deerhair sunfish

	FLY TYING PATTERNS: Bass: Sunfish - Deerhair
	Hook: TMC 8089-Size 2
	Thread: Olive 3/0 or Kevlar
	Body: Olive antron
	Wing: Dyed olive grizzly hen
	Rib: Copper wire, medium
	Head: Olive, orange, black deer
	Overwing: Olive marabou, sparse
	Eyes: Solid plastic
	Collar: Olive and orange deer
	Gills: Red Marabou
	Snagguard: Mason hard nylon, 20 lb.

wide reciever

	FLY TYING PATTERNS: Streamers: Wide Receiver
	Hook: Mustad size 4
	Thread: Neon-green
	Body: Silver Krystal Flash
	Tail: Orange bucktail
	Wing: Red Arctic fox and silver Krystal Flash
	Collar: White Arctic fox

beginners luck

	FLY TYING PATTERNS: Salmon Flies: Beginners Luck
	Hook: Standard salmon hooks sizes
	Body: Chartreuse floss and peacock herl
	Tail: Yellow bucktail or subsistute
	Hackle: Orange hen hackle
	Wing: Golden pheasant tippet, orange bucktail
	Rib: Copper wire
	Butt: Red wool
	Tag: Copper wire and black floss

zonker

1. Wrap thread around hook 2. Tie in rabbit strip. Use a bodkin to lift any trapped hairs from the thread wraps, and be sure to leave enough strip to go along the hook. 3. Tie in wire and body material. ( I personally like to tie them in in this order, its easyer to wrap.) 4. Wrap body material and tie down. Repeat step with wire. ( You may wrap wire over rabbit strip for a better looking fly.) 5. Tie down the rest of  the rabbit strip at the head. 6. Tie in hackle in front of head. 7. Wrap hackle and tie off. 8. Tie off fly, and head cement. lift any hairs out from under thread or wire.	FLY TYING PATTERNS: Streamers: Zonker
	Hook: 4x-long streamer sizes 2-8
	Thread: Black 8/0 or 6/0
	Body: Chenille, mylar, or body braid in various colors
	Hackle: Hen neck feather folded, yellow, blue, and olive are popular colors
	Wing: White, olive, black, tan, or brown rabbit strip
	Rib: Wire in silver, gold, or copper

blue wing olive wet BWO

	FLY TYING PATTERNS: Wets: Blue Winged Olive Wet BWO
	Hook: Standard Wet Fly Hook Sizes 14 - 20
	Thread: Light Olive
	Body: Light to Medium Olive Beaver Dubbing
	Tail: Medium Dun Hackle Fibers
	Wing: Natural Gray Duck Quill
	Legs: Light Dun Soft Saddle Hackle

adams

FLY TYING PATTERNS: Dry_Emerger: Adams

Hook: Standard Dry fly size 14-22

Thread: Gray 8/0

Body: Gray dubbing, gray muskrat underfur is a good choice

Tail: Brown hackle barbs

Hackle: Mixed grizzly and brown

Wing: Grizzly hackle tips, hen or cock

fly of the day

Here’s the tie:

HOOK: MUSTAD #3366 #2 - 2/0 (photo)
THREAD: 3/O LIGHT OLIVE
TAIL: SIX BLACKTIPPED EMU FEATHERS, TIE IN AT BEND
FLASH: GOLD FLASHABOU ACCENT ON EACH SIDE OF EMU FEATHERS
BODY: OPTIONAL, GOLD MYLAR BRAID
WING: (BOTTOM TO TOP) WHITE BUCKTAIL, TAN SYNTHETIC HAIR, OLIVE SYNTHETIC HAIR
THROAT: RED FLASHABOU ACCENT
EYES: SILVER STICK ON ¼”
HEAD: 30 MINUTE EPOXY, ROTATE ON DRYING WHEEL

fly of the day

Tying Foam Blockhead Style Bass Poppers

The light weight foam blockhead popper is now a standard "go to" popper for many surface loving bass devotees. The unique blockhead shape provides stability to avoid "listing" or rolling to one side. They are easy and fast to tie and don’t require a lot of extra finishing work.

