Featured Fly - Do It All Sculpin

Going back to the beginning of Keeping it Simple, here is an awesome sculpin pattern that is pretty quick to tie and works well for everything. I will be swinging these this weekend on the Salmon River, and the Pere Marquette in a couple weeks. Steelhead, Trout, and Bass all love sculpins, so thats how this pattern got its name. Tie a couple up, whether you are headed to Penn's Creek or the Salmon River these little guys should be in your box.

Materials

Tube: Pro Tube - Flexitube - Med

Thread: UNI Thread 6/0 - Brown

Tail: Rabbit Zonker - Olive 

Under Body: Ice Dub - Olive 

Throat: Ice Dub - UV Red 

Legs: Hareline Sili Legs

Collar: Guinea Feathers - Fl. Orange

Head: EP Tarantula Hairy Legs Brush 1" length 

Step 1: Slide on Drop Weight (optional), start your thread base at junction.

Step 2: Tie in the rabbit strip, adjusting to the length you want it to be.

Step 3: Dub the body, moving forward about a 1/2 inch. Slide drop weight to meet ice dub (optional)

Step 4:  Dub over drop weight.

Step 5: Center Tie in a clump of red ice dub for the throat.

Step 6: Bring the rabbit forward, tying it off right over the throat.

Step 7: Tie in 2 rubber legs, ends first, then a Guinea feather, tip first.

Step 8: Wrap the Guinea feather until you get to the marabou part of the feather.

Step 9: Tie in the EP Brush/

Step 10: Wrap the brush 2 or 3 times, picking it out each wrap. This will help make a larger, fuller head

Step 11: Whip Finish.

Step 12:  Cut the excess tube from the front and gently burn the tube.

Finished:

 

Featured Fly - Low Water Stone

Here is a small stonefly nymph that I came up with this last trip to Oak Orchard. It did very well fooling the high pressured fish. With low and clear water, we have found that small and black with a little accent color, work the best. I tie this little guy in 5 different colors; Pink, Fl. Chart., Peacock, Olive, and UV Brown.

Materials 

Hook: TMC 2457 sz. 8-10

Thread: UNI Thread 6/0 Black 

Tail: Goose Biots - Black 

Body: Life Cycle Dubbing - Black Stone 

Legs: Partridge Feathers - Black 

Wing Case: Swiss Straw - Black 

Thorax: Ice Dub - Olive 

Step 1: Secure the lead wire.

Step 2: Wrap the lead wire forward

Step 3: Make a small dubbing ball, tie in the 2 goose biots as tails.

Step 4: Dub the body, up to the lead wire.

Step 5: Tie in the swiss straw.

Step 6: Dub the Thorax

Step 7: Cut a "V" in a Partridge feather, then tie in.

Step 8: Pull over the swiss straw, making a wing case.

Step 9: Repeat step 6.

Step 9: Repeat step 7.

Step 10: Repeat step 8.

Step 11: Whip finish.

Finished Fly

Featured Fly - Biot Body Nymph

Here is a little pattern that I came up with a while back, while looking online at a bunch of attractor nymphs. It is very simple, and fast to tie, and after a few years of guiding I've realized the fast and simpler the fly is, the less pissed I get when they get hung up in a tree or on the bottom. Ok pissed might be an exaggeration, but you get the idea. Simple and Fast is my new motto.

Materials

Hook: TMC 2488 sz. 14-18

Thread: UNI Thread 6/0 Fl. Orange 

Bead: Tungsten Bomb Bead

Tail: CDL Feathers 

Body: Goose Biot - Brown, Black, Amber, Olive 

Rib: Ultra Wire - Gold, Black, Olive

Thorax: Hare's Ice Dub - Peacock, Brown, Black

Step 1: Make a thread base just past the bend in the shank.

Step 2: Tie in the Ultra Wire.

Step 3: Tie in about 5 CDL Fibers.

Step 4: Tie in the Goose Biot.

Step 5: Wrap the biot forward leaving about a hook eye gap behind the bead.

Step 6: Wrap the Ultra Wire, using the biot edges as a guide.

Step 7: Dud the Thorax.

Step 8: Whip Finish, or add hot collar then whip finish.

Featured Fly - Chernobyl Hopper

I guess its no surprise,  after being in Montana for a week fishing foam hoppers all day, that I can only do a hopper pattern for this featured fly. The Chernobyl Hopper has been one of my favorite hopper patterns, from years ago fishing in Maryland through August and September, so I had to tie a few for Montana; Orange, Yellow, Tan, and the infamous Montana Pink. It worked well, easy and fun to tie, and keeps your attention while fishing it.

Materials

Hook: TMC 2302 sz. 6 - 10

THREAD: UNI Thread 6/0 - Tan, or Black

Body: 2mm Foam - 2 colors 

Under Body: Dubbing to match bottom foam 

1st Wing: Krystal Flash - Color to Match Bottom Foam 

2nd Wing: Deer Hair - Natural 

Sighter: Bright Foam 

Legs: Grizzly Barred Rubber Legs - Choose Color 

Post: Hareline Para Post 

Wing: Saddle Feather - Grizzly 

Step 1: Starting from the front, dub the hook shank.

Step 2: After cutting your foam stack it, tie in both colors at the hook bend.

Step 3: Make 2 small wraps of the lower color, moving the thread about a 3rd of the way to the hook eye. Fold the top color forward, tie down.

Step 4: Tie in the krystal flash.

Step 5: Stack a small clump of deer body hair, tie it on top the flash.

Step 6: Add a small piece of foam for a sighter.

Step 7: Tie in rubber legs on both sides of fly.

Step 8: Make 3 sections of the first color of foam, Then fold the top color forward and tie in.

Step 9: Tie in the Para Post.

Step 10: Tie in rubber legs, giving the fly 4 legs on each side.

Step 11: Tie in a Grizzly feather for the Parachute.

Step 12: Wrap the feather 6 to 8 times, then tie off.

Step 13: Move the thread to behind the hook eye, whip finish and cut off. Trim the extra foam.

Step 14: Trim the foam, forming the body and head.

Finished Fly:

Beautiful Westslope Cutthroat with a Chernobyl Hopper in its mouth