Pregnant Scud
Translated by CARL WUEBBEN
According to ANDREW PULS who earned his master’s degree as a fisheries biologist, there are sound reasons for tying the pregnant scud. Scientific research has demonstrated that orange segmented scuds suffer increased predation from trout, probably due to the crustacean’s increased visibility in the water. The orange bead in the middle of the body of the pregnant scud mimics a scud that is either full of eggs or has become infected by a parasite. The pregnant scud works especially well when you need a pattern containing a dash of flash or when fishing heavily pressured water. The fly has a unique, realistic look that most other anglers overlook.
PATTERN
HOOK – Mustad C49S, Tiemco 2457 – 2487 – 2488 or any bent shank scud hook sizes #14 - #12
THREAD – Olive 8/0 (70denier)
BEAD – Orange glass bead (10/0 seed beads work from JO-ANNS)
BODY – Light – olive sow-scud dubbing
SHELLBACK – A strip clipped from a plastic freezer bag.
RIB – 5X clear monofilament
HOW TO TIE
By hand = Pull a small length of thread out from the bobbin (about 3 inches) and put some dubbing wax on it, then twist on your dubbing with your fingers in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction between your thumb and index finger just pick one or the other direction and stick with it.
With dubbing loop tool = bring about three inches of thread downward and put your dubbing tool on the thread then keep a hold on the tool with your left hand (for right handers) and bring your thread back up to the hook shank where your thread was started and put a few wraps back over the back part of what now is your dubbing loop. Put some dubbing in the entire loop and twist it till it’s tight. Bring your thread to the center of the hook shank. Now with either method wrap you dubbing forward to just before the halfway mark and tie and clip the end of the loop off then bring your bead up against your rear dubbed body and bring your thread over the top of the bead to the front of it and make a small dam in front of it to keep it in place better or you can whip finish the rear body –clip the thread- then push your bead up against the rear body and restart your thread then a thread dam in front of the bead.
TIE UP A DOZEN OR TWO – AND GO FISHING*** But remember to practice C.P.R. (CATCH – PICTURE – RELEASE).
HALEY’S COMET
AARON JASPER Translated by CARL WUEBBEN
This is a simple but a little tricky to tie up – but very effective for catching fish feeding on other fish’s eggs when they are spawning. I call this a cheating fly because it seems like I’m bait fishing but it works so give it a try and see how you feel about it. Fish it on the bottom of your favorite stream. Try tying it in other colors like pink – red – orange – white and try it with a small dot on the side also and you can use the same tail or change the color on that also. Try tying on a piece of non-lead wire for weight on top of the hook shank it helps to sink the fly a little faster or leave it out and wait for it to soak up some water then sink (A split shot will work also). Just tie it in before you put the Mcfly foam on.
PATTERN
HOOK – Tiemco. TMC #2499 SPBL, or similar sizes #14 to #8 (I used Mustad # 3366 for the photos ) or try Mustad #C49 or Tiemco TMC #2488 hooks.
THREAD – 3/0 but can use 6/0 if you are careful, color to match the egg.
TAIL – White marabou
EGG – Mcfly foam in color of your choice
OTHER THINGS – Regular soda straw or milkshake straw that’s thicker (but the thinner the straw the less dense and smaller the egg). A thin piece of stout wire to make a tool.
HOW TO TIE
TIE UP A DOZEN OR TWO – AND GO FISHING*** But remember to practice C.P.R. (CATCH – PICTURE – RELEASE).
Hook-Up Crayfish
GREG HEFFNER Translated by CARL WUEBBEN
Numerous studies have shown that in many waters, crayfish are the number one prey of smallmouth bass, and in some waters they are a predominant prey of trout. Not only are there many species (more than 300 In North America), but they all live and grow for several years. That means there are probably crayfish of various sizes almost anywhere we fish. Like all animals with exoskeletons, crayfish must periodically molt their shell and wait until new ones form. That “soft - shell “stage of development inevitably raises the question: Do fish like soft – shell crayfish more than one with a hard shell? If given a choice, they will eat soft – shell crayfish before their hard – shell cousins but during the molt, crayfish retreat into hiding places until their new shells harden. This makes it harder for fish to get at them. So even though the fish may prefer the soft-shells, the hard-shell crayfish, which are out and about on the river or lake bed, are easier to catch and eat. The HOOK-UP CRAYFISH is a hard-shell imitation and it is very effective. Make the claws fairly thin and equal to no more than half the length of the body. The larger fly in the photo was made on a 2/0 hook and I used tan craft fur and UV glue to make the claws and a saddle hackle for the legs plus I used orange chenille for the body all the rest is the same.