These poppers work better than any other common type of popper, such as hair-bugs, wood or plastic bodies. They work equally well in saltwater for snook, baby tarpon, redfish, and others. They are superior because they don't soak up water and are still soft to the touch, compared to wood or hard plastic. In addition the light weight makes them a dream to throw.

Finding the Foam
The key is shaping the poly foam to the correct dimensions. While there are plenty of sources for foam material, blockhead shaped bodies have not been available commercially until recently. Many folks buy sheets of foam and cut bodies with a band saw, using homemade cutting jigs.

Experiment until you get the size and proportion that rides correctly in the water. Remember the key here is getting the front angled at a slight 5 –10 degree slant; and the top profile to slope down to one half to two thirds of the front face height.

Blockhead Shaped Channeled Popper Bodies (shown above - right)
 These bodies are correctly proportioned in all dimensions to float correctly. We will cover how to prepare either type of body.

Hooks: Kinked shank Mustad 33903 sizes #6 - #2. Size #4 is the best all-around size. The kink shank provides a more solid construct. For saltwater applications, the Tiemco 8089NP works OK - in a size 6, though larger, heavier and lacking the kink of the Mustad. The key is to ensure the hook shank is long enough to extend well beyond the butt end of the body.
Body: Foam Polyethylene Block-shaped and tapered in three planes (front, top and sides).
Tail: Choose from: Marabou, Bucktail, Squirrel Tail, or Saddle Hackle, Synthetics, or Flashabou. I prefer a stiffer material that will not foul around the hook shank when wet.
Hackle: Colored saddle hackle, Estaz, or anything you want.
Eyes: Any commercially available stick-on or glue-on type eyes.

Prepare a slot bed or channel hole for the hook shank. You can use either technique you prefer.

Slot Cutting: It is critical to get a precise center cut on the bottom, about ¼" deep into the bottom or ventral aspect of the body. Use a razor blade, Ezacto knife, mat knife or other extremely sharp instrument and simply eyeball the cut. You want the hook shaft to be near the bottom, and inset about an 1/8 inch.

Channel punching or drilling through the bodies: Punch or drill a center hole through the body as an alternative to a longitudinal slot. This technique provides a cleaner, neater assemblage. The glue is largely inside the body of the popper, reducing the likelyhood of bond fracture and fly failure.

Step One: Apply a bead of quick drying super glue along the thread wrap.
Step Two: Spread the sliced area and mount the popper body on the shaft. This is best done on a rotating vise. I start the fly upside down (180 degrees) and roll it upright allowing the glue to better coat the inner slot. You only have a few seconds to orient it properly, so make sure you check for the proper depth - both fore and aft on the shaft. a vice makes it easy to view different planes of the assemblage to ensure proper placement.

Step Three: For the Cut or Slot Body, squeeze the foam together applying pressure to close the gap under the hook as best you can. Flip the popper upside down or rotate on your vise and apply more Zap-A-Gap to the outside seam. This is optional and not used by all tiers. This helps solidify the fly to the hook and takes out any irregularities in the bottom contour. Use thin quick dry glue and run your finger over the seam, after applying the glue, to keep the surface flat.

Gluing Tip: Take a tip from orthopedic surgeons who know - pressure applied to any glue or cementing process is critical to eliminating air bubbles and dramatically increasing the bonding process and durability of the junction. Always apply pressure when possible as suggested in the steps below. This applies mainly to the slot cut technique.

Step Four: For the Pre-shaped Channel popper body, slide the popper onto the hook shank and rotate 360 degrees twice, as you push it back toward the rear of the shank. This will allow the glue to coat all sides of the hook on to the tread interface. Position the body so only the eye of the hook emerges from the front face.

I also tip the body "butt-up" and apply a bead of super glue to the shank. It will run down into the rear hole of the channeled body and provide added durability for the fly. Hang them in this position and allow to dry thoroughly.

Step Five: Next apply the eyes by rotating the body on its side and applying the eye with a drop of glue (two-part epoxy works better than traditional super glues; and the gel super glue works better for eyes). Use a tweezers or hemostat for precise eye placement. If you use your fingers for eye placement, they will get glue on them and the whole process becomes quite messy.

