What's in your vise?
- Thread starter Billy
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DimeBrite
Saltwater fly fisherman
Tie some smaller versions on 2/0 and 3/0 hooks. The lagoon GTs at CXI like a smaller presentation.
Strong profile pic synergy on this comment.
CanoeGuy
Steelhead
I am tying 4 inch and 6 inch versions of a couple patterns as you can see below. The ones in the upper right corner of the sushi roll are flies from a Baja trip a few years ago - almost embarrassed to claim them now. Some of the others are from an albacore trip last September. The flies I have been tying for this trip are black, black over purple and tan over white. Any other colors you would recommend? Do you like big headed water pushing patterns or more the high and tight patterns? Been having trouble getting my big heads to swim right so have been tying more of the high and tight EP style flies. The red/orange ones are for blacktips. Have you targeted those at all? Can't find much info on the sharks, but have seen people use red/orange before.
I am tying for 2 people so this isn't as overboard as it appears
. I do think I am about done with the sub-surface stuff. Time for more poppers!
DimeBrite
Saltwater fly fisherman
Blacktail snapper are very common GT prey. GT hunt near overhanging fossil coral shelves looking for them. Tie up a few sand/yellow/red brush flies in 2/0 and 3/0 (3.5" - 4.0" long).
Small 2/0 blacktail snapper brush fly fooled this fish. I tied it on the island the night before to match the prey better.
Needlefish 7" are also common prey, so tie up a few slender deceiver style patterns to show them something different. They may even eat a crab pattern (alphlexo) in the right areas. Big CXI GT even eat bonefish flies that are well presented.
Your larger 5/0 to 6/0 bulky brush flies are generally most useful in the surf zones around Paris and Korean Wreck, where the GT are larger and way less picky. Lagoon GT have seen a lot of flies and lures, they are super selective unless on a feeding binge.
The most fun trevally fishing is for 3 - 12 pound GT, bluefin, golden trevally that can be taken on an 8 weight using bonefish flies or small clousers.
Poppers are not so useful in the Lagoon areas, because the birds will be attracted and harass the fly, casting shadows from above. Fish freak out with the darting shadows.
I've hooked small 2 foot and large 3.5 foot blacktip sharks on bonefish flies and small pink/tan game changer flies. Usually get bitten off without wire. Blacktips will eat when agitated, they act more aggressively. Other times they are calm and uninterested.
Bring some long green flies with razor sharp hooks for massive barracuda hidden in the backcountry. They also like fatboy mullet patterns with a long profile. Bite wire is needed to land them most of the time.
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CanoeGuy
Steelhead
Very cool. Thanks a bunch! I would be happy with a GT half that size
Dubbed head Dungeon style:
FinLuver
Native Oregonian…1846
Love the design and colorway…
Grouse and hare. Many of the hackle fibers are a bit longer than I realized. The little one I tied in at the lead, then pushed forward and dubbed over to shorten. I love the color and softness, just need to adapt.
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Sz. 14 February Red. Red silk, hare, grouse. Good winter fly.
Pat's stones work amazingly well. I just don't get it, nor do I like it, haha!. Yeah, the silhouette is there, but so boring and fugly! They just don't get me excited to fish stonefly nymphs. Again, I understand they work better than pretty much any other stonefly nymph ever invented, but I have been trying to create flies that work at least as well. I have created a few that seem to work close to as well, but they take a long time to tie, and when you are fishing stonefly nymphs on a double rig, you tend to lose a few. Maybe that's why Pat's "work" so well, cause everyone knows if you lose a Pat's, no big deal, I'll tie a dozen more in half an hour. When you lose that one that took you 20 minutes to tie, it's like "f&@k!!!". So people just fish Pat's more often so more fish are caught on them, hahahaha!
Anyways, back to trying to create a fly that doesn't take too long to tie and works at least close to as good as a Pat's. Unfortunately, chenille and super floss are super cheap, so that's another point for the Pat's. This one though, while the materials are a bit more expensive, seems to work pretty decent. It's pretty quick to tie (maybe a minute or two longer than a Pat's, and less frustrating if your super floss is wavy), looks slick, and works really well. In fact, this last winter I was fishing a Pat's all day with no luck, and I thought why the heck not, and switched to this one. Within the first five casts, fish on!
Bodies: $0.49 each
Legs: $0.46 each
So basically add $1.00/fly...kind of a fail, but at least I tie it on the end of my line without disgust
. And maybe if I fish them more they will "work better" than a Pat's...I'll keep y'all posted.
Anyways, back to trying to create a fly that doesn't take too long to tie and works at least close to as good as a Pat's. Unfortunately, chenille and super floss are super cheap, so that's another point for the Pat's. This one though, while the materials are a bit more expensive, seems to work pretty decent. It's pretty quick to tie (maybe a minute or two longer than a Pat's, and less frustrating if your super floss is wavy), looks slick, and works really well. In fact, this last winter I was fishing a Pat's all day with no luck, and I thought why the heck not, and switched to this one. Within the first five casts, fish on!
Bodies: $0.49 each
Legs: $0.46 each
So basically add $1.00/fly...kind of a fail, but at least I tie it on the end of my line without disgust
. And maybe if I fish them more they will "work better" than a Pat's...I'll keep y'all posted.
