Bass bugs

[Rich Leonetti]

I went striper fishing a couple of weeks ago. Ever since I have been tying clousers and gurglers. I am trying to find some other patterns that aren't too tough to tie. Top water or subsurface? Any suggestions or sites that focus on bass?

[TaylerW]

Really big wooly buggers

[Darian]

Try tying some Flashtail Whistlers. I've been working on a Lamprey pattern for some time, now. There're so many patterns out there that can be used for Bass/Stripers that it's mind boggling. You can check out some websites for them:

www.fliesunlimited.com

www.danblanton.com

There might be a link to the Granite Bay Fly Casters club on this homepage. Paul Egan is the tyer that handles the tying page. It includes some striper patterns as well. :D

[Lee Haskin]

Here are a couple of patterns that have been very effective for me.

The LMB Slider can be tied in many colors, or color combos. (Although, personally, I don't think color is all that important.)

Can't help you much with sub-surface flies since I am a top water junkie, when it comes to LMB! Grin!

The "slider style" bug is a great design for heavy cover, moss and weeds. I prefer to use materials that are not so bouyant, like dense, heavy foam. These materials allow the bug to "sit down" in the surface film, rather that ride on top like some materials. IMHO.

Gurglers are great for many situations, but don't work well for moss and light weeds, that wedge between the lip and eye. Grrrr!

Good Luck with your tying! Maybe you could show us some of your creations.

$.02
Lee

[Hairstacker]

OldTroutbelly, are you asking about fly patterns for striped bass or largemouth bass?

[Dabalone]

Subsurface stripers, clouser, clouser, clouser but I think you already have that covered. Surface stripers I like the crease flies, also easy to tie. Crease flies have also worked well on largemouth for me in openings and outside and inside of weed lines. With wide gap hooks the foam bodies allow you to glue on some nice flashy holographic tape with scale patterns etc. and room for big eyes.

[Rich Leonetti]

Thanks for all the feed back... I have been tying tons of clousers and I want to try that slider it looks pretty cool. Can anyone recommend a book on bass bugs?

[Rich Leonetti]

OldTroutbelly, are you asking about fly patterns for striped bass or largemouth bass?

Either or both?

[Hairstacker]

Well, for me, for largemouth bass, when water temps support it, nothing beats tossing topwater deer hair bass bugs in the Delta. Thus, I typically only carry one 5-compartment plastic box containing 6 topwater bass bugs tied on size 2 Tiemco TMC8089 or size 2/0 Gamakatsu B10S hooks:

(2) green/yellow Dahlberg Divers
(1) black Dahlberg Diver with yellow head
(2) red/white Tap's Bugs
(1) totally weedless, upside-down-hook deer hair/rabbit strip fly for weed mats.

In other words, bugs like these:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v484/Sachlil/DSCF0558V2.jpg

As far as books, I'm pretty fond of William Tapply's "Bass Bug Fishing." It provides interesting history on the origins of bass bugging and related fly development in the 1st half of the 20th century, provides ideas on why, where, and how to fish deer hair bass bugs, and provides instructions on tying them. The author's father (H.G. Tapply of Tap's Tips fame) invented the Tap's Bug fly pattern and this was the book that got me into spinning and stacking deer hair. It's a relatively short book but a good one in my opinion.

[Darian]

Another vote for Gamakatsu, B-10S hooks. Hey Mike,.... I saw one of your Taps Bugs on Lee Soares hat at StriperFest.... Great looking (used) fly. :nod: :nod:

[Hairstacker]

Another vote for Gamakatsu, B-10S hooks. Hey Mike,.... I saw one of your Taps Bugs on Lee Soares hat at StriperFest.... Great looking (used) fly. :nod: :nod:

Thanks Darian! I am truly honored that Lee would put one in his hat.

Fact is, as much success as I've had with Dahlberg Divers, when I paddle onto a large flat at twilight on a late summer evening when the water surface turns to glass, the Tap's Bug is the fly I want on the end of my tippet. Some of my all-time favorite angling memories are associated with that fly pattern. :cool:

[David Lee]

Mike -

That's the ONLY fly of yours I ever gave away . Since you know Lee , I'm sure you understand ....

(still wishing for one on a salt-proof hook for Baja , since I don't want to kill a good one !)

David

EDIT - I might have given one to Ed , also . The memory slips ........

[Hairstacker]

Ah geez David, now you tell me, I just checked and all my white deer hair is . . . uh, at my office. :-\" I'll see what I can do, when are you leaving? Is the Gamakatsu B10S relatively salt-proof? If worse comes to worse and I can't get any to you in time, please(!) use what you have on hand -- they will be replaced and nothing would tickle me more than to see a baja fish with a Tap's Bug hanging from its jaw. \\:D/

As far as giving Lee the fly, for goodness sake the man has fishing coded into his DNA -- I truly feel honored and complimented.

[David Lee]

I'm leaving Wednesday Mike , so don't sweat it ! I'll take one of yout HRWTB's down and promise to use it !

I think the B-10 is salt proof , I still need to tye a few Dahlbergs to try out down there .....

D.~

[Darian]

Jay's experience with hair bugs down there is that they do catch fish (Roosters, etc.) but they're a one fish fly.... :nod: IMHO, not worth it when you're surrounded by toothy critters (worse yet, Needlefish) blitzing bait and having to tie a new fly on after each fish hooked.... :-| :-|

[David Lee]

Darian -

To see a large Pargo or Cabrilla , or whatever .... come up and KILL a surface bug will be more than worth the price of a fly ! Not like I'm NOT taking 500 down with me .... LOLOLOLOL

Old-Trout-Belly -

As much as I love making up fly styles .... the old standards work great ! Lefty's Decievers , Gurglers , Siliclones ..... ALL are worth keeping in your box .

As far as 'easy' flies ..... just about all of 'em are easy when you know how to do them ! Get yourself a copy of Popfleyes by Bob Popovics ,and watch other folks tye stuff - that'll put you on the fast track in no time at all . I will be tying @ Sac ISE all 4 days in Jan , 2010 , and will be more than happy to show you anything you want to learn .

David

[Rich Leonetti]

I will definitely check you out when I go to the show.