Featured Fly - Chewy Skin Scud

Here is the pattern that I mentioned in my first Big Spring trip this year. It is a little scud pattern that I found at Frontier Angler in Dillon Montana. It was an awesome pattern on the Beaverhead, so when I decided to hit Big Spring, it was one of the first patterns I put on. No pictures from Big Spring, because the two fish that ate it, kept it in their mouths. Anyway, this is a great scud pattern for any system with them in it!

Materials:

Hook: TMC 2488 sz. 14-18

Thread: UNI Thread 6/0 - Olive 

Rib: Ultra Wire - Small

Dubbing: Sow Scud - Olive, Rainbow, Tan 

Shellback: Chewy Skin 

Step 1: Make a thread base, back to the bend of the the hook.

Step 2: Tie in the ultra wire. End the tie in, at the bend of the hook.

Step 3: Dub the body. Using a little extra dubbing, helps when you brush it out at the end.

Step 4: Cut out the shell back. It's easier to cut the corners before you tie in.

Step 5: Lay the chewy skin down, wrap the ultra wire forward.

Step 6: Tie off the ultra wire, the back should look like this.

Step 7: Brush the dubbing out, making legs with the dubbing.

Finished Fly:

Big Spring - One More Trip

Sunday was the last day of fishing for me, before the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset. Jack and I decided to head back to Big Spring to chase the big ones again. This time we took a buddy along with us, Rob is an old client turned friend, who has always wanted to fish the spring creeks around Harrisburg. So the call went out and he was in the truck with us, headed down at 6:30 Sunday morning. It was much colder this weekend, for the first couple hours we battled frozen fingers and iced up guides. But, all this was forgotten when Rob caught a sweet brook trout, Jack landed a fat rainbow, and I had a sick brook crush a streamer. Then if that wasn't good enough, fish started rising to Midges and Olives, Dry Fly fishing in January? YUP we will also take that!!!!

Another Day with the Wild Ones

This past monday Aaron, the assistant manager from our state college store came out to fish with me. After 2 days of rain, I knew that only the small creeks would be fishable, so off we went. The creeks were all high, but clear, and the fish were hungry. I have decided that the only fly you could ever need is a classic, the Pheasant Tail, this guy just works. That is my advice for this post, pheasant tail. Oh yeah, and Aaron has come up with a new hero shot, see pictures below!

After letting the water settle down a bit, me and my buddy Rob, hit the creeks again. Another great day on the water. Love these little guys!

Featured Fly - Hot Butt Something or Another

Ok, so this isn't the fly I talked about from my last post, that one will be next. This one was inspired by my last couple days chasing wild browns, with my buddy and coworker Aaron, the assistant manager from our State College store. He had this awesome little, Hot butt pheasant tail that he was crushing fish  with, so I went home and thought up this little guy.

Materials:

Hook: TMC 2499 SPBL or 2488

Thread: UNI Thread - Fl. Fire Orange 

Bead: Tungsten Bomb Bead - Gold 

Tail: Partridge Feathers - Natural 

Rib: Ultra Wire -  Gold

Hot Butt: Ice Dub - Shrimp Pink 

Body: Goose Biot - Brown 

Thorax: SLF Squirrel Dubbing - Drk Brown 

Hot Collar: UNI Thread - Fl. Fire Orange 

Step 1: Make a thread base, tying in your ultra wire as you go back.

Step 2: Tie in the partridge fibers for the tail. I cut the tip of the feather off, making a "V", then bunch   together and tie in.

Step 3: Grab a small amount of ice dub, and make 2 wraps with it.

Step 4: Tie in the goose biot, wrap thread forward.

Step 5: Using Hackle Pliers, wrap the biot forward.

Step 6: Wrap the ultra wire forward, securing the biot down.

Step 7: Dub the Thorax.

Step 8: Make several whip finishes, this will form the "hot collar".

Finished Fly: