easier to find than cotton. It's used for everything from carpets to hats. With a specific gravity of about 1.4, it’s significantly heavier than water (which by definition has an SG of 1.00000). An SG of 1.4 means that, other than surface tension effects, wetted polyester sinks fairly quickly and is unlikely to hold up the weight of a hook for long. It can be pretty fine--some synthetic wetfly dubbings include (or are entirely) polyester.  Polyester Yarn​​ The fibers are usually round or have irregular cross-sections (although three-armed “trilobal” polyesters do exist, found among specialty embroidery threads). The surface of some polyester fibers can be smoother than others (“multi-fiber” being usually smoother than “spun”), but most polyester tends to lack the reflectiveness of some other synthetics. In part because of that, a fly body made of loosely & sparsely applied fine polyester can sometimes appear semi-translucent, letting more light pass between its fibers than is rejected back at the eyes. Many--perhaps most?--egg fly tying yarns have a high polyester content. The fiber is ideal for this purpose; colors can be great and reflectivity is not what’s desired. Other common fibers such as rayons are weaker than polyester and lack qualities fly tyers seek. Polyester fibers can be soft, although not as soft as nylon. While day-savers in a pinch, polyester yarns can be lack-lustre (pun intended) substitutes for more amazing fly-tying yarns. Polyester is NOT what fly-tiers mean when they refer to "poly yarn”--they’re referring to polypropylene... Polypropylene See Product See Product See Product Skeins of poly-pro (or imprecisely called "poly" by many) yarn aren't easy to find at all, per my experiences. In fact I've never managed to find a skein. It can be obtained from J. Stockard in fly-tying quantities, but in large mass-market lumps I doubt it exists to the private tyer. Polypropylene twine, as opposed to yarn, can be found in hardware and even 99-cent stores; it's a very cheap string to make and is used as plumb-bob string and general purpose packaging twine. Despite it being a bit ratty-looking, I've used 6-inch sections of it (with a loop on each end) between floating fly line and leader, as a high-vis never-sinks-unless-pulled-under "tip" that acts as a sort of indicator while also still acting line a line--good flotation and visibility properties but no bobber and no real "kink" in the line's path.  Offering a specific gravity of only 0.9, this synthetic floats readily, and so it's used as parachute posts and dry fly or spent-spinner wing material, and in some patterns (such as large adult insect imitations) it’s a good floating body material too. There are dry fly dubbing products made entirely of polypropylene.  Polypropylene T​​wine Polypro would not absorb water if it were submerged for a week. It has a dull sheen, or none. Its uses for tying flies are rather specific, but what it does it does very well.  Streamer Synthetic Fly Tying Yarn I almost called these “plastics” but I didn’t know what most are made of (and in fact a “plastic” is really any synthetic that stores energy poorly when deformed). There are a world of synthetic streamer fibers, right on through to “tinsels” like Flashabou and Krystal Flash. To my knowledge none of them float. They’d be the subject of a different kind of article.  Zelon Also spelled "Z-Lon" in some packaging (such as on the Umpqua site...from Metz and other merchants who I suspect obtain the raw stuff from Umpqua), this material is a type of nylon, slightly heavier than water (an SG of roughly 1.2), similar to Antron but typically crinklier (at least the classic stuff is...although now there’s “straight Zelon” too). Being nylon, it is thickness-for-thickness softer than polyester and stronger as well. Zelon doesn’t further soften with water absorption (or not measurably by an angler’s standards). So wet or dry, it won’t clump--it doesn’t mat together and it holds its shape. Being a fiber of “trilobal” cross section (more on that later), it is much more reflective than polyester, and is somewhat translucent as well...but it’s still without a contiguous “sheen.” Even so it possesses a pleasing lustre and is highly visible in a wide range of light intensities.  In 1985, Blue Ribbon Flies of West Yellowstone, Montana (John Betts and I believe Craig Matthews too) purchased the world’s supply of raw Zelon from inventing company DuPont. Since then it can only be acquired through BRF or Umpqua (who clearly partners with BRF for Zelon/Z-Lon distribution).  Zelon is versatile. Its high visibility makes it excellent for parachute posts, some segmented bodies, trailing shucks, and more. Anything that benefits from kinky/wavy high-vis fibers that are easy to tie and that need to hold their shape can be addressed with Zelon. I find it so much easier to use than slippery materials such as calf hair that I greatly prefer Zelon for "hair" wings, for example for Wulff dries and other similar patterns. Its kinked nature fills volume with comparatively few fibers, so “wings” can be simulated with minimal weight.   See Product “Micro-Zelon” now exists too--it's very fine, but otherwise exhibits Zelon’s unique properties.  Antron And finally we come to the one I personally consider the Belle of the Ball. Antron is so often described by manufacturers as being "good for tails and trailing shucks." What a classic example of weak understatement! Don't do what I did for some years, substituting whatever I had on hand instead of stocking Antron; this stuff is to die for. The first time I tied with it, I was amazed that I'd gone so long assuming I could just use other nylon fibers...or polyester, like the el cheapo flies use. In fact I was amazed that this stuff is not reserved for the evening gowns of royalty, with that comparatively ugly trash called "silk" being tossed down to the likes of us. Antron is nothing short of beautiful. Stunning. The word "sparkle" doesn't begin to capture the truth; it shimmers...it catches the light in magical ways that draw trout out from under their root-tangled banks. It comes in multiple colors, including the original fine clear variety. It’s soft to begin with, and when wet softens further and takes on the look of pure natural silk. Once I got hold of some, I put the flies I'd tied with substitute fibers in a separate fly box, vowing to cast them into trees in hopes of losing them as quickly as could be managed. See Product Like Zelon, Antron is a Dupont nylon, with a specific gravity of about 1.12, so it’s a little heavier than water. It was used for quite awhile in the rug and carpet industry, not only because of its durability but because it combatted dirt by reflecting a lot of light and appearing squeaky-clean. It eventually gave way to polyester fly tying yarns (which are also sufficiently durable but cheaper), and dear Aunt Lydia stopped being our prime supplier. But no matter; Danville and Hareline (and probably others) market spools of it, and Hareline also markets packets, which I find easy to use without wasting any and which make it easy to blend several colors by hand. J. Stockard has an excellent selection at great prices.  Fly-tying Antron fibers are comparatively fine--and softer than Zelon, yet surprisingly durable. They too are fibers of “trilobal” cross section, which means they have a treble-lobe shape. The multiple lobes allow much more light to be reflected than from other fiber shapes--internal reflections are a big part of the effect.  Antron for Sparkle Emergers​​ The trilobal shape is not unique to Antron/Zelon; there are others (even some polyester). What makes Antron different even from other trilobals is its softness, its fineness, its ability to absorb water, its flow, its glow, its sheen. When wet, the fibers hang onto each other and work together. It is said, even by the marketeers of Zelon, that one should think of Antron when thinking of silk. Quite an accolade. Antron’s list of uses has no end. Many spin it into other dubbings, even natural dubbings that themselves have legendary UV properties; the Antron adds a captivating quality that plays with any light. Yes, tails...yes, trailing shucks (really good for this, in fact)...but being much softer than Zelon and being hydrophilic (drawing water in as opposed to repelling it), it flows with the current when trailing behind...so streamers, wetfly wings, and longer tails can benefit greatly from it. It's generally not used as a parachute post due to its softness; but it is chopped and touch-dubbed for fly abdomens. Perhaps the best examples of fly patterns that utilize all its fortes are the legendary La Fontaine Sparkle Pupa and Sparkle Emerger. It is in tying these that those without Antron in their kit will finally realize their long-standing folly. The old rug-yarn Antron is still used by some streamer tyers who were smart enough to stock up when the gettin’ was good (or who may know a yarn-skein source the rest of us don’t), but the trout-fly Antron products of today still are said to have a finer fiber. But note that you can order a packet of fly-tying Antron in Color X, and love it, and want more...but ordering another packet of the same color won’t necessarily get you the same color. Repeatability seems to be lacking with enough frequency that it’s worth mentioning; just don’t be surprised. I think it may be because fly-tying suppliers are at the mercy of larger industry (such as carpet) demand, but that’s just one guy’s wild guess. Antron is often mixed with natural fibers to make high quality dry fly dubbing--it spins well on a thread, mixes well with many fibers, and adds that magical silky sheen. The fibers described above all have their uses. Being masters of detail, we're accustomed to not only substituting as needed but also--and preferably--to recognizing and utilizing the perfect material for a given intended effect. I consider Antron and Zelon the dynamic duo, the tag-team champions, dual rightful wearers of the synthetic fiber crowns. On my vise, anyway.  Properties & Common Uses Synthetic Fiber Properties Common Uses Antron Slightly heavier than water; silky sheen; fine; soft; strong; fibers mat when wet; highly reflective; mixes well with other fibers (both natural and synthetic) Pupa cases; tails; wetfly wings; body dubbing; other reflective sheen needs Zelon (Z-Lon) Slightly heavier than water; a bit crinkly (classic variety); holds its shape; great visibility; flexible; ties easily Trailing shucks; upright wings; parachute posts; segmented bodies; other (as the varieties allow) Polypropylene Floats very well; lightweight; durable; won't absorb water; flexible; ties easily; can be highly visible; can have soft shine Dry-fly & spent-spinner wings; large adult fly bodies; parachute posts; other floating needs Polyester Notably heavier than water; fibers can be fine; no significant reflectivity or sheen; mixes well with other fibers Dubbing for flies that don't want to be reflective; egg flies; on-hand substitute; yarn-bugs (e.g. "Utah Killer Bug") I hope this article provides a one-stop de-mystification for these important materials. 

