Archive for the ‘Fly Of The Month’ Category

FLY OF THE MONTH   

Sunset Spinner

 Hook:  Dry fly, Size #12 to #20, I use Tiemco TMC 100

Thread:  Claret or red

Tail:  Dun-colored hackle fibers or microfibetts,

Body:  Mixed antron dubbing 50/50 red and orange.

Thorax Cover:  White, orange, or yellow closed cell foam.

Spent Wings:  Polypropylene (yarn strands) in 2 sections, white on the bottom and fluorescent red or orange on top.

More often than not I tend to fish some very standard and well known fly patterns.  This is one of my “off the wall” ties that when it works, it seems to catch a ton of fish.  The fly was developed by Brain Clark and John Goddard, author’s of the book The Trout and the Fly.  They are from Great Britain and wrote their book from a very unique prospective. They examine how flies look to trout and how an angler can best represent them.   They found that spinners were imbued with a halation of light around them.  This halo of light is characterized by a burst of orange and red hues.  This pattern attempts to intensify these colors, letting your spinner imitation stand out from the naturals.  This is critical when there are large numbers of naturals on the water. 

At times I’ve had great success using this pattern, especially when there are a lot of sulphers on the water.  Sulphur spinners on the “Hous” are usually a “last hour of daylight and into the darkness” occurrence.    The Sunset Spinner is very easy to tie.  If you don’t have red or orange poly, use a permanent marker to color white-poly red or orange. 

I will be tying this fly at the next H.F.F.A. meeting.  If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a pattern of the month I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net .

CDC Elk Hair Caddis

 Hook:  Tiemco 102 Y #11-#17 (this is a black off size dry fly hook)  or   standard dry fly hook

 Thread:  Brown 6/0

 Body/hackle:  CDC feather

 Wing/head:  Elk or coastal deer hair

 There are only two ingredients to this fly.  The body is comprised of a wrapped CDC feather.  The feather is tied in by the tip at the hook bend and wrapped forward using hackle pliers.  The color of the feather should match the natural.   Natural CDC is perfect for tan caddis.   When choosing a CDC feather for the body, the rule of thumb is that it should be approximately 2 ½ times the hook shank.   When you wrap it towards the eye, stroke the CDC fibers back.   These fibers undulate in the water giving the fish the appearance of a “living” meal.   When you wrap forward and tie off the feather make sure you leave enough room to tie on your “elk hair caddis wing”.  Make sure you wrap through the “butts” (head) of the caddis for maximum durability. 

Remember that with CDC feathers, the use of fly floatant is a “no no”.  With these two materials your fly is going to float like a cork anyway.   Just take an additional false casts to dry off the fly.   This pattern is easy to tie and it sure does catch fish.  

 If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Pattern of

The Month I can be reached at 203 305-3850, or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net .

Phil’s Sandy Point Sand Eel

Hook:  Size 1 811s Tiemco Stainless (Please mash the barb!)
Thread:  Fine or medium mono
Eyes:  Medium Spirit River Real Eyes in white, red or yellow with black pupils……the fish don’t care.
Body:  Unique Hair in Smoke
Back:  Tan, brown, olive or purple unique hair
Flash:  Crystal flash in color of the fish’s choice in your area. DNA can also    be mixed in. I like gold. 

Mount the hook in the vise rightside up.  Mash the barb with pliers.  Tie in the dumbbell eye on top of the hook shank. Add a drop of Zap-A-Gap  CA+ and let dry.  Turn hook upside down.  Leave enough room between the eyes and the hook eye to tie in the smoke Unique Hair.  Cut a 4″ piece (not too thick) and twizzle the ends to a point similar to the way one would twist the tip of a long mustache.  Cut the tip of one end and tie in the cut end  just behind the hook eye.  Leave enough room between that and the hook eye to tie in the flash with a little longer than the body.  Cut a four inch of back material, twizzle it and hold it over the back of the smoke material slightly longer than the body.  Pinch where it needs to be clipped and tie in just behind the hook eye. Whip finish the head with only enough wraps to retain the color of the back all the way to the hook eye.  Finish the head with Hard As Nails. Take fishing!  I bring a tooth brush to comb it out after each hooked fish to retain it’s fishy shape.  I love a new color I found at River’s End in orange blond over smoke.  Caught all species with it last year.  The Ablies were all over it!  Tie them big when the squid appear.  Sand eel should be a little on the slender side.  Silversides and Bay Ancovies versions thicker.  Squid thicker still.

**Phil is along time member of the CT/RI Coastal Fly Fishers, and a  new member of the HFFA.  He’s an excellent fly fisherman and tyer.  This is just a great fly.  It’s caught many fish for me.