Step Six: Apply tail material which can be just about anything. I really like squirrel tail because it’s stiffer than marabou and doesn’t twist around the hook. I like marabou because of the sexy action, but it will foul around the shaft. The length of the tail should extend the length of the shaft, beyond the rear of the hook. Experiment with other materials.

Tip: Road Kill Popper Fly MaterialWhen was the last time you saw a dead squirrel on the road? Yesterday, right? I carry a wire cutter in my car for road kill squirrels. Snip the tail at the base and nail it to the wall inside your garage for several months until dry. You can buy tails at fly shops or online, as well.

Step Seven: Apply hackle or other material palmering (wrapping one turn in front of the previous) forward. Stroke back the fibers before the each wrap. This will keep the hackle fibers angled backward and - out of the way. You can throw a couple of half hitches or whip finish to end - just behind the body. A drop of head cement will only help to solidify any fly construction. When using heavier hooks, apply more hackle to aid in proper flotation.

That’s it! They are so fast to tie. You can knock out 20 or more in a few hours. Prepare these flies in stages to save time. One night, wrap the hook shanks with thread, the next night mount all the bodies, etc.

Yellow, White, Green (Lime or Chartreuse), and Black are always the mainstay colors with yellow being an all time favorite.

hi tail craw

This is a wild woolly bugger pattern variation with some notable differences.
The cool aspect of this fly is the foam butt that makes the hook end fly ride up. The jig hook used along with the barbell head weight, makes it ride upside down the somewhat weedless - like a stand up jig (which is basically what it is).

I picked it from fly fishing guru Tim Holschlag. I'm unsure whether he developed it or modified a similar pattern. Nonetheless, it can be a great crayfish pattern as it sinks quickly and rides in the water like the real thing.

Here's another variation from local fly tier Dave Kollmann:

Materials:

• Jig hook w/90 or 60 degree bend; or streamer hooks down turned eye - Size 4 - 8
• Claws: Rabbit Strip - orange
• Body Orange, Brown, or Olive chenille
• Brown body hackle (palmered stern to bow)
• Float: Foam material
• Dumbbell or barbell eyes, various weight, most common 1/16 oz.

Tying Instructions

1. Use the your favorite (or available) jig or streamer hook size #6 - #2
2. Use olive or brown thread.
3. Tie in barbell inside the bend, as shown.
4. Tie in a 1/4 inch wide piece of foam - just at the start of the bend.
5. Tie in a one inch long by 1/8 inch wide strip of rabbit fur on either side of the foam allowing the foam to act as a divider, splaying out the rabbit strips.
6. Tie in your hackle, try to match the body chenille color and the hackle color.
7. Bring the chenille forward and tie it down, just short of the barbell.
8. Palmer in your hackle starting with the small end and bringing the longer fibers toward the front of the fly.
9. Tie off with a small whip finish and epoxy or otherwise glue - or just leave it, like I do and wait for it to unravel; then swear.

fly tying instructions

• Hook: Jig hook w/90 or 60 degree bend or a good streamer hook -
  Size #2 - #6. Note: I'm beginning to favor a straight hook, as I've lost a bunch of fish on jig hooks this fall (jury's still out).
• Body: Any flashy plastic or tinsel type material you can wrap on the shank. Note, keep it well above the curve of the hook to allow for the rabbit fur to ride up on the top of the curve.
• Top Body: Bunny strip - black (vary)
• Under Body: Marabou (purple, black, olive, etc.)
• Legs: Rubber legs
• Flash: Krystal flash, 3-4 strands
• Head Weight: Barbell or Cone head eyes, various weight, most common 1/32 - 1/16 oz.