PATTERN
HOOK – Tiemco. TMC 200R, Dai-Riki 270, or a similar 3x – long curved shank hook, size #6 or #4
THREAD – Brown 3/0 monocord
ANTENNAE – Two pheasant tail fibers
WEIGHT– .035 – inch lead free wire
CARAPACE – Natural oak mottled thin skin
THORAX – Dubbing, color to match the local crayfish
CLAWS – Brown rabbit fur
LEGS – Grizzly hackle dyed brown
ABDOMEN – Same dubbing as the thorax
RIB – Brown monocord thread or brown medium ultra-wire. (Wire best)
HOW TO TIE
But remember to practice C.P.R. (CATCH – PICTURE – RELEASE).
Fender
BARRY CLARKE Translated by CARL WUEBBEN
This is an alternative method to tying the traditional parachute-style pattern. Deer hair replaces the hackle of a normal parachute. Make the post using deer hair as well, which enables the abdomen and thorax of the fly to sit deep in the surface film in a realistic manner while in a fish’s feeding window. The ribbed-moose- mane (quill like body) tying technique I am showing you is fairly old, but I revitalized the method with the help of bug bond UV resin (or any UV glue). We all know that the floating qualities of deer hair are hard to match, but it’s still worth giving this pattern a coat of floatant for extra buoyancy. This quick and simple parachute technique requires only deer hair and UV glue or a substitute adhesive.
PATTERN
HOOK – Mustad C49S, size to match the natural (I used a size #18).
THREAD – Dyneema (gel spun). Lays nice and flat.
ABDOMEN – Moose mane hair coated with bug bond UV resin (any UV glue will do) or a substitute adhesive.
HACKLE– Deer hair (short/fine deer hair best) and bug bond UV glue
THORAX – Two strands of peacock herl
HOW TO TIE
*** But remember to practice C.P.R. (CATCH – PICTURE – RELEASE).
Wee Willy Wiggler
CRAIG RIENDEAU Translated by CARL WUEBBEN
Simple to make – simple to use as you will see, the Wee Willy Wiggler is one of the simplest flies you will ever make. Tie the fly on a jig hook weighted with a small bead head or a jig hook with the weight attached to it already, either way it makes it fall and hang horizontally in the water column much like something alive. The only thing that has changed from the original is it started with saddle hackle, switched to Cul De Canard during the hackle shortage a couple of years ago, and finally settled on Antron Trilobal hackle. The Wee Willy Wiggler is also easy to repair, just keep some superglue handy and you can fix a loose tail or even glue an entire new one. Cast and strip it like a streamer, or dead drift it like a nymph, use a indicator to keep the fly in the strike zone as long as possible without getting hung up or leaving the strike zone. Fish the fly very slowly, twitch it slightly once in a while if you don’t get a strike and vary your depth. Fish rarely spit out this soft- rubber pattern. The Wee Willy Wiggler works on almost every warm water species that get in its way. Bass, Bluegills, Crappies, Carp.
PATTERN
HOOK – Sohumi 103 or your favorite 90-degree jig hook, size 8. (I used Bass Pro Shop jig head ball style 1 /64th #JHNO64 #8 with the weight already on it)
THREAD – 8/0 (70 denier) color to match the body or just white will do.
WEIGHT – 1/8 – inch brass or copper bead (exclude if your hook has it built into it)
UNDERBODY– Krystal flash. (Color to match the body).
BODY – A spine clipped from a giant puffer ball or googly ball from a toy or craft store.
HACKLE – Trilobal Hackle with ¾- Inch fibers (color to match body or white) (I used UV Polar Chenille or palmer chenille or minnow body wrap (bass pro shop) and clipped it some after I was done with the fly).
OTHER - *Lighter (to heat up the bodkin).
*Cup of cool water (To cool the body off).
*Zap-A-Gap or superglue
HOW TO TIE
*** But remember to practice C.P.R. (CATCH – PICTURE – RELEASE).
Olive Matuka
BRAD BEFUS Translated by CARL WUEBBEN
Developed in New Zealand, the Matuka has proven itself on American waters as a first-class streamer. Many believe that this fly’s big advantage over conventional streamers is its wing, which is bound all down the body and therefore doesn’t separate from the body when the fly is fished and won’t catch around the hooks bend. Although fishlike and normally tied in fishy colors, Matukas inhabit that gray area between attractors and imitators, leaning one way or the other as needed.
PATTERN
HOOK – Streamer- heavy wire, 3x to 6x long sizes #10 to #2
THREAD – Olive or black 8/0 (70 denier) - 6/0(140 denier) - 3/0(210 denier)
RIB – Fine copper, gold or silver wire or oval gold tinsel
BODY – Olive chenille (or dubbed olive rabbit fur)
WING & TAIL – Four to six dyed olive grizzly hen neck or back hackles or just big rooster saddle hackles
HACKLE – Dyed olive grizzly hen neck or back hackle
HOW TO TIE
NOTE- If the hackle won’t slant back, pull them backward and put a few wraps of thread over the front portion of the hackle till they stay where you want them.
*** But remember to practice C.P.R. (CATCH – PICTURE – RELEASE).