Flyfishing, flytying and hooks

Rabbit Zonkers

dryfly.me.2013.09.rabbit_zonker_1

Hook: Dai-Riki 899 #6
Thread: UNI 6/0 Black
Tail/Body: Single strip of Rabbit Zonker, Tan

Never worked with Zonkers before, but this might be the simplest one yet: a single strip of Rabbit zonker, wrapped around the hook, tied in with thread. I fished this last weekend and got myself a Pollock, so I know it works. The Zonker really flows in the water: the tail and the body hair on this makes for very fluid motion. Of course I had to get a couple of other colors for the sea-trout fishing I’m going for this weekend.

dryfly.me.2013.09.rabbit_zonker_2

dryfly.me.2013.09.rabbit_zonker_3

 

SBS: Baitfish

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_10Hook: TMC 811S #6
Thread: UNI 6/0 Black
Tail: Hareline Extra Select Craft Fur White, Angel Hair
Body: Hareline Solid Tinsel Chenille Pearl
Wing: Hareline Extra Select Craft Fur White/Black
Head: Hareline Adhesive Holographic Eyes 3/16 Red, Bug-Bond

I have fished some in saltwater before, but haven’t had much luck when it comes to actually catching anything(!?!). But: I was on vacation last week and ended up when the tidal went out underneath a bridge, causing a strong current where I spotted a lot of fish. I put on this baitfish on my #6 rod and got 30minutes of Mackerel fun: pulling in fast I saw the mackerel hitting this fly hard! More pictures on that later, but this is my take on a baitfish pattern that was very successful. It becomes quite slim in the water and should trigger the fish if pulled in fast high in the water

Add a loop of mono at the end of the hook, I use quite a thick one

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_1Tie in craft fur above the guard

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_2Tie off the craft fur properly ( the fish might hit this fly hard )

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_3Add some angel hair (not needed, but adds some glimmer to the fly)

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_4Tie in the tinsel

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_5Wrap the tinsel, forming a body. I don’t mind much if the body is even or straigth

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_6Add more white craft fur as underwing

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_7Add black craft fur as top-wing and tie of the fly with a decent head since you want a place to glue on the eyes. I vary between black, brown and  green for the top-wing to create variations

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_8I use some zap-a-gap to glue  the eyes to the thread

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_9Apply bug-bond to form a head

dryfly.me.2013.09.bait_fish_10The material needed for this fly

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

 

 

 

 

 

SBS: Hatching Caddis

I haven’t done many SBS yet here on dryfly.me, but I posted the hatching caddis family on the fly fishing community over at google+ and got a request for a SBS on this pattern so I thought I would give it a try.

Hook: Partridge Klinkhamer X-treme #14
Thread: UNI 6/0 Black – make sure it is tough enough to tie in deer hair
Body: Hareline Hare’s Ear Plus DubbIn Dark Olive
Wing: Deer Hair Olive , 2mm foam white, CDC Olive

1. Dub the hook with color of choice, I think the Hare’s Ear gives life to the body

dryfly.me.2013.08.sbs_hatching_caddis_12. Cut a strip of foam and tie in, remember to leave enough room behind the eye to tie in both the deer hair, the cdc and the foam. If you don’t have foam use any material that will be able to split the wing and secure it: pheasant tail for example

dryfly.me.2013.08.sbs_hatching_caddis_23. Stack up deer hair and tie in: you need enough to be able to create the split wing, but not too much. Experiment a bit with the length – if it gets too long the proportions will be off.

dryfly.me.2013.08.sbs_hatching_caddis_34. Cut the deer hair and tie in, make sure it is properly secured

dryfly.me.2013.08.sbs_hatching_caddis_45. Make a dubbing loop of the thread and add the CDC. I use the Marc Petitjean Magic Clip to get the fibers off the feather.

dryfly.me.2013.08.sbs_hatching_caddis_56. Wrap the CDC just behind the deer hair and tie if off, again: make sure to not tie it too close to the eye

dryfly.me.2013.08.sbs_hatching_caddis_67. This is the interesting part: drag the strip of foam slowly to the front through the deer hair and split it into a wing. Wiggle the foam through the hair and make sure the wings are even, look at the fly from above and try again if it is uneven. Tie off the foam – depending on the foam make sure to be very careful when tying it off: you can risk tearing the foam in two and you have to start all over again….

dryfly.me.2013.08.sbs_hatching_caddis_78. The split wing from above

dryfly.me.2013.08.sbs_hatching_caddis_89. Apply a bit of dubbing to the head and tie off.

dryfly.me.2013.08.sbs_hatching_caddis_9Add a bit of floatant to the wing and it is set to go! This is a fly that can be varied in different colors and sizes, the important part is the brilliant profile it gives  in the water. You can tie it without the CDC, but I think the added CDC gives a lot of life on the surface