Tying the Brahma & Orange

Brahma & Orange

The Brahma & Orange is a heavy search pattern for those months when an orange hot-spot is the Soup-Du-Jour. The UV-Epoxy coated Fluorescent orange thread and Holographic tinsel work together perfectly for both a single fly or tandem fly rig. 

Brahma & Orange Recipe

Hook:  #12 Caddis Emerger

Bead:  Gold Tungsten

Wire:  .020 

Thread: 70 Flo Orange Ultra Thread

Tag: Holograghic Tinsel

Abdomen: Peacock Herl

Hackle:  Tan Brahma Hen

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Best Catch of the Year

Lillian Quinn

As the year draws to a close, we were blessed with the best gift of all to celebrate on Thanksgiving. Our little Lilly, and a freshly minted Pop-Pop.

Yellow Breeches

Fall on the Yellow Breeches

After a long season, I was finally able to get on the Breeches for a couple hours before winter sets in. Sunny, 61 degrees and clear water made it almost impossible to drive past. With not a lot of time to spare, I chose to hit a familiar stretch. The Allenberry Run. 

The water was skinny, but it did not let me down, bringing a nice little Brown to hand just below the barrier wall in the first few minutes, courtesy of the Golden Retriever.

First 2015 Breeches Trout

Working from the barrier wall downstream to the bend, I was able to pick up 2 more just like the first one. All on the Golden Retriever.

Working upstream of the wall 2 more fish came to hand. Both on the C2C nymph. The last which was the largest of the day, a strong 17 incher which put up a great fight.  

All 5 fish were Browns. The largest 2 coming to the C2C nymph.

A great visit to beautiful water

The Streamer Hatch

When the leaves fall, the Streamer Hatch comes off

Each year the fall signals one of my favorite hatches. The Streamer hatch. It's that time of year when streamers of all kinds begin to shine and most times the largest fish of the season come to hand. 

This year the box is filled with 8 patterns. Four of which are Bugger/Zonker  patterns and four more tied in classic bucktail fashion. Of the bucktails, 2 of them are converted feather-wing patterns, which will be new for this year. Their original twins have done very well for me over the years, but with last years success with bucktails, I felt I would give their conversions a try.

(Left-to-Right)  

Ralph's Little Pine, The Guinness Trout, The Golden Retriever & The Black Mohair Leech

These 4 patterns are my stable of weighted nymphs, doubling as both dredging nymphs and fished beneath an indicator.

(Left-to-Right)

The Yella Dog, The Furnace Green, The Firehole & The Northwest Jack

These four bucktail patterns will carry their weight in my box this fall.  The Firehole and Northwest Jack are both longtime patterns. The Furnace Green and Yella Dog are the bucktails twins to their Featherwing patterns, tied with bucktail to compliment the originals. Hopefully they will prove to be as productive.

Yella Dog Bucktail Recipe

Hook:  Daiichi 2070 #4
Thread:  6/0 Black
Rib/Tag:  Small Silver Tinsel
Body:  Yellow Floss
Throat:  Red Tippet
Wing:  Bucktail  (Rootbeer/Brown/Black)

Furnace Green Bucktail Recipe

Hook:  Daiichi 2070 #4
Thread:  6/0 Black
Rib/Tag:  Small Gold Tinsel
Body:  Green Floss
Throat:  Red Tippet
Wing:  Bucktail  (Rootbeer/Black/Rootbeer)

NOTE:  Videos for all other listed patterns are found in the "Video Archives"

Its the  season of short leaders and ferocious strikes.

Gurglers and Gills

The Grizzly X-Gurgler

Tonight with a couple hours of daylight remaining, I hit the door with my CGR and a half dozen #10 Grizzly X-Gurglers. No pretense on where I was heading....it was to be a bluegill night. No need for a fly box, poppers and buggers. I would not need them. I was heading for a 1 acre pond and gills in fall colors.

They did not disappoint. Willing to rise to my diminutive offering, they gave the little DT4 a workout.

Throwing the X-Gurgler to Bluegills is like tossing a Snickers bar to a group of kids...they're gonna pick it up once the figure out what it is.

The rise often coming telegraphed by a torpedo-like rush from the weeds. The little grizzly and foam offering took a beating, but held up well with the initial fly lasting the night and 20+ fish. No summer sluggish fights tonight. They were in attack and run mode.

Some days are just meant to be bluegill days. A beautiful fish that fights like hell and takes a fly with gusto. 

Tying the X-Gurgler Video

See you on the water

Tying With Bullwinkle

Four very productive Moose Hair patterns

(L-R,  M&M Nymph, Neon Moose, Blue Moose, M&M Tenkara)

Moose body hair is one of the most common materials found in a fly tyers bench. It's excellent for tailing, wing cases, shellbacks, and is often added to bucktails. Yet except for larger nymphs, it is often overlooked as a tying material. Moose body hair, or at least the right "type" of moose body hair is one of the best "larva" style body materials on small nymphs and wet flies. Especially when coated. When coated, it seems to "pop" with an almost natural appearing body. 

But, Not all moose body hair is the same. While it is all sold under the same name, you are looking for the larger, less useful version actually. On the left you see a near perfect patch of moose body hair. For tailing that is. straight, with a fine stiff black tip.  On the right is a lesser grade of moose body hair.....but notice the thick cream bases fading to a tannish-brown midsection and then a soft thin black tip. THAT is what you want.

My choice of coating is Bug bond, a UV resin. But Sally Hansen "Hard As Nails" works excellent as well. I feel the UV Resin brings out the color of accent ribbing a bit better. 

A Rainbow that couldn't resist the M&M Nymph

NOTE:

For tying videos of the above patterns, all 4 are found in the Video Archive

Blue Moose Nymph

Blue Moose Nymph

The Blue Moose Nymph is one of 3 patterns I tie utilizing moose body hair. It has been a very productive pattern for me when the leaves fall & the water temps drop. This is one of my first picks when the fish are midging on those bluebird winter days, but will not take on top. Fished under an indicator, this nymph has saved a good number of days for me.

Blue Moose Recipe

Hook:  #18-22 Curved shank nymph

Bead:  Gold Tungsten

Thread:  Black 8/0 Uni

Abdomen: 2 strands Moose Body Hair

Rib:  2 strands Blue super hair (twisted, with one wrap as a tag)

Body:  Coated with Bug-Bond

Thorax: Adams Grey Orvis Spectrablend

Wing: Dun Turkey Flat

Collar:  Olive Ice-dub

WindKnots & Tangled Lines Contest

The Piscatorial Prize!

This summer, one of my favorite sites on the web ran a contest for a new slogan to be used on the site. I was humbled to get the email that my entry was selected. 

""Everything I needed to know about fly fishing I learned from a jar of salmon eggs"

It meant even more to me because it was inspired by my Dad, gone since 1998,  he was my favorite fishing partner. Later in life he would comment to me, "not to get too high in the britches with fly fishing, because everything I knew about fly fishing he had already taught me with this" , and he would hold up his polar creel and a jar of salmon eggs. Which was identical to the one I still own today since they were bought together. 

I have to apologize for the lapse of announcement and post. Things just slipped by me as fast as the rest of the summer has. But a very big "THANK YOU" to Howard both for the prize contents as well as the choice of my words.

If you are looking for a great site to check out where you can enjoy a look at fly fishing from all angles, give "Windknots & Tangled Lines" a visit. 

See you on the water!