Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Jay Ziimerman's Backstabber Leech #6












This pattern of Jay Zimmerman's was originally designed and tied as a "Carp" fly, but has proven to be an excellent Bass fly also.
Due to my sacrilege it has also proven an excellent pattern for "Trout" in both stillwater and moving water environments.    ~ LO Jurgens

Back Stabber #6 Leech (A Carp Fly)
Hook: Dai-Riki 810 Sizes 4~6 /TMC 8089 Size 12
or Gamakatsu SL45 Size 4~10
Thread: Black 6/0
Dumbbell Eyes: Silver 1/8” Spirit River Dazl-Eyes
Tail: Black Marabou
Body: Dark Stone Whitlock SLF Dubbing
Hackle: Dark Brown Whiting Utility Saddle Hackle

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Colorado Caddis An Oldie & Goodie!

This Caddis pattern is an oldie but a goodie that was originally tied by Bob Good of Denver Colorado, per Terry Hellekson’s book Popular Fly Patterns, Published 1977. I have been fishing caddis patterns for the past two days and the "Colorado Caddis" was the top producer as the “dropper” fly using a dry and dropper setup.







Colorado Caddis
Originator: Bob Good, Denver, Colorado
Source: Terry Hellekson, Popular Fly Patterns, Published 1977
Tied By: Larry O Jurgens
Hook: Mustad 3906/3906B
Size: 8 ~ 16
Thread: Black 6/0
Thread Substitute: Black 14/0 Gordon Griffiths
Shellback: Natural Gray Goose Quill Slip
Body: Pale Yellow Dubbing or Wool Yarn
Body Substitutes: Light Cahill Superfine Dubbing or Buttercup #540 Aunt Lydia’s Rug Yarn
Legs: Black Hen Hackle (1½ ~ 2½ Sizes Oversized)
Head: Thread
Head Cement: Lacquer (Original)
Head Cement Substitute: Black Hard Head & Vinyl or Flex Cement
Tying Instructions
~ Start the thread behind the hook eye and wrap to above the hook point.
~ Tie in the shellback material by the “narrow” end.
~ Tie in the yarn if using yarn for the body and overwrap to above the hook barb.
Note ~ Pre-treat the quill section with vinyl or flex cement for durability.
~ Return the thread to 2 eye lengths behind the hook eye.
~ Dub or wrap the body material yarn to 2 eye lengths behind the hook eye.
~ If using yarn tie in and cut off the excess.
~ Tie in and wrap the hackle 2~4 turns. Number of wraps is tyers choice.
~ Tie in and cut off excess.
~ Cut a “V” in the hackle fibers on top of the hook shank.
~ Pull the shellback over the body. Tie in and cut off the excess.
Note: “Stroke” the hackle fibers down for a more realistic looking legs.
~ Wrap and whip-finish a medium sized head.
~ Optional: Apply Black Hard Head to the whip-finish to provide the “classic” look.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Micro Caddis

This caddis pattern is an effective pattern on small freestone creeks and in the evening when the "Evening Caddis Hatch" is going full blast. At last light and later it will be a good idea to tightly hang on to your rod as trout will sometimes violently attack this fly!



Micro Caddis V1265
By: Larry Jurgens
Hook: TMC 102Y
Size: 17 ~ 21
Tying Thread: Olive Dun, UNI-Thread 8/0
Abdomen: Burnt Toast, #942-1265 Sulky® 40wt Machine Embroidery Thread
Wing: Tan Float-Vis
Hackle: Dun Grizzly Whiting Saddle 1 Size Smaller (e.g. Hook Size #19 = Hackle Size #22)
Head: Tying Thread

Tying Instructions
~ Start the abdomen thread at the 1/3 hook shank point.
~ Wrap an even thread base to the hook bend and return to the 1/3 hook shank point.
~ Tying Note: Keep the thread twisted tight on the return for segmentation.
~ Whip-finish with 2 ~ 3 wraps and cut off the abdomen thread.
~ Start the tying thread behind the hook eye and wrap to the 1/3 hook shank point.
~ Tying Note: Be sure to overwrap the abdomen whip-finish.
~ Optional; Apply Hard As Hull head cement to the abdomen for sheen and durability.
~ Tie in the wing material. Trim the wing even with the hook bend.
~ Tie in the hackle and wrap to 1 hook eye length behind the hook eye.
~ Whip-finish with a minimum number of wraps.
~ Optional; Apply water-based head cement to the whip-finish.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Red Butt Flash Buzzer

Give this pattern a try while the "Chironomids" are doing their thing!

Go to "Front Range Anglers Fishing Report" in the Links Of Interest for an excellent article about stillwater fishing with chironomids by Rob Kolanda!!!!



Red Butt Flash Buzzer
By: Larry O Jurgens
Hook: TMC 100
Size: 16~22
Thread: White UTC 70 & Black 8/0 UNI-Thread
Abdomen: 1/4 Red & 3/4 Black Flashabou
Wingcase: Pheasant Tail
Thorax: Peacock Herl
Gills: White Poly Yarn or Super Floss
Optional: Super Glue or Hard as Hull (HaH) Head Cement and Water-based Head Cement

