Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 23

Thread: My New "Fly"

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Davis
    Posts
    756

    Default My New "Fly"

    I am trying to improve my bass catch. On a good day on the flies I catch roughly half of what the gear guys get. Outside of the reservoir float n fly I don't think anyone fishing a fly rod is getting much closer to the gear catch rate than that. To close the gap I am trying to rip off some of their tricks without actually fishing gear. I have nothing against gear fishing but that is not the game I am trying to play with the bass. Last year I got dragon tails at the fly shop that made pretty good worm flies that could be jigged and they caught fish. The problem was the tail fell apart after about two or three hours of casting. Given the effort needed to make the fly I wanted a little more durability that that. My idea to improve on the dragon tail was to replace it with a soft plastic.

    For my new "fly" I tied a rabbit fur jigging fly with rubber legs, lead eyes some flash and plenty of weight. I added a centering pin which is a gear fishing gadget that allows me to screw on about any soft plastic. I have a small Z Man crawdad twister tail on this one. If the plastic comes off or gets chewed up I can put on another one. This is intended to be a crawdad imitation and I plan to fish it along some deep riprap. It would not be legal in the Bass N Fly tournament as it is not "in the spirit of fly fishing" which is how they judge what a fly is. Hopefully it will be in the spirit of catching some big bass on a fly rod. Jigging the Z Man fly in a kayak for bass is a long way from traditional fly fishing. We will see how it works. My guess is it will get bit.






  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    7,786

    Thumbs up New Fly....

    I like it!!! The Bass will, too. Has all of the elements of a good Bass bug. The use of the centering pin in tying in the plastic tail appears to solve the problem of snapping plastics off on the cast. But, it does look like it adds a lot of weight to the fly. Will casting this fly be difficult out of a Kayak??? Looking forward to your photos/report.
    "America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won't cross the street to vote."

    Author unknown

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Davis
    Posts
    756

    Default

    It will be more of a flop than a cast. You only want to throw it 20 or 25 feet. More than that and you can’t feel the sinking fly and the bite. It is kind of a funky way to fish but sometimes the alternative is to not catch fish.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Stockton
    Posts
    269

    Default

    The fur and silicone are going to prevent the legs on that soft plastic from kicking. Need to shorten all that stuff up.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Davis
    Posts
    756

    Default

    Good idea.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sacramento
    Posts
    7,786

    Question Trimming....??

    Trimming back the legs is not a bad idea. In another view without trimming, could the fly be seen as a fleeing Crawdad, all packed in and fleeing backwards using fast strips during retrieve?? Lotsa ways to see and fish this fly that's one reason why I like it.
    "America is a country which produces citizens who will cross the ocean to fight for democracy but won't cross the street to vote."

    Author unknown

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    Tejas !!
    Posts
    792

    Default

    That will 100% get bit. Good looking fly.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Sebastian, FL, USA, Earth
    Posts
    23,837

    Default

    That "fly" would be very good along the "Rip-Rap" too.

    Nice photos, as usual.




    ____________________________

    Andy and I were really impressed by our trips in the Delta with Captain Kevin Doran for top water LMB, with hair bugs only.

    Andy actually really got into the spun deer hair, top water methods that KD promoted.

    We both only fish top water for LMB because catching lots of them is not our focus.

    Casting a fly with much weight to it on a floating line is not fun for me. I am not good at it.



    Some, like Al Bunch, told me that he uses Clouser Minnow on a floating line for most of his LMB fishing in the Delta.

    I am sure Al would catch 10 bass to my one, most days..



    For us, as John mentioned, top water only even further reduces our catch ratio to the gear guys.

    You can learn a lot from watching/following what the gear guys do, year round for bass.


    Andy learned some tricks from KD on how to "tune" the Umpqua "Swimming Frog" and "Swimming Baitfish" spun deer hair bugs.

    AS KD did, Andy uses the largest size 'Swimming Frog' and 'Swimming Baitfish' that Umpqua makes.

    He straightens the Mason "Hard mono" weed guards so it is dead center with the hook point.

    KD felt that Umpqua used too small of the Hard Mono for his likings. I think Umpqua used 20# and KD liked 25 or 30#?

    Then KD used "Russ Peak" line dressing as his floatant on his hair bugs.



    For the true exposure to the Kevin Doran method of "top water only" LMB in the Delta, with hair bugs, I would go out during the week,

    in May, with Captain Andy Guibord.


    KD video ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Y0wmSr0Tg
    Bill Kiene (Boca Grande)

    567 Barber Street
    Sebastian, Florida 32958

    Fly Fishing Travel Consultant
    Certified FFF Casting Instructor

    Email: billkiene63@gmail.com
    Cell: 530/753-5267
    Web: www.billkiene.com

    Contact me for any reason........
    ______________________________________

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2012
    Location
    fernley Nevada
    Posts
    31

    Default

    Sewer Trout ! Mike

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    Stockton
    Posts
    269

    Default

    Consider tying in the screw lock at the bend of the hook? Basically where you tie in the tail of an Adam's. Connect it in some fashion so that it moves freely like those articulated flies. Then you can dress the shank up nice and bushy and add a smaller piece of plastic at the end. Would be lighter and a little easier to cast possibly.

    Attachment 18268

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •