Holiday Fly Tying Contest ~ Stay Salty!

[MillCreekMinnow]

With the holidays coming my thoughts turn to family, friends, social obligations, work obligations, dinners, brunch, gift exchanges, hugs, small talk, fake smiles, group photos..... Then my thoughts turn to being someplace else! Preferably somewhere with sand and salt! The topic for this challenge is saltwater flies. Leaving this one open until the new year.

 

[Stonedfish]

Guess I’ll go first. Toothy critter clouser.
SF

 

[SKYKO]

Couple for SRC.

 

[MillCreekMinnow]

Couple for SRC.
View attachment 89933

I have wanted to fish or SRC's in salt water for a number of years now. Are there opportunities in Oregon?

 

[Stonedfish]

I have wanted to fish or SRC's in salt water for a number of years now. Are there opportunities in Oregon?

I think it is more of a tidewater game when it comes to src and the salt down there, but I’m not 100% sure.
@RRSmith might have some helpful input.
SF

 

[Dragon Mo]

Oldy Moldy Golden Gasser - out of the past and gone with a flash!

 

[Scudley Do Right]

Is the idea for this one warm saltwater or any saltwater?

 

[SKYKO]

I have wanted to fish or SRC's in salt water for a number of years now. Are there opportunities in Oregon?

What @SF said as far as I know.
They are special fish, worth the effort, Good Luck!

 

[Buzzy]

 

[RRSmith]

I have wanted to fish or SRC's in salt water for a number of years now. Are there opportunities in Oregon?

Brian is correct - it's more of a tidewater game. There are opportunities in virtually any Oregon estuary. During the summer months with low river flows, the lower tidewater is essentially ocean water. My favorite place to target estuary cutts are in and around eelgrass beds. We start looking for them as soon as the trout season opens but they seem to be most abundant during July and August. There's a component of the coastal cutthroat population that spends most of their life cycle in estuaries which is not unlike what goes on in Puget Sound. The other tip is to just keep moving until you find them.

 

[Stonedfish]

High Tie Clouser.
SF

 

[Speydragon]

My surf perch flies: sand crab and ghost shrimp

 

[Scudley Do Right]

cutthroat fly

 

[wmelton]

Little Kwan for spooky florida redfish with hidden flattened lead eyes.

 

[wmelton]

crab for less spooky Everglades redfish. both flattened lead eyes and bead chain eyes under the deer hair to get it to sink how I want.

 

[Merle]

Free-styling at the vise with polar chenille, mallard and jig hooks… Calling this one a “Candy Cane Minnow”:

 

[Stonedfish]

Free-styling at the vise with polar chenille, mallard and jig hooks… Calling this one a “Candy Cane Minnow”:
View attachment 92288View attachment 92290

Very nice!
SF

 

[PhilR]

Some mantis shrimp and spam and eggs.

 

[Scudley Do Right]

Took a stab at a bullhead for cutthroat.

 

[Mike Cline]

My experiment with Crockett’s Sili Skin and the Gummy Minnow style

Single layer of Sili skin cut with Crease fly cutter. Bucktail and flash tail, Color added with markers. Small rattle added at top of hook shank just behind hook eye. Sealed with UV resin. Tied up over a dozen of these for the Florida gulf and have only four left. These are a bit ragged as they have been stored in a small ziplock but they straighten up when wet. Has proven extremely effective on Speckled Trout, Ladyfish and Grouper on the flats. Unweighted and fished with 30’ SONAR sinktip. The thin profile creates a lot of movement when retrieved.