Repair / refurb good luck flies

Stonedfish

Known Grizzler-hater of triploids, humpies & ND
Forum Supporter
I had one particular yellow and white clouser that I started fishing last fall and continued using this spring.
It caught a lot of cutts. It got to the point where there was very little bucktail left on the belly section. Lots of the wing bucktail was broken or missing and the krystal flash was pretty straggly. The palmer chenille on was belly was pretty much gone and finally came unwrapped. The orange Ice Dub gills were just down to orange thread.
Normally I'd just toss it, but I decided to refurb it last night. I added new bucktail and palmer chenille to the belly and new gills. It will be interesting to see if it still has the same magic after the repair.
Anyone else refurb or repair a good luck fly and how did it fish after you did so?
SF
 

Nick Clayton

Fishing Is Neat
Forum Supporter
Can't say I've ever tried. It's pretty rare that a fly lasts that long lol

What I tend to do in those scenarios is just retire a special fly at a certain point. I have a whole bunch of flies that have caught special fish, caught a lot of fish etc that I've saved over the years. I always think maybe someday I'll do a challenge where I only fish those old retired flies
 

Squatchin

Life of the Party
Forum Supporter
I've done similar, certainly. Mostly I'm slowly fling the headliner on the car with a museum of retired flies. Some that caught special fish, some that were a waist of effort, most that it was just their time. One day I will forget a fly box or need that special fly, and I hope to have it somewhere right overhead.
 

Tom Butler

Grandpa, Small Stream Fanatic
Forum Supporter
I repair flies all the time. I'll re-hackle a soft hackle like my favorite hares ears 2--3 times before I will eventually loose it. I have a couple stupid stocker leeches set aside to do now.
 

Kfish

Flyologist
Forum Supporter
I had one particular yellow and white clouser that I started fishing last fall and continued using this spring.
It caught a lot of cutts. It got to the point where there was very little bucktail left on the belly section. Lots of the wing bucktail was broken or missing and the krystal flash was pretty straggly. The palmer chenille on was belly was pretty much gone and finally came unwrapped. The orange Ice Dub gills were just down to orange thread.
Normally I'd just toss it, but I decided to refurb it last night. I added new bucktail and palmer chenille to the belly and new gills. It will be interesting to see if it still has the same magic after the repair.
Anyone else refurb or repair a good luck fly and how did it fish after you did so?
SF
I don't go to the length to repair, mostly due to my OCD (it gotta look good) lol. If the hook is still good I cut everything out and redo.
I do re-touch and freshen up flies with marker jobs that have faded. There are also some muskie flies that I trimmed down and shorten to make it easier to cast and they were too big to begin with anyways.
In my closet is a coffee jar full of flies that are waiting to be recycled :)
 

rattlesnake

Steelhead
Forum Supporter
Yup I tend to retire flies at that point. Usually stick em in the patch on the boat or in the truck as good luck charms. Then start looking for the next ‘good’ one.

But I’m not opposed to giving a good fly a tune up
 

krusty

We're on the Road to Nowhere...
Forum Supporter
Nope...just slice off the remnants, sharpen the point, and throw the bare hook into a little bin of such hooks awaiting resurrection....somewhat like Mother Earth will do with my mangy old carcass when I'm done with it.

Probably would have a different practice if I tied and fished stuff like big ol' clousers or poppers...but mine are just ratty little lake flies.
 
Last edited:

Stonedfish

Known Grizzler-hater of triploids, humpies & ND
Forum Supporter
Here is the refurb. Should have taken a before pic.
The original version probably had 50+ fish on it. We’ll see if the cutts like it this weekend.
SF

IMG_3645.jpeg
 

Buzzy

I prefer to call them strike indicators.
Forum Supporter
Usually when a fly gets to the point of no return I just toss it, but - Last June I had a jig that produced really well - I had it in my hook keeper when I got home and sort of forgot about it for a couple months. When I got around to organizing gear, I looked at this "fly" (many folks feel a jig is NOT a fly), it was slighty tattered but then tattered is a good look for FTD's KRAP dubbing. I put it back in my jig fly box. In November, we got some snow which sometimes limits the number of anglers at the warm water ditch (Rocky Ford). I decided to try my luck, strung up a rod and tied on the jig. It caught some fish and then the dubbing loop slipped down the hook shank. I repaired it and have used it since (successfully sometimes and not at others).
 
Last edited:

Trout Trekker

Steelhead
Retreads! I fish a lot of bullet head terrestrials and one day while at the vise it dawned on me that most of the torn-up flies I was replacing, were missing a leg or two, but were otherwise still fishable. So, I started putting a three-turn whip finish on the bullet head, then continuing on to add the legs, then whip finish as usual.

The result: When legs get chomped off and the fly eventually gets returned to the bench, I just nick the thread at they union of the leg tie down area with a razor blade, which allows the thread over the leg area to unwind to the underlying whip finish on the bullet. Then I restart the thread over that tie down area with three or four wraps and tie in new legs and finish.
Yellow Ho.jpgAnt Trudy.jpg
 

mcswny

Legend
Forum Supporter
Retreads! I fish a lot of bullet head terrestrials and one day while at the vise it dawned on me that most of the torn-up flies I was replacing, were missing a leg or two, but were otherwise still fishable. So, I started putting a three-turn whip finish on the bullet head, then continuing on to add the legs, then whip finish as usual.

The result: When legs get chomped off and the fly eventually gets returned to the bench, I just nick the thread at they union of the leg tie down area with a razor blade, which allows the thread over the leg area to unwind to the underlying whip finish on the bullet. Then I restart the thread over that tie down area with three or four wraps and tie in new legs and finish.
View attachment 65450View attachment 65449
Really dig that top bug
 

Stonedfish

Known Grizzler-hater of triploids, humpies & ND
Forum Supporter
Well the refurbed fly worked for some fish this morning. Only fish pic I took today.
SF

IMG_0032.jpeg
 

Ernie

If not this, then what?
Forum Supporter
I have only refurbished a fly if the thread by the hook-eye begins to unravel. Other than that, I tie up a new one. Come to think of it, I do have a few flies in my box with hackle beginning to unravel. Got to take those out!
 

Tom Butler

Grandpa, Small Stream Fanatic
Forum Supporter
This leech has probably seen 50 fish recently. Flash really helps protect a marabou tail. Just needs a new black simi seal body. Shredded the dubbing loop.
20230519_150920.jpg
 

mcswny

Legend
Forum Supporter
Man, I rarely have THAT much confidence in a fly that I want to take the time to re tie it. Unless it’s an “expensive” hook I’ll just retire it with the thought that more practice and I’ll be a better tier.
 

Tom Butler

Grandpa, Small Stream Fanatic
Forum Supporter
Man, I rarely have THAT much confidence in a fly that I want to take the time to re tie it. Unless it’s an “expensive” hook I’ll just retire it with the thought that more practice and I’ll be a better tier.
For me it's just that it takes just a moment to lash on a new thread and rebuild a bit of fly. If it's not very successful I'll just cut it all off.
Besides, I need to reuse, especially when I can stick two new ones in a sunken log in 3 cast looking for crappie, or Lord knows how many I hang in trees and bushes along the river in a season. I like to get what I can out of the keepers.
 

Zak

Legend
Forum Supporter
This Willie-ish fly was working well for me. Today I noticed that the glass bead had broken off and the thread was becoming unraveled at the head. I started some red thread, added a bit more herl, and fixed it up. Well worth the effort, I hope.
PXL_20230527_232730098.jpg
 
Top