 If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a pattern of the month I can be reached at 203 734-7879 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.

September Night Fly (a pattern by Ken Abrames)

 Hook:  Eagle Claw 253 or salt water hook of preference, sizes #1/0 to #3/0.  

Thread:  White flymaster.

Tail:  Long gray bucktail, under two pieces of silver flash, under two     white  saddles.

Body:  Silver mylar tubing.

Throat:  White bucktail as a ¾ colar, bottom and both sides one hair thick.

Collar:  White marabou, folded or doubled three turns.

Wing:  Long white bucktail under 15 pieces of purple bucktail under two pieces of blue flash under one natural black saddle.

When Ken Abrames book “Striper Moon” came out back in 1994, it introduced a number of different and unique fly patterns to a group of fly fishers just discovering the joys of salt water fly fishing.   These flies were very impressionistic and fluid.  They included flies such as the “Razzle Dazzle”, “Eely”, and “Ray’s Fly”.  Back then it seemed everyone was tying and using these patterns in CT and RI.   Although these flies will work anywhere, they represented and brought focus on the CT-RI region.

According to Ken this fly imitates finger mullet.  Mullet move through RI in the fall.  They are also a predominate bait fish along the shores of Cape Cod in August/September.  It should be tied “in full silhouette” and “about as thick around as a man’s index finger”.   This is just a great fly any time of year.  I always think to myself “Why don’t I use this fly more”.  This year for sure.

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a pattern ofThe month I can be reached at 203 305-3854 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.

Hook:   Standard nymph, size 8 to 16          

Thread:   Black (I sometimes use orange, a personal favorite)   

Tail:   Peacock sword fibers.  

Rib: Oval silver tinsel.

Body:  Peacock Herl

Legs:  Brown hackle, a couple turns.

Wing:  Wood duck mallard clipped            

Bead:  (Optional) Gold, copper, or silver

 A super easy pattern to tie, this fly was invented in West Lawn, PA.  It was designed by a gentleman named Cliff Zug to imitate cased caddis.   Like the Prince Nymph, this fly produces most on rivers with strong and dominant caddis hatches.  Don’t over look the fact that it’s a great fly on any river.  Peacock has a magical effect on trout.  Not only is the body a great trout attractor, the peacock sword on the tail is like an iridescent beacon in the water.   I fish various sizes depending on the caddis on the river.   I weigh some with lead wire or tie it as a bead head.   The key to tying this fly is to tie the body into a “cigar” shape.   Also, to make the peacock more durable, twist 4-5 peacock fibers around thread to make a stronger “rope” before wrapping the body.  The wing case on this fly if very unique compared to other nymphs.  It’s tied on right at the head and is not tied down at the back.   Most times I don’t even tie mine with the wing case and found it just as productive.  This is one of my top 5 flies!! 

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a pattern of the month I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.

 Scuds

Hook:  Heavy-to-regular wire, regular length, curved humped shank,
             sizes 10 to 14 (I like to tie mine on a Tiemco 2457 or 2487)
Thread:  8/0 or 6/0 in color to match body.
Underbody:   Lead wire.       
Body:  Mixture of hairtron and sparkle dubbing, I tie my scuds in olive, orange, pink, and tan.
Shellback:  Strip of clear plastic cut from a baggie.
Rib:  Copper wire.
Antennae & Tail:  Hen hackle barbs or dyed mallard.
Optional:  Gold, black, or copper bead

One of the subsurface flies that that I go to in late summer and fall are scuds.  Scuds are “shrimp-like” fresh water crustaceans.  They are very prevalent in nutrient rich rivers, tailwaters, and grass areas of ponds and lakes.  It’s an excellent fly for the Housatonic and Farmington Rivers.  Fellow HFFA member Dan Kenny believes the optimum time to fish scuds on the Hous is late October – early November.  Scuds are found in the lowest level of the water column so it’s really imperative that you weight them with lead.   I’ve done well with scuds on days when no other subsurface fly seemed to work. 

If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a pattern of the month, call me at 203 305-3850 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.

Housatonic Trout caught 11/11/09 on an Olive Scud.

Hook:  Streamer hooks, tie in sizes #8, 10 & 12.    
Thread:  Black. 
Body:  Cream Dubbing.   Rib:  Fine gold wire or oval tinsel.
Wing:  (4) Badger Hackles tied in front.  Raise and separate hackle fibers on top of body.  Wind ribbing through separations binding down hackle.  On top of wing cream finn raccoon.  
Throat:  Finn Raccoon
Hackle:  Badger hackle collar.

