The Noisy Bucktail Baitfish

The epoxy head and bucktail collar add action and noise to this streamer.

 Sometimes it just takes a little tweak to add some interest to a basic fly dressing. I like the simplicity of bucktail flies and they definitely catch fish. Basic streamer patterns can become a bit complicated and tedious when you are tying bodies with tinsel and tails. I produced this one with a little experimentation at the vise and on the water.

A long, two-tone baitfish profile add to the effectiveness of the Noisy Bucktail.

 The Noisy Bucktail is a simple pattern. It features a collar of bucktail folded back to move water, which creates a disturbance like many "muddler" patterns. The epoxy head encases reflective eyes, increases durability and adds action to the fly.

The Noisy Bucktail Baitfish has proven its worth so far on the bass lakes around southwestern Michigan. I have been a bit land-locked this summer, but with steelhead starting to run in Lake Michigan I anticipate some hot fall surf-casting action from this fly.

You could tie a bucktail like this one in any number of colors. Here are the combinations I have been using this summer:

I tie the Noisy Bucktail Baitfish on Mustad S71SZ hooks, size 2. These hooks are resistant to saltwater corrosion and are heavy enough to handle anything that you might hook into. The hook size is not as important as the overall length of the fly; you should try to match it up to your local baitfish and according to the size of fish you are pursuing. The flies that I use are about 3 inches overall.

Feel free to comment on these flies or to add photos of your own flies in the comments below.

 

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The Fort Wayne Bucktail

The Fort Wayne Bucktail

 As a native Hoosier with strong ties to the Fort Wayne area, I was excited to see the Fort Wayne Bucktail listed in an old fishing book. It took a little detective work to find a recipe for the fly, and was next to impossible to find any photographs or diagrams of it.

I tie a lot of flies, both for our personal use as well as for clients. There is no doubt that woolly buggers and muddler minnows lose their allure for the tier after a few dozen, so I like to look for side projects like this one for a little break.

A sleek and colorful fly, perfect for bass.

My research credits the Fort Wayne Bucktail to Mr. John P. Hance of Fort Wayne, Indiana, around the year 1886. Even lacking the notoriety more celebrated patterns, I would say that the age of this fly alone could qualify it as a classic.

The multi-colored tail is a distinguishing characteristic of many nineteenth-century attractor flies. Notice also the lack of any hackle, beard or belly.

The recipe that I found online was credited to a book called Fly Patterns and Their Origins by Harold H. Smedley. The book is long out of print, but I discovered some used copies available through online retailers. Here is the dressing:

Fort Wayne Bucktail

Body: Orange
Rib: Gold
Tail: Red, yellow and wood duck
Wing: Large lock of deer hair beyond the tail

As you can see, this is a pretty basic recipe that affords the tier a lot of latitude. This is part of the fun of old fishing books; they are full of descriptions, dressings and techniques, but lack any of the excellent color photography that we are now accustomed to. Thumbing through these books allows us to discover hidden treasures like the Fort Wayne Bucktail, as well as exploring the origins of flies that are still used today.

The Fort Wayne Bucktail is a link to the past, as well as a viable streamer pattern that can be used today.

I hope you enjoy this little article. If you have any old flies you would like to share, feel free to do so in the comments or you may email me. Tight lines!

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The Half and Half: A Great Fly for Freshwater and Salt




The Half and Half in an always-popular red and white dressing.

The Half and Half is a combination of Lefty Kreh's famous Deceiver and Bob Clouser's Deep Minnow. It features the Deep Minnow's familiar deer-tail fiber belly and wing along with the Deceiver's saddle-hackle tails. This fly is deadly in a variety of sizes and color combinations, in both freshwater and salt.




This head-on view of a wet Half and Half reveals its bass-tempting baitfish profile.

Like other Clouser-style flies, the Half and Half makes use of weighted eyes, long deer-tail fibers and a generous amount of flash to create an irresistible baitfish imitation. The long body materials flow in the water and the heavy eyes ensure that the fly is always in motion. Unlike the Clouser Deep Minnow, the Half and Half also has a saddle-hackle tail for added bulk and action.
The Half and Half is commonly fished with long strips and pauses. This retrieval technique causes the fly to rise and fall in the water column. Like many weighted streamers, you will find that this motion often causes fish to strike the fly between strips.