Tying Instructions
1~~ Start the white thread behind hook eye and wrap the hook shank to above the hook barb and back with a smooth threadbase.
2 ~~ Tie in 1 strand of Red Flashabou and wrap to 1 or 2 turns past the end of the thread base and back to 1 eye length behind the hook eye. Tie in and cut off excess.
3 ~~ Tie in 1 strand of Black Flashabou and wrap a tapered abdomen to above the hook point and to 2 eye lengths behind the hook eye. Tie in and cut off excess.
4 ~~ Whip-finish the white thread with 3~4 wraps and cut off the white thread.
~~~ Optional: Apply Super Glue or HaH to the abdomen and let dry before continuing.
5 ~~ Start the black thread wrap to the 1/3 hook shank point.
6 ~~ Tie in a 4 ~ 8 Pheasant tail barbules for the wing case.
7 ~~ Tie in 1 or 2 Peacock herls by the tip ends for the thorax.
8 ~~ Tie in a strand gill material at the 1/4 hook shank point and use figure 8 wraps making a spinner type wing.
9 ~~ Wrap the Peacock herl thorax to 1 eye length behind the hook eye.
~~~ Be sure to wrap over and under wing tie in point.
10 ~~ Pull the wing case over the thorax. Tie in and cut off excess.
11 ~~ Wrap and whip-finish a small head.
12 ~~ Optional: Apply water to the whip-finish.
13 ~~ Cut the gill material to form short gills. The gill should extend 1 ~ 2 hook eye lengths beyond the thorax.


Go to "Front Range Anglers Fishing Report" in the "Links Of Interest" for an intersting article about stillwater fishing and chironomids.

Sunday, June 07, 2009

The Halfback by Nathan Streeter

The Halfback and The Fullback
by Nathan Winter Streeter
Excerpted from Fly Tyer Magazine, August, 1981
This pair of flies is quite popular in the Rocky Mountain area and especially on the North Platte River. The flies were developed by the owner of the Black Hills Fly Company Route 4, Box 640, Gillette, WY 82720 by Nathan Streeter.

QUOTE
“I have experimented with my own personal variations of the Halfback and have discovered five important characteristics that contribute to the fly's attractiveness to the large trout in the Platte.
1) The Halfback is normally tied on one of the two Mustad streamer hooks…79580, and 9672. The 79580 is a longer (4X Long) hook than the 9672 (3X Long) hook. The latter should be used for maximum effectiveness.
2) The head should never be tied too long.
3) The tail should never be tied longer than half the length of the hook shank.
4) The hackle should never be much longer than the distance from the hook shank to the point. If it looks too long, it can be cut off evenly to the right length and it won't harm the fly's ef­fectiveness. As a matter of fact, some Platte River fishermen prefer clipped hackle on their Halfbacks and Fullbacks. Personally I don't believe it makes a difference.
5) Most important of all, the body should never be too thin. The body should have ''body". It should be thick and full. Without this characteristic, you might as well be fishing with a bare hook. The chances are, you prob­ably won't catch anything.
In short, the fly should look like the thickest, biggest, fattest, juiciest morsel of a nymph a trout ever clamped its jaws on.” ~ Nathan Streeter
UNQUOTE


Nathan Streeter’s Halfback
“The Original Halfback”
By: Nathan Streeter
Source: Fly Tyer Magazine (August 1981)
Hook: TMC 5263 (Original was tied on Mustad 9672 hooks)
Tied By: Larry O Jurgens
Size: 4 ~ 12
Thread: Black 6/0 Danville Flymaster
Tail: Pheasant Tail Barbules
Optional Underbody: Black Yarn and/or Lead Wire
Rear and Front Body: Peacock Herl
Rear and Front Hackle: Brown Saddle
Rear Half Shell Back: Pheasant Tail Barbules
Head: Tying Thread

Note: This fly should be tied thick and fat, e.g., a juicy morsel. This fly probably best represents a Dobsonfly Larva aka Hellgrammite, or a Dragonfly Nymph. It doesn’t seem to matter to the fish what is “supposed” to mimic but they have liked it for over 30 years that I have been tying and using it.

Step ~ Tying Instruction
1 ~ Start the thread behind the hook eye and wrap to above the hook point.
2 ~ Optional: Wrap a lead wire underbody and cover with thread and cement the wraps.
3 ~ Tie in a fairly large bunch of Pheasant tail barbules above the hook point for the tail and the shellback.
~~ Tail length equals the hook gape.
4 ~ Fold the barbules back and overwrap with thread to above the hook barb.
5 ~ Return the thread to in front of the folded barbules.
6 ~ Optional; Tie in the underbody yarn material.
7 ~ Tie in one saddle hackle feather by the by the butt with the fibers curved forward.
~~ Note: The hackle barbules should be slightly longer than the hook gape.
8 ~ Tie in a large bunch of Peacock herls.
9 ~ Move the thread to the middle of the hook shank.
10 ~ Optional; Wrap the yarn underbody material from step 6 to 2 eye lengths behind hook eye.
~~~ Tie in and cut off excess and return the thread to the hook shank mid-point.
11 ~ Wrap the Peacock herls to the middle of the hook shank. Tie in and cut off excess.
12 ~ Palmer-wrap the hackle to the middle of the hook shank and tie in and cut off excess.
13 ~ Cut off the hackle fibers on the top of the body or divide and force the hackle fibers down evenly on both sides of the body. Trim the hackle barbules even with the hook point if required.
14 ~ Pull the shellback over the body. Tie in and cut off excess
15 ~ Tie in one saddle hackle feather by the by the butt with the fibers curved forward.
~~~ Note: The hackle barbules should be 1½ times the hook gape, e.g., dry fly style.
16 ~ Tie in a large bunch of Peacock herls.
17 ~ Move the thread to 1 eye length behind the hook eye.
18 ~ Wrap the Peacock herls to 1 eye length behind the hook eye. Tie in and cut off excess.
19 ~ Palmer-wrap the hackle to 1 eye length behind the hook eye and tie in and cut off excess.
20 ~ Wrap and whip-finish a medium sized head.
21 ~ Optional; Apply water based head cement to the head/whip-finish.
22 ~ Trim all the hackle on the bottom of the fly even with the hook point.

For a step by step tutorial go to Charlies Flybox@; http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/detail.cfm
Or
Alaska Flyfishers@; http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2767937892661308465#_top