A monthly themed "contest"

[Buzzy]

What a great informative post
Thank you

In my best impersonation of Reece Witherspoon in Legally Blonde "Totally" agree, very informative. I tied up a pink (@Northern rip off) matuka style streamer this afternoon. If it would just warm up ten degrees I might get of my old, cold ..... chair and go fishing.

 

[Mike Cline]

There is little doubt that contrasting "color spots" can play a role in the "eat/ don't eat" matrix. (Insert color of choice here)-butted flies and lures have been a thing since folks have been tying flies, and the same is true for folks putting red for "gills". While there is some merit to the practice (in the form of contrasting colors), I would say the other factors in your assessment (most notably profile and size, IMO) are WAAAAY more important to successful fly design than the "bin appeal" of gills and eyes. Try a few different colors of gills besides red (chartreuse is one of my faves) and see what happens - you might be pleasantly suprised.

From a wavelength standpoint, Chartreuse (yellow green) is remarkably close to red. However, it does retain its intensity longer at depth than red does. The old adage “If it aint Chartreuse, it aint no use” comes from the effectiveness of this color in a wide variety of situations and depth. For flies fished at depths of 0-5’ feet, clearly red gills or hemorraghing aspects of a fly are just as effective as Chartreuse would be. As you go deeper, Chartreuse, which has a wavelength very close to red would seem to be more effective color.

 

[G_Smolt]

...For flies fished at depths of 0-5’ feet, clearly red gills or hemorraghing aspects of a fly are just as effective as Chartreuse would be.

It really depends on water color and clarity. I fish several glacial streams where chartreuse and white "reads" much better to fish than any other color. Many of the streams I fish are strongly tannic, and red reads as black within inches of the surface.

My whole point is - people are strongly attracted to baitfish flies that look like their idea of baitfish, and the blood red gill is largely an aesthetic expression that sells flies.

 

[FinLuver]

My own personal observations of things that are important in streamer design....top 3. 1. Action. 2. Action. 3. Action.....4-10 is everything else. Not that other things aren't important....

I have some flies with no action, but they catch fish…

 

[clarkman]

I have some flies with no action, but they catch fish…

I don't believe you. Especially that killer stonefly pattern....that doesn't catch anything....

 

[Islander]

I’ve never worked much with eyes or epoxy, so here’s the closest thing to a baitfish that I have tied in a while.

 

[Buzzy]

Given Northern's recent success with "pink" bunny fur ties I thought I'd give a rip-offed copy a try: zip, zero, zilch. Skunked, no bites, no strikes, no errors. My feet got NUMB within an hour.

 

[Northern]

Given Northern's recent success with "pink" bunny fur ties I thought I'd give a rip-offed copy a try: zip, zero, zilch. Skunked, no bites, no strikes, no errors. My feet got NUMB within an hour.

It does seem a tad chillier over there. Maybe these liberal westside fish are more down with the pink
Which was a ripoff of Troutpocket's fly to begin with!

 

[Buzzy]

It does seem a tad chillier over there. Maybe these liberal westside fish are more down with the pink
Which was a ripoff of Troutpocket's fly to begin with!

I dunno - @LakeGuy is catching fish on the same lake I'm getting skunked on. But maybe he's not using pink! ;-)

 

[Scudley Do Right]

Scudley, I love, love, love the look of this and the white one you posted earlier. How do they hold up to fish?
With the bunny flies, I can literally feel the rabbit strip drag thru their teeth when they miss the hook on the first bump. Do you find the feather tail gets shredded?

Where a I fish I'm not catching huge numbers of fish quickly. I haven't noticed any durability problems. I will lose it before it falls apart from catching fish. I don't usually use them more than a couple times and then retire them. If it catches one fish it did it's job and I'm happy. I can always tie more.

 

[G_Smolt]

Late winter / early spring alevin.


I've had good fishing with these even into June. Fished under an indicator or just tumbled down the run, some days they're all the fish want.

 

[Buzzy]

Late winter / early spring alevin.
View attachment 41016

I've had good fishing with these even into June. Fished under an indicator or just tumbled down the run, some days they're all the fish want.

Sack fry?

 

[G_Smolt]

Sack fry?

Yessir.

 

[SteelHeadDave]

I was inspired by this thread after a recent trip to the east coast to fish for stripers and after talking with a dude that works at a local fly shop who said he was experimenting with downsizing a pattern for SRC. Just having fun here trying to downsize some classic and normally large patterns for saltwater east coast fishing.

Micro Whistler:


I figure this could be used on SCR or crappie.

 

[Kado]

Stole a little from this and a little from that. Hopefully will fool at least the dumber bones in Mexico next spring.

 

[Scudley Do Right]

 

[Kfish]

Couple of flatwings.

 

[Scudley Do Right]

 

[G_Smolt]

Been away from the vise for a minute, but I figured I would throw one more hat into the ring.
Mark's Goblin in white/silver. Like the vast majority of my patterns, it's a platform rather than a recipe - diamond braid body, cactus chenille prop, birdfur wing, flashabou belly, dubbed rabbit head. Popular in many AK and MT trout fisheries in black and olive, the white version is a springtime killer stripped or swung.

 

[Irafly]

The top two are balanced minnows that I tied for searun cuts and resident coho. I hang these under indicators. The bottom is a Kreelex pattern that I tied for the same fish. All have been eaten.