This crayfish-colored Half and Half makes a fine deep-water presentation.

Another useful technique for fishing the Half and Half is to let it sink and hop it along the bottom like a crayfish. Again, the weighted eyes and long body materials add realistic action to this type of presentation. The additional bulk of the saddle-hackle tail helps create the illusion of a big, meaty crayfish darting about the streambed.



The Half and Half is a great fly for bass in lakes or rivers.

As mentioned, the Half and Half was developed by Bob Clouser and Lefty Kreh, both of whom are well-known saltwater anglers. This pattern is popular for large, aggressive saltwater species like striped bass, in addition to freshwater black bass. Be sure to use lead eyes and stainless-steel hooks if you are tying Half and Half streamers for salt.



Putting the Half and Half together.

The Half and Half is no more difficult to tie than an ordinary Clouser Deep Minnow. If you are uncertain about tying these flies, I strongly recommend the book Clouser's Flies by Bob Clouser. His masterful step-by-step instruction and great photography make this book a must-have for both novice and experienced tiers and anglers. For years I unknowingly tied Half and Half and Clouser Deep Minnow streamers incorrectly, never quite being able to match the flies I saw in books or magazines. Clouser's Flies shed a new light on the technique for tying these flies. Here is the recipe for the Half and Half:

Half and Half

Hook: Mustad 3366, size 2/0 through 6
Thread: Danville Flymaster 6/0, color to match the body
Eyes: Lead or brass dumbbell eyes with large, black painted pupils
Tails: Six saddle hackles, 3X the hook length
Collar: Bucktail, 2X the hook length
Belly: Bucktail, 3X the hook length, tied before and after the eyes
Flash: Flashabou or Krystal Flash
Wing: Bucktail as long as the collar, tied in at the hook-eye
Head: Tying thread coated with epoxy

Be sure to coat the head, eyes and thread wraps with epoxy for maximum durability.

Although the Half and Half is a lesser-known combination of its famous predecessors, it is a brutally effective streamer pattern. Feel free to post any pictures of your Half and Half flies as well as any stories of great fishing with this Clouser-and-Kreh creation. Tight lines till next time!

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The Tiny Tungsten Crayfish

The Tiny Tungsten Crayfish

I love to tie and fish big crayfish flies. Whether my flies are realistic or impressionistic, they always seem to get action on the stream or at the lake. There are times when a big crayfish fly is a bit too much, however. In small streams I often turn to the Tiny Tungsten Crayfish when larger patterns land too hard and spook the fish.




A little weight gets this tiny fly down where the fish are.

The Tiny Tungsten Crayfish has a hidden tungsten bead in the thorax. The bead not only adds weight, but its placement keeps the hook point riding up and adds realistic bulk to the thorax. I tie this pattern on a size 10 TMC 200R hook, which is slightly curved. This allows me to tie the claws with a bit of angle, giving the crayfish a little more action. 

The Tiny Tungsten Crayfish is a go-to fly for small-stream trout.

The Tiny Tungsten Crayfish is great for small-stream trout and panfish. Fish it as you would any crayfish pattern, either swinging downstream or hopping along the bottom. The tungsten bead is heavy enough to get this little fly down deep. You won't have to worry about a big splash spooking all of the trout, either.

Putting the Tiny Tungsten Crayfish together.

The Tiny Tungsten Crayfish can be a little difficult to tie at first. You must first put the bead on the hook, slide it down to the eye and secure it with a piece of tape before you can start tying the claws. Once you get the hang of it they go pretty quickly. I hope you get a chance to fish this one. Whether you tie your own or purchase a few, you won't be disappointed.

If you have any similar tiny crayfish flies that you would like to share, feel free to post or link to them in the comments. If you would like to purchase the Tiny Tungsten Crayfish just follow the link below.

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The Monster Marabou Fur Strip Clouser

The Monster Marabou Fur Strip Clouser

Fly fishing for bass is certainly not trout fishing. It took me a while to come to this conclusion and to start consistently catching bass with a fly rod. It seems that the problem was rooted in my preconceived notion that fly fishing should be a delicate sport, with tiny flies and noodle rods. In reality, bass angling is a full-contact sport that requires casting big flies and presenting them on a tight line. Small flies may be called for when spring-creek trout are rising to tricos, but if it is bass you are after then you need to embrace big flies.




