Colossal Clouser

[Sheepdog8404]

Tied this guy up last night in hopes of finding that fat boy in a few weeks. She's a beast but I really like the pattern. Probably should tie some up a bit smaller as this one is 7" long...

2/0 bass hook with a 35mm waddington shank trailer to add length and more action to the fly. Input is greatly appreciated!

http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t365/Sheepdog8404/E469E785-AE29-47DE-B1B7-151844FF593D_zpsmyqtqwcr.jpg (http://s1056.photobucket.com/user/Sheepdog8404/media/E469E785-AE29-47DE-B1B7-151844FF593D_zpsmyqtqwcr.jpg.html)

http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t365/Sheepdog8404/9AEDF4D6-235D-48E2-BAC2-A8DB79D00072_zpshqjjszta.jpg (http://s1056.photobucket.com/user/Sheepdog8404/media/9AEDF4D6-235D-48E2-BAC2-A8DB79D00072_zpshqjjszta.jpg.html)

http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t365/Sheepdog8404/B26A559B-C0B7-4433-95D9-36F9BC9536FA_zpspnxdcybg.jpg (http://s1056.photobucket.com/user/Sheepdog8404/media/B26A559B-C0B7-4433-95D9-36F9BC9536FA_zpspnxdcybg.jpg.html)

[Tony Buzolich]

That's a beautiful fly and not too bulky to cast well. As for size, don't think twice about it being to big. Any medium size or larger striper that see's that won't hesitate to swallow it whole.

Is the second half tied on a hook or just a shank?

My only hesitation would be the thought of loosing it to snags on the bottom. Up in my area we loose lots of flies every day. I tell guys when I take them out that if they're not hanging up once in a while, they're not down where the are.

That's one of the reasons I hardly ever use standard J-hooks any more. The up-turned jig hooks seem to bounce off snags and rocks better and hence I don't loose as many flies.
Tony

[Tony Buzolich]

I just answered my own question about the shank. I typed up Waddington Shank and it all made sense.

I'd still hate to loose very many of those flies :) Tony

[Sheepdog8404]

Thanks Tony! This thing didn't really take that long to tie up. It would still suck to lose though but that's just part of the game. There is no trailer hook although I did consider tying a couple up with them. The waddington is just to help add extra material to produce a longer fly and more action. I thought about tying them on jig hooks as well. This was just the first prototype that I came up with last night at 10:30 after frying my brain with a solid 4 hours of chemistry homework.

[Mark Kranhold]

Looks killer! Hopefully it rides right side up?

[Carl Blackledge]

Tied this guy up last night in hopes of finding that fat boy in a few weeks. She's a beast but I really like the pattern. Probably should tie some up a bit smaller as this one is 7" long...

2/0 bass hook with a 35mm waddington shank trailer to add length and more action to the fly. Input is greatly appreciated!

http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t365/Sheepdog8404/E469E785-AE29-47DE-B1B7-151844FF593D_zpsmyqtqwcr.jpg (http://s1056.photobucket.com/user/Sheepdog8404/media/E469E785-AE29-47DE-B1B7-151844FF593D_zpsmyqtqwcr.jpg.html)

http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t365/Sheepdog8404/9AEDF4D6-235D-48E2-BAC2-A8DB79D00072_zpshqjjszta.jpg (http://s1056.photobucket.com/user/Sheepdog8404/media/9AEDF4D6-235D-48E2-BAC2-A8DB79D00072_zpshqjjszta.jpg.html)

http://i1056.photobucket.com/albums/t365/Sheepdog8404/B26A559B-C0B7-4433-95D9-36F9BC9536FA_zpspnxdcybg.jpg (http://s1056.photobucket.com/user/Sheepdog8404/media/B26A559B-C0B7-4433-95D9-36F9BC9536FA_zpspnxdcybg.jpg.html)

Sheep,

I tie a fly similar to yours, I call mine the articulated sardine

Mine is tied on an SP 600 with my home made shanks....it really works good on Dorado and Roosters.

Carl

[Mr T]

Agree on the size issue- any decent striper will have no issue eating that!

Good looking tie.

[OceanSunfish]

Does anyone think that the bucktail should be a little flared or perhaps add a little bulk to the body for a taller profile?

