I know there's already a thread in the tying section, but I wanted to transfer some of my content over here and figured it may be less confusing to just start a new thread. This is all copied from where I've posted it elsewhere on the internet
With the big increase in fly fishing for albacore this year, and the amazing amount of trips you all have already booked this summer, I thought it would be cool to start a thread specifically focused on albacore flies.
I'm sure many of you, like myself, are spending plenty of time at the vise with dreams of the summer. There's some great stuff in the Whats In Your Vise thread, along with the various albacore threads, and I find myself sifting through those threads often looking for inspiration. I thought it would be cool to start a dedicated thread where we could discuss flies, materials, hooks, theories etc so it would be easy for people to reference as they tie flies for their summer trips. We've had plenty of albacore threads but nothing focused specifically on flies.
To get us started here's what I've been tying the last few days. I have quite a few flies left over from last summer, but one goal for this off-season is to fill up both of my Cliff's Bugger Barn boxes so I am well stocked for the summer.
Last few days I've been focused on smaller baitfish patterns. I have, by far, had my best success using small to medium sized baitfish patterns. (Referring specifically to casting/retrieving) I have a lot of thoughts on fly size, but ultimately I find in most cases if albacore are ignoring flies its almost always better to go smaller. By far the most prolific baitfish food source for these fish offshore, at least as it applies to fly fishing, is Pacific Saurie. Saurie are a slender baitfish, similar to our sandlance in profile. Ive seen schools of tiny 1-2" saurie, and I've seen them as large as 15" or better. It seems on average when we see large concentrations of them offshore they are generally the smaller variety, 2-4" or so. When the albacore are feeding heavily on them they get extreme tunnel vision, often only eating a fly that comes mighty close to at least the size/profile of the saurie.
These patterns are about 3" or so, with the purple one being a bit larger. My first fly caught albacore came on a similar pattern at a time when they wouldn't touch anything else. These are loosely based on a pattern I found online called the Asura Minnow. Pretty simple pattern to whip up and I've got a good pile of them worked up this week in various colors
Here's a shot I took last year of a Pacific Saurie that ended up on the deck during a bait stop. Not quite as snakey as sandlance, and they swim like a standard baitfish, usually in schools.
Here's a large one that an averaged sized albacore puked up when I was commercial fishing
Here's some of the patterns that have produced well for me the last few years.
Flies tied in this deceiver and flatwing style have easily put more fish on the deck for me than any other pattern. I tie them in a variety of sizes and colors but the chartreuse and white and the darker anchovy colored one has produced the best for me. They are a little more involved to tie, but still not bad. I really like using the heads from @Spawnflyfish for these patterns. They just add such a cool element to the pattern, and they are durable as can be.
With the big increase in fly fishing for albacore this year, and the amazing amount of trips you all have already booked this summer, I thought it would be cool to start a thread specifically focused on albacore flies.
I'm sure many of you, like myself, are spending plenty of time at the vise with dreams of the summer. There's some great stuff in the Whats In Your Vise thread, along with the various albacore threads, and I find myself sifting through those threads often looking for inspiration. I thought it would be cool to start a dedicated thread where we could discuss flies, materials, hooks, theories etc so it would be easy for people to reference as they tie flies for their summer trips. We've had plenty of albacore threads but nothing focused specifically on flies.
To get us started here's what I've been tying the last few days. I have quite a few flies left over from last summer, but one goal for this off-season is to fill up both of my Cliff's Bugger Barn boxes so I am well stocked for the summer.
Last few days I've been focused on smaller baitfish patterns. I have, by far, had my best success using small to medium sized baitfish patterns. (Referring specifically to casting/retrieving) I have a lot of thoughts on fly size, but ultimately I find in most cases if albacore are ignoring flies its almost always better to go smaller. By far the most prolific baitfish food source for these fish offshore, at least as it applies to fly fishing, is Pacific Saurie. Saurie are a slender baitfish, similar to our sandlance in profile. Ive seen schools of tiny 1-2" saurie, and I've seen them as large as 15" or better. It seems on average when we see large concentrations of them offshore they are generally the smaller variety, 2-4" or so. When the albacore are feeding heavily on them they get extreme tunnel vision, often only eating a fly that comes mighty close to at least the size/profile of the saurie.
These patterns are about 3" or so, with the purple one being a bit larger. My first fly caught albacore came on a similar pattern at a time when they wouldn't touch anything else. These are loosely based on a pattern I found online called the Asura Minnow. Pretty simple pattern to whip up and I've got a good pile of them worked up this week in various colors
Here's a shot I took last year of a Pacific Saurie that ended up on the deck during a bait stop. Not quite as snakey as sandlance, and they swim like a standard baitfish, usually in schools.
Here's a large one that an averaged sized albacore puked up when I was commercial fishing
Here's some of the patterns that have produced well for me the last few years.
Flies tied in this deceiver and flatwing style have easily put more fish on the deck for me than any other pattern. I tie them in a variety of sizes and colors but the chartreuse and white and the darker anchovy colored one has produced the best for me. They are a little more involved to tie, but still not bad. I really like using the heads from @Spawnflyfish for these patterns. They just add such a cool element to the pattern, and they are durable as can be.