Consider the lures that spin anglers use to catch bass before you dismiss large streamers as a novelty.

The Monster Marabou Fur Strip Clouser is a slight variation on Bob Clouser's Fur Strip fly. I use marabou for the top instead of deer tail fibers to add motion. Let me be upfront and state that I do not claim to have created a new fly; I just tie Clouser's fly a little differently. There are several advantages to using flies like this. Let's take the eyes for example. The placement of lead eyes on top of a hook cause the hook to ride point-up in the water, reducing snags. The eyes also increase the fly's action by causing it to sink. This is important not only for getting your fly down in the water column, but it also creates motion even when you are not stripping the fly. In addition, it has long been theorized that predatory fish attack the eyes of a baitfish. Whether this is true or not, it certainly does not hurt to have nice big eyes on your streamers.

Large Clouser-style streamers are tied in layers. Although the fly compacts in the water, the layers of materials are tied in such a way that they remain somewhat separate when the fly is wet. This allows tiers to create all manner of alluring illusions including white bellies, lateral lines and green backs. The genius of Clouser's flies is not in the specific materials and colors, but in the unique tying style that lends itself to so many applications.




Whether you fish lakes, streams or rivers, always remember that bass love to eat streamers.

Fishing for bass with the Monster Marabou Fur Strip Clouser is simply a matter of locating water that is likely to hold fish, casting in tight and stripping. This "target-shooting" method of fishing allows you to cover a lot of water, which is the number-one way to catch bass. Fishing streamers for bass is an active sport, so get you arm warmed up and be ready to make a lot of casts.



Putting the Monster Marabou Fur Strip Clouser together.

Monster Marabou Fur Strip Clouser

Hook: Mustad R74-9672 or equivalent
Thread: Gray Danville Flymaster 6/0
Eyes: Yellow painted lead dumbbell or substitute
Underbody 1: Gray magnum rabbit strip
Underbody 2: Gray marabou
Belly: White bucktail
Underwing: Silver Flashabou
Wing: Gray marabou
Head: Epoxy over tying thread and eyes

Tying the Monster Marabou Fur Strip Clouser is not difficult if you are familiar with Clouser-style flies. If not, I definitely recommend looking into the fabulous book, Clouser's Flies, by Bob Clouser. The excellent photography, detailed tying steps and general angling knowledge contained in this book make it a superb investment for your fishing library.

If you have any experience with Clouser-style flies or tie your own variations, feel free to post comments or links about them.

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The Skittish Crayfish

The Skittish Crayfish

The Skittish Crayfish is one of my crayfish imitations that was designed for action, rather than realism. This fly is made for fishing on the bottom. It has heavy lead eyes and a body of spiral-wrapped rabbit fur, which absorbs water, adds weight and increases the fly's action. Like many crayfish flies, the lead eyes are tied on the "top" of the hook, so that the point rides up when fished. It is also tied backwards on the hook, so that the tail of the crayfish is at the eye of the hook. This combination of weight placement and backwards orientation produces an action that mimics the motions of a fleeing crayfish.



Crayfish are an important food source for bass and trout. Flies that imitate their form and motion are a sure way to catch more fish.

The Skittish Crayfish is an effective pattern in rivers, streams and still waters. Cast the fly onto structure like submerged ridges, drop-offs or rip-rap banks. Let it sink and hop it back along the bottom to draw strikes. The same technique is great for streams and rivers. Heavily weighted flies like this are useful when you are forced to cast upstream. They get down quickly and stick to the bottom better than lighter streamers.

If you are a smallmouth angler, you have probably read Tim Holschlag's wonderful book, Smallmouth Fly Fishing. If you have not, I highly recommend it. Tim discusses a technique that he calls the "crayfish hop" and it is a deadly method for fishing wieghted flies like this.



Putting the Skittish Crayfish together.