I first used the Matuka style streamers for small mouths on the Housatonic.  On a recent trip to the Housatonic (October 09) I caught trout on it as well.  I tie salt water deceivers Matuka style.  This is a very versatile fly pattern.

This pattern was submitted by long time HFFA member Tom Maguire. 
If you have any questions about this fly or would like to submit a Fly of the Month I can be reached at 203 305-3850 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.

Housatonic trout landed 10/12/09 on a Badger Matuka.

Root River Special

Hook: Standard nymph, size 12 to 18 (I use TMC 5262).
Thread: Black.
Tail: Brown hen hackle palmered through the body.
Rib: (Optional) copper wire.
Body: Black fur dubbing with guard hairs.
Head: Copper Bead.

Although I often experiment with unusual and exotic fly patterns, there is one axiom that holds true the majority of time – “Simpler is Better!”. It doesn’t get any simpler than this pattern. I’ve always done better with darker colored nymphs. Black has been one of the most successful subsurface colors for me. I tie this pattern in sizes 12 to 18. I’ve found it’s a great pattern to use prior to the famous little black stone fly hatch (in February/March) on the Mianus River (Stamford/Greenwich CT). Small size 18s work great everywhere I go throughout the season.

D.A. Caddis (Returns !)

Hook: Size 12 to 20 Curved shank emerger hook.
Tying thread: Brown.
Body:   Reddish Brown Blended fur.   I use rabbit.
Wing:  Black or brown deer body hair, around which is a sparse collar of   gray or light dun CDC feather.
Head:   Same as Body.

I’ve been doing the H.F.F.A. “Fly of the Month” now for about 20 years.  This was the first fly I ever submitted for the H.F.F.A. newsletter the Housatonic Quill.   It’s also the first time I have ever repeated the submission for the Fly of the Month.   By the way, we didn’t post pictures of the fly back then.  I have very good cause for the repeat.

First, its one of my secret flies.   One of the best I carry with me.  I’ve experienced phenomenal fishing with it.   And have given a ton of them away on the stream.  Not only is it a great caddis emerger pattern, but when tied larger and in a darker color, is a great Hendrickson emerger.   Heck, it’s a great all round’ emerger pattern.  I also tie it in sulpher/yellow for the sulpher hatch.

Secondly, (and I failed to mention this twenty years ago), it was developed by Dave Goulet of the Classic & Custom Fly Shop, which has recently closed its doors (2009).   We will all miss Dave and the shop.

Way back when this was one of the first flies I ever used with CDC and Z-lon.  It was a time when these materials first became commercially available.   I remember tying this fly at a meeting and people had no idea what CDC and Z-lon were and if they would work.   “My how things have changed.”   Here’s how it originally appeared.

This is a pattern which I have found to be extremely effective on the Hous.  It is tied on a curved shank hook which places the rear end of the fly underwater, giving the impression of an adult struggling out of its pupal skin.  Begin by placing the hook in the vice and bend it to the side similar to the technique in tying small dry flies.  The hook point will no longer be aligned with the eye and will increase your hooking ability.  Wrap thread along the length of hook from eye to midpoint of rear cruve.  Tie in Z-lon shuck.  Dub body ¾ way up the rest of the hook.  Tie in short deer hair wing.  Tie a sparse collar of CDC similar to the way you would for a wet fly.  Dub head and whip finish the fly.

I have found that this pattern works during black, brown & tan caddis hatches.  The CDC gives added visibility to the fly but most importantly, refracts light, a condition which mimics an emerging caddis.

Harrington’s F & S Deceiver

Hook: Mustad #34011 or salt water hook of preference, sizes #1/0 to #5/0. Thread: Chartreuse flymaster.
Tail: Four big chartreuse saddle hackles tied deceiver style.
Body: Chartreuse crystal chenille. (Optional lead wraps under the chenille.)
Throat: Chartreuse Flash n’ Slinky.
Wing: Chartreuse Flash n’ Slinky.
Eyes: Oversized molded stick-on eyes. Eyes are glued on then epoxied
over.

There was a time when my friend Mike Harrington and I tied big bunker or “grocery flies” with only natural materials. They just seemed to be more durable and life like in the water. They also gave the fish a big profile to target. Over the past few years a number of great products consisting of slinky fiber material mixed with flash, have become available. Flies tied with this new “stuff” are very durable and boy do they catch fish. The Flash n’ Slinky is very iridescent in the water and acts as a “fish catching beacon”. This is a very easy pattern to tie and you can tie it “big”. One thing I like about Mike’s flies are the oversized eyes he always adds to them. Those who fish the salt a lot know how important a feature this is on big flies.

Experiment and tie different colors of this pattern.