I know pencil thin or skinny Clousers work....... I think Stripers are very aggressive and reactionary to grab anything swimming, but sometimes the pattern needs to be spot on with regards to profile, height, shapes, etc.

Of course, eel like patterns work very well. Tie one up with black/purple/blue and let us see it!

Opinions?

[Sheepdog8404]

Does anyone think that the bucktail should be a little flared or perhaps add a little bulk to the body for a taller profile?

I know pencil thin or skinny Clousers work....... I think Stripers are very aggressive and reactionary to grab anything swimming, but sometimes the pattern needs to be spot on with regards to profile, height, shapes, etc.

Of course, eel like patterns work very well. Tie one up with black/purple/blue and let us see it!

Opinions?

I actually tied this one with all Craft Fur. Ran out of chartreuse bucktail a while back and have been using the craft fur ever since. I've noticed that while the flies look a bit slim, especially compared to the same fly tied with bucktail, they really flare up and undulate much better when they're in the water. I agree this thing looks pretty snaky in the pictures but all the regular size and traditionally tied clousers I've made with craft fur typically look much better when wet.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

One spring in the 1970s some of us were wading at night at the mouth of the Feather River.

I had just built a new fiberglass Lamiglass blank up in a 9' #9 line size.

I was using a 9" black eel pattern that Jimmy Potter showed me.

I caught a 5 pound Small Mouth Bass on it.

You could probably use as big a fly as you could through for most bass.

I love the look of that fly.......

.

[OceanSunfish]

I actually tied this one with all Craft Fur. Ran out of chartreuse bucktail a while back and have been using the craft fur ever since. I've noticed that while the flies look a bit slim, especially compared to the same fly tied with bucktail, they really flare up and undulate much better when they're in the water. I agree this thing looks pretty snaky in the pictures but all the regular size and traditionally tied clousers I've made with craft fur typically look much better when wet.

Yes, I agree. Materials behave differently when under water. As for profile...... The Zoom Fluke bait is pretty thin and that bait accounts for a lot hook ups in the Delta! Anyone tired of tying or buying $$$$$ in materials? Just glue a fluke bait onto the appropriately designed fluke-bait hook and cast it on your 8 weight! ;)

[JasonB]

That looks very sweet. I had very good success with the articulated clousers that I tied up last spring. I think that first float we took I was fishing the triple one? It's been chewed enough that it's starting to look pretty ragged, but I still have it :-)
I think OS may have a point about adding a bit taller body profile, but I bet that thing get's an arm wrenching grab anyways. I'd say it's about time to go give that thing a swim...
JB

[Sheepdog8404]

Yes, I agree. Materials behave differently when under water. As for profile...... The Zoom Fluke bait is pretty thin and that bait accounts for a lot hook ups in the Delta! Anyone tired of tying or buying $$$$$ in materials? Just glue a fluke bait onto the appropriately designed fluke-bait hook and cast it on your 8 weight! ;)

I love fishing those Zoom Flukes when I'm not using fly gear! Those things have put more fish in the boat than every other lure combined.


That looks very sweet. I had very good success with the articulated clousers that I tied up last spring. I think that first float we took I was fishing the triple one? It's been chewed enough that it's starting to look pretty ragged, but I still have it :-)
I think OS may have a point about adding a bit taller body profile, but I bet that thing get's an arm wrenching grab anyways. I'd say it's about time to go give that thing a swim...
JB


Jason, this was actually inspired by that tripple articulated monstrosity you were whirling past my head last summer. I remember laughing at how huge that thing was but then the lightbulb went on... Lets go take em for a swim! The boat is a few weekends away from being complete!

[STEELIES/26c3]

One spring in the 1970s some of us were wading at night at the mouth of the Feather River.

I had just built a new fiberglass Lamiglass blank up in a 9' #9 line size.

I was using a 9" black eel pattern that Jimmy Potter showed me.

I caught a 5 pound Small Mouth Bass on it.

You could probably use as big a fly as you could through for most bass.

I love the look of that fly.......

.

Yah, when Jimmy Potter got too old/tired to fly fish, he used 9" Slug-Gos on a Carolina rig for AR stripers and never needed anything else...