Tying Instructions

1. Use the your favorite (or available) jig or streamer hook size #6 - #2.
2. Use black thread.
3. Tie in barbell inside the bend, as shown.
4. Wrap on body from front to back, leave room on back.
5. Use a bunny strip at least twice as long as the entire hook.
6. Poke your hook tip through the middle of the rabbit strip hide so that the front portion can extend to the cone or barbell head. You will need to remove the hook from your vice so you can slide the bunny strip up flush with the body wrap near the top of the hook curve.
7. Add a gold wire or similar to the rear.
8. Pull the bunny strip forward and tie off just behind the head. Palmer in your wire from back to front, separating the fur in 1/8 to 1/4 inch widths and using the wire to separate and bind the bunny strip, as you palmer the wire forward to the head.
9. Tie in a single marabou stalk (cut a 1 1/2 inch piece of the fluffy stuff off the top) below for the under body. Note: Barr's pattern has marabou all around the fly. Mine has a thinner profile - your choice.
10. Tie in the Krystal flash and rubber legs - three per side.
11. Whip finish just behind the barbell or cone head.
12. head cement the head

orange crush fly

The Orange Crush is simply an orange estaz or krystal flash woolly Bugger on a 4X, down-eye Tempco streamer hook, weighted in various ways. The exact hook is unimportant so long as it’s 3 or 4X long.

Hook: Size 2 to 4 Tempco TMC 300 4X
Thread: 6/0 white Uni-Thread
Tail: Cream Marabou
Flash: None, built into body
Body: Krystal Flash hot orange chenille.
Legs: Rubber


To Begin...Tie on some thread and start a small end piece of lead. Tightly wrap back the lead to just above the curve of the hook.
Weighting the FlyIf you leave the lead in the front half of the fly, it will tip forward, if that’s what you want. I like to dead drift a lot of these flies at times and find a body length wrap keeps them floating in a neutral position rather than diving down. If I’m looking for diver types, I’ll usually tie in dumbbell heads.

Tie in the Marabou
Lay in about two inches of one stalk of marabou, don’t cut off the excess. I use it for body filler, saving on chenille. Simply palmer the marabou stalk forward to near the head area.

Quick Streamer: You can actually make a “quick streamer” with just the marabou body that offers a thinner profile than the Orange Crush. Just wrap the excess marabou body stalk forward, leave the strands of marabou alone and then palmer the hackle forward - DONE!

Back to the Orange Crush..
Start an end piece and work it forward the the head, leaving about 1/4 inch on the end.

Rubber Legs:
I tie in the rubber legs using a square knot. I’m sure there’s better ways of doing it, but this seems to work OK. Wrap the chenille cross-says around either side of the rubber to help maintain a nice “outrigger” profile. Then continue forward to the head area.

Palmer hackle and finish.
Then come forward with the hackle starting with the narrow piece in the rear and wrapping forward with the longer hackle strands toward the head of the fly. See finished fly above.

I use nail polish as head cement. It doubles as a head cement with enough sparkle to avoid adding consuming eyes and epoxy.

fly of the day 11/9/11

I have seen this fly used and now fished it myself. It’s kind of a reverse Red and White Hackle Fly color pattern. The mink fur gives it action that feathers can’t. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be, but the bass seem to think it’s something scrumptious. HOOK: 3365A #4; MUSTAD 4XL. WEIGHT: 8 WRAPS .030 LEAD WIRE ON FRONT 1/3 OF HOOK SHANK. THREAD: 6/0 MEDIUM BROWN (140 denier) TAIL: RED MARABOU, ½ THE LENGTH OF HOOK SHANK; 12 STRANDS SILVER FLASHABOU, EXTENDED ¼” BEYOND MARABOU. BODY: TOURMALINE MINK, ~1/16”-1/8” WIDE, CROSSCUT AND PALMERED TO 1/8” BEHIND EYE. Tourmaline is a cream colored mink fur. HACKLE: RUFF GROUSE FLANK FEATHER (BARRED BROWN/WHITE) Note: glue (head cement) hook shank prior to wrapping mink, to bond mink hide to hook. Fish this fly as on a retrieve upstream or with a long leader on a dead drift. The fly can also be cast directly across stream allowing a bow in the flyline and then stripped across as it's swinging.

I have seen this fly used and now fished it myself. It’s kind of a reverse Red and White Hackle Fly color pattern. The mink fur gives it action that feathers can’t. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be, but the bass seem to think it’s something scrumptious.