Guest Blogger: John Satkowski, Toledo, OH, fly tying demonstrator and instructor, you can find him @ River Raisin Fly Company on Facebook  Where we want to fish... ...vs where the fish are. We have all been there, you want to throw your fly in the garbage and pull out a pig that you know is just sitting in there. The problem is between you and the fish of a lifetime is about seven yards of jungle and wood that would make Rambo cringe. How do you get your fly through the nasty and have it present cleanly to the monster buried within it? Here are three simple methods to get your flies to where the big boys live. Weedless Fly Design Recommendations Invert the hook to avoid weeds This is probably the easiest way to keep your flies out of a watery grave. Crayfish and sculpin patterns are becoming increasingly tied to ride hook point up to avoid snags. Usually adding lead eyes is the easiest way to invert your hook, but you can also tie a strip of lead wire on the underside and then wrap the chosen area with lead wire if you don’t want the action of a lead eye. Inverting your hooks when tying heavier flies to imitate bottom-dwelling creatures is a good start for preserving the contents of your fly box.  Tie your weedless fly with a different hook When you go to your local fly shop, or wherever you buy hooks, you’ll see lots of styles and sizes. To tie various weedless patterns, you can walk past the fly hooks and go to the hook section where all the bass tournament guys go. Hooks designed for plastic baits such as texas-rigged worms or tubes are made to keel so they are almost a no brainer to tie weedless flies on. The only challenge to tying on some of these hooks is limited space to tie. If this is a problem for you, simply find a hook with a longer front shank area. The VMC 7319 Extra Long WG worm hook is a nice choice. You may have to get a bit creative, but these hooks make nice, functional flies. Tie flies with weed guards Whatever kind of weed guard you put on your fly, you have to make sure of two things: the weed guard doesn’t become a fish guard and any part of the weed guard doesn’t slip out. The kind of guard shown here needs to be positioned and tied correctly so that it is effective against snags and not fish. I always burn a large ball on the end of the mono and then cover the mono with tight turns wrapping towards the back of the hook. Super glue is also used where I tie the mono in near the eye of the hook just for some extra reinforcement. I have tied two flies that utilize different styles of weed guards to illustrate the variety that is possible using a mono guard. Both of these weed guards are effective so it is personal preference and the type of cover you will be fishing that will dictate how you tie your weed guard. Thoughts on Weedless Fly Design When I start designing a fly with a specific purpose in mind, in this case a fly to get through the weeds, I always consider different materials and the properties of those materials. I love using long flashy synthetics and rabbit strips as go to materials for pike but those materials can be hazardous around weeds because a long, undulating fibers can get stuck and caught in weeds. I chose Polar Flash for the tail on the demo fly because it is stiffer than Flashabou and has more subtle colors. The reflective quality is also enhanced when you use bright colors on your fly, Polar Flash tends to reflect and refract those colors as it is moving through the water. When the fly enters a weedy area where the light can’t necessarily get to, the Polar flash picks up any available light and shines and the rattle on the fly is ringing the doorbell at the same time. Always consider the way materials act when wet and try to pick the best material to do the intended job. You wouldn’t screw a screw in with a hammer, picking materials is the same methodology and practical thinking. The next time you sit to tie some flies, think about where you are going to throw these flies and what you are going to imitate with them. You can adapt your fly to the conditions that you will face on the water. Whether you are going to be fishing near lily pads, timber, grass, or any other type of cover, be ready to throw something in the cabbage to a big boy.

