Sparkle Wing RS-2
Charlie Craven
Translated by Carl Wuebben
The ubiquitous RS-2 has gained a bit of flash and sometimes this can make all the difference. Fish this fly as you would a regular RS-2. The sparkle wing RS-2 has become a standard pattern and I think you’ll find this to be a valuable variation to carry in your fly box.
PATTERN
HOOK – TMC 101 # 16-24
THREAD – Gray 8/0 (70 Denier) UNI
TAIL – White Fluoro Fiber
ABDOMEN – Adam’s Gray Superfine Dubbing
WING – Mini Flat Braid, Pearl
THORAX – Adam’s Gray Superfine Dubbing
HOW TO TIE
UF Texas Fly Worm
Jorge Garcia
Translated by Carl Wuebben
Bass gobble up worms when presented properly it just seems to be in their DNA to suck up large worms. Conventional anglers use plastic worms from 3” long up to 12” long in some states. This fly is a more durable and weed less it’s a version of the traditional Texas rigged plastic worm. If you want it to go deeper and faster down add more weight in by the eye area also try different colors like black, purple, and white.
PATTERN
HOOK – Worm hook extra wide gap #1/0 or 2/0
THREAD – 6/0 (140 denier) light green/olive or your choice to match the body color. 6/0 (140 denier) red for the head
EYES – Chrome dumbbell with green eyes
BODY – Light green/olive rabbit zonker strip
OTHER – Zap-a-gap or super glue
HOW TO TIE
Bead Butt Hare's Ear
Kelly Galloup
Translated by Carl Wuebben
This particular fly was developed in the 80’s. As opposed to traditional beadhead flies, these flies do not emerge with their heads downward as they come to the surface. Most face upward to the surface with their air bubble. This fly accomplishes this with the bead in the rear. The tail gives it the great movement most fish are looking for in an insect. You can also try this method on other flies as well. Also try one size bigger than actual fly.
PATTERN
HOW TO TIE
Sierra Bright Dot
UNKNOWN – from website, stevenojai.tropod.com
Translated by Carl Wuebben
The Sierra Bright Dot is a Fore and Aft pattern. The pattern has been used primarily on the eastside of the Southern sierra for many years going back to the 1950’s.It has remained popular as an attractor pattern yet has not extended its popularity beyond the Sierra. The Fore and Aft pattern goes back to the early 1900’s as its origins have been disputed between the French and the English. Jean-Paul Puguegnot’s book, French fishing flies, cites a doctor Juge who created Fore and Aft patterns in 1918. His Taquine pattern consists of a red thread body with grey hackles. Horace Brown of England also laid claim to designing Fore and Aft flies in the 1930’s. Either way, the pattern eventually made its way to the Sierra Nevada and became a major pattern for the region. Trent Pridemore wrote about the Sierra Bright Dot in his article “Trout Flies Unique to California” (California Fly Fisher July/August 2008). He indicates that the “Bright” of Bright Dot is in honor of Dorothy Bright, the wife of a mine owner at Convict Lake, also known as Monte Diablo Lake at the time. The Bright’s owned the mining village while it was attacked by 6 escaped prisoners in 1871. This episode led to the name change of the lake. It is unknown who originated the Sierra Bright Dot pattern but it has been a preferred pattern for high elevation lakes and streams of the Sierra, particularly good with Golden Trout.
PATTERN
THREAD – Danville Black 6/0 (140 denier)
BODY – Red floss
TAIL – Golden Pheasant Tippets
HACKLE – Grizzly
HOW TO TIE
TIE UP A DOZEN OR TWO – AND GO FISHING*** But remember to practice C.P.R. (CATCH – PICTURE – RELEASE)
Meat Whistle
John Barr
Translated by Carl Wuebben
CHARLIE CRAVEN (www.charliesflyboxinc.com)
This is John Barr’s Meat Whistle a pattern he developed for bass fishing in Colorado to replicate the pig n’ jig used by conventional tackle anglers. John is one incredibly creative guy and coupled marabou and rabbit strips with a Gamakatsu jig hook to craft a fly rod worthy comparison. In the time since John hatched the Meat Whistle concept he, and the rest of the world, have found that this pattern is equally effective on trout in both still and moving water. While a great imitation of a crayfish, the Meat Whistle can be tied in a variety of colors and sizes to imitate small baitfish as well. The unique jig hook application makes for a pattern that can be stripped quickly or hopped and dropped much more slowly. It seems to me that the key to fishing this fly is to keep it slow. Tie a few of these up and try them- they work, just remember … slow is better!
PATTERN
HOW TO TIE
TIE UP A DOZEN OR TWO – AND GO FISHING*** But remember to practice C.P.R. (CATCH – PICTURE – RELEASE)
Son of Conehead
By Scott Sanchez
Translated by Carl Wuebben
In some situations, the biggest fly in your box is not the best, and the smallest might be the most appetizing.
Case in point is a fish’s disposition when it comes to food selectivity. It’s one of those facets that I have to admit I don’t consider often when I’m on the water. Sure, there are plenty of productive chuck-and-chance fly patterns out there, and a few work with dependable regularity. Fish can be opportunistic omnivores, and yet at other times, prefer something specific that replicates bait; size, shape, color or action (or a mix of all four). This becomes critical to success. Figuring out the trigger can be one of the most enjoyable aspects of fishing. Learning through experience what works and what doesn’t is a rewarding endeavor that far too many anglers don’t take the chance to encounter.
PATTERN
HOOK – DAI-RIKI 930 or Mustad 34007, size 2 to 8, bent to a bend back shape
THREAD – Red size 6/0 (140 denier)
HEAD – Nickel 3/16 to 1/4 inch conehead with recessed eyes
WING – White Bucktail, Glow-in-the-Dark Flashabou, Pearl Crystal Flash, Tan Bucktail
EYES – Orange 2mm adhesive eyes stuck into the eye bores on conehead
GLUE – Cyanoacrylate (Zap-a-Gap or Super Glue)
HOW TO TIE
TIE UP A DOZEN OR TWO – AND GO FISHING*** But remember to practice C.P.R. (CATCH – PICTURE – RELEASE)