The Skittish Crayfish is a simple fly to tie. You can easily load up your fly box with week's worth of Skittish Crayfish in an evening or two. This fly was featured in the Summer 2011 issue of Fly Tyer magazine and detailed instructions and photographs can be found there. If you have any stories or photos featuring the Skittish Crayfish, feel free to share them with me. You probably have all of the materials necessary to turn out some Skittish Crayfish in your desk right now, so let's get going!

Skittish Crayfish

Hook: Tiemco TMC 5263, size 6
Thread: Red Danville Flymaster 6/0
Weight: Red painted lead dumbbell eyes
Claws: Two clumps of fox squirrel tail
Head: Rusty wool dubbing
Ribbing: Fine copper wire
Shellback: Moose body hair
Body/Legs: Rusty rabbit zonker strip, spiral wrapped
Tail: Clipped ends of moose body hair

The Electric Skittish Crayfish features a shellback of hot-orange bucktail and yellow painted lead eyes. Tie a few like this for high or off-color water.

The Skittish Crayfish is a super fly for largemouth, smallmouth and trout. When you need to fish the bottom, you can't beat a fly like this. Tie a few for your next fishing trip. If you would like to purchase some of these flies, just follow the links below. Have fun tying and fishing this great fly!

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The Realistic Crayfish Fly

The Realistic Crayfish Fly

I designed the Realistic Crayfish Fly as an alternative to the heavy rabbit-fur crayfish flies that I normally use. The pattern is generally tied on a size 6 hook, which produces a fly about two inches long. When this fly is wet it really looks like a crayfish. The claws, which are made of partially-stripped cock-pheasant chest-feathers, collapse and drag behind the fly when retrieved. The tail section is weighted with lead-substitute wire to produce the hopping, skittering action of real crayfish. I use dyed wool straight off the skin to dub the underbody. Because the thorax and abdomen are tied in two separate sections, I find that the whole-fiber wool is easier than spinning two dubbing noodles. When you tie this pattern, be sure to leave plenty of room at the hook eye, which will be the tail of the crayfish. Your fly will look sloppy if you crowd the eye.

The Realistic Crayfish Fly was designed with spring-creek trout in mind, but it is a great fly for smallmouth bass and larger panfish like rock bass. In lakes I have found the best approach for presenting crayfish flies is to cast tight into shore, let the fly sink and retrieve it with a series of hops. Rip-rap shores, submerged logs, boulders and sandy beaches are real hot spots for lake-dwelling bass. In streams the Realistic Crayfish Fly can be cast directly to cover and retrieved or fished on an across-and-down swing. Think about how real crayfish move and try to mimic those actions.



The Realistic Crayfish Fly when  wet

Sometimes I think that big, heavy crayfish flies spook fish when they crash-land in the water. On the other hand, the commercially-tied crayfish flies that you get at outdoor retailers are usually not heavy enough to get down in the water. The Realistic Crayfish Fly carries enough weight to make it effective, yet it does not splash down like a lead dumbbell version. The Realistic Crayfish Fly is useful when a more subtle presentation is called for. Use it in clear or low water or when the fish are spooky.



Putting the Realistic Crayfish Fly together

I tried to stay away from synthetic materials on this one. I think that the natural materials used look and move much better when the fly is in the water. This is a time-consuming fly to tie, but with practice you will find it easy to turn then out. I am not a speed-demon, but I can usually turn them out every ten minutes or so. Have a look at the recipe. There are no bizarre materials to send you searching through the local fly shops. I prefer a Tiemco TMC 5263 hook, but you may use any streamer hook that you wish.

Realistic Crayfish Fly

Hook: TMC 5263, size 6
Thread: Brown Danville Flymaster 6/0

Abdomen:
Antennae: Fox squirrel tail fibers
Claws: Cock-pheasant chest feathers
Shell back: Moose body hair
Hackle: Brown cock
Dubbing: Rusty wool

Thorax:
Ribbing: Fine copper wire
Shellback: Moose body hair
Weight: About eight turns of .025 lead-substitute wire
Dubbing: Rusty wool
Tail: Clipped ends of moose body hair

Have fun tying and fishing this one. I have sold and given these flies away across the country. If you have one, feel free to post any stories or photographs featuring the Realistic Crayfish Fly. If you would like to purchase some, please follow the link below. Enjoy!

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