There are so many varieties of fly tying scissors available that choosing a pair can be confusing. We’ll attempt to explain the different styles and shed some light on picking out the right scissors for your needs. As you read this, keep in mind that choosing the right scissors has a lot to do with personal preference. Many styles have the same size blades, but there are some offerings that work a little better for certain situations.

What we will discuss here is what’s found on the outside of the bird—feathers! Many novice or intermediate fly tyers don’t really understand the basics, let alone the finer points, of the differences in the various feathers found on chickens and the factors that determine their appropriate uses in fly tying. Here’s some information that I hope will help.

Do you have to be able to tie flies that look like the perfect flies tied by professionals to catch fish? Absolutely not. One of the finest fly fishermen I know who fished the waters of the world from Scotland to the Rockies and Alaska is one of the worst fly tiers I have ever known. The flies that come off his fly tying vise look like one of your most productive flies that have been chewed on by dozens of trout. This expert fisherman catches fish regularly in spite of the fact his flies look like they had been chewed on for a week by a goat.

The Eggie Special is a classic Michigan dry fly that was designed by a Grayling, Michigan fly fishing legend, Eggie Bugby. This fly is known throughout the area, but intricate details have been difficult to solidify. Until now.

The Master Splinter mouse makes no such pretensions. It is impressionism all the way. A tail, yes, but one that creates movement in the water. An underbody of rabbit fur that pulses and breathes with the slightest touch of current. And an overbody of foam that not only forms a lifelike silhouette, but also floats like a cork. That’s it. Simple. Easy to tie. And oh so effective.