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 - Tube Intruder

The Intruder is a pattern that has many shapes and sizes; it can be tied using just about any material out there. This is my variation of the Intruder tied on a Pro Flytyer tube. These tubes are very nice; they allow you to change weight and length very easily. They also have a lot of accessories such as cone heads, and sonic discs to really give the flies life.

Here are a few examples:

This one will work for Smallmouth and Steelhead

This one is good for Steelhead

This one works well for Smallmouth as well as Steelhead

With the Fall Salmon and Steelhead season finally here, I will be doing a series of tube flies. Many of these tubes will work not only for Steelhead and Salmon, but will work equally as well for Smallmouth and Trout. On top of the cold water season, the saltwater season is just starting to heat up. Look for at least one pattern for Stripers in the mix as well.

One awesome thing about tubes is that you can tie them for any type of fishing not just steelhead!

Intruder Tube Fly