Divers

**Chris V** · 06-09-2006, 08:28 AM

I've never tied up big top-water bass bugs, but according to several members of the board I'm going to need some divers for the July trip to the delta

Here's my first attempt. Let me know what you think...

I cut the bottom of the fly's very flat (you can't tell from this angle) and left the back part of the deer hair-head long. I've tried putting several different materials into the tail- including rabbit strips, antron, marabou, bucktail, and a few different colors of flash material.

I read a couple of different sites that suggested gluing the head/ bottom of the fly- so far I've just cemented the thread head. Should I be doing this

Will gluing over the deer hair sink the fly

Any suggestions- Colors, materials, shape, etc...

**mikenewman** · 06-09-2006, 12:42 PM

Hi Chris
Those look great and I hesitate to offer advice 'cos I'm no expert but here are a few comments that you might find useful:
Always use a packing tool to get the hair on as tight as you can.
Make sure the full gape is available for better hook sets.
Old fashioned double edge razor blades are great for final shaping.
Experiment as much as you like with tail materials but always be aware of proportion. The main attraction of the fly comes from its action and it needs to sit down and back in the water so that when you strip you create a pronounced "dip and bloop" in the water. I've tied some very pretty looking flies at the bench that swam like one legged dead ducks! So be prepared for plenty of field (lake) testing.
Dave Whitlock recommends soaking the fly with watered down flexament for added longevity. He also ties parallel lengths of mono along the hook shank to give a broader base that prevents the hair body twisting on the finished fly. Personally I follow KD's advice and put a cemented half hitch or two after each spin/stack.
Finally, I'm now finding that I can buy better quality hair that is natural as opposed to dyed. (Not so brittle) So I tye plain bodies and I add colour via tail/flash materials.
Like I said, your bugs look great to me and I'm sure they'll pull plenty of action on the 22nd.
Cheers
Mike

**Adam Grace** · 06-09-2006, 01:26 PM

Chris you should try a double weed guard like this:

The double works much better for me. I've tied alot of bass flies and this style of weed guard has always worked great. It is also easier to tie.

Double over a 25lb peice of mono, figure out how long the loop needs to be to bend lower than the point of the hook, then simply zap-agap the doubled-over point to the top of the hook (just behind the eye). The zap-a-gap hold the mono just fine. No need for messy tying off the thick 25lb mono.

I also agree with Mike, you might want to use a packing tool to get a little more dense body of hair. The use of cement after each spin of hair is a great way to make the fly last longer.

Also try cutting/molding the hair with doublesided razor blades, they bend to easily cut curves and they are great when cutting the flat bottom. Give them a try. If I can remember correctly you can find these old style razor blades at Longs or Rite Aid. They work well.

Chris your flies look nice, I bet they'll catch bass. I just wanted to share some tips that I have found to be very useful.

Have fun tying.

**Charlie Gonzales** · 06-09-2006, 05:00 PM

Adam
that style of guards is great for gurglers and foam bodies but wouldnt they get in the way of your hair packer if you glue them in on the initial step(before you start spinning).dont get me wrong, i like double guards and i dont think it keeps from pierceing some lips.

**Charlie Gonzales** · 06-09-2006, 05:08 PM

I must think outside the box. the folded section doesnt need to be glued in til your done spinning and tied off. my bad.

**David Lee** · 06-09-2006, 07:33 PM

Hey Chris -

I think they look GREAT !!

Beware of weedguards - sometimes ... they can be 'fishguards' . Better to lose the odd bug , rather than the 12 lber. that takes the bug

BTW - the looser the pack , the lower the bug sits in the film - the lower in the film , the more shock waves they put out .

David

**Bill Kiene semi-retired** · 06-09-2006, 09:21 PM

When Andy and I fished with Captain Kevin Doran in the Delta a few weeks ago we fished his swimming hair bugs like these Chris V tied.

I have to confess before that day I never used weed guards so I always cast very close to structure, but never on it or in it.

With Kevin we cast right into the vegetation where the bass were hiding.

For commercially tied patterns Kevin like the Umpqua 'Swimming Frogs' and 'Swimming Baitfish' in size #2 which is the largest they make. He likes even bigger hooks at times and likes 30# Mason for his single weed guards.

He says to really pack your deer hair tight so your hair bugs will float longer.

Adam,
Those double weed guard look pretty cool to me.

I think we are using the pointed front swimming hair bugs because we are swimming these things and not 'popping and stopping'. Kevin likes to swim them along with a continual twitch.

**Hairstacker** · 06-09-2006, 10:46 PM

Chris, I think your flies look GREAT too. I know folks have different preferences on how tightly they like the heads packed. A lot of folks like them packed really tightly because, as Bill noted, they do float longer. They also sit higher, and I believe they sell much better commercially when they're packed REALLY tightly, as many folks equate "really tightly packed" with quality.

That said, I agree with David's comment that less tightly packed ones will sit lower in the surface and will push much more water when retrieved rather than skipping across it like a skipped stone. For this reason, I prefer my Tap's Bug's (and particularly the heads) are only packed so so. That way, when I give them good hard strips, they are just as likely to push water or dive slightly, as they are to skip across the surface like a skipped stone. If I notice a newly tied-on bug skipping across the surface exclusively, then I actually look forward to it taking on a bit of water so it will quit doing this as much.

**mikenewman** · 06-10-2006, 06:55 AM

Mike
You catch far too many bass with your bugs for me to say you are wrong but here's why I think you are not right

A tightly packed head will push more water than a loose one - cork will push more than sponge.
The bug needs to sit down and back in the water and I believe this should be achieved via the proportions of the head to the hook ie the weight of the rear of the hook should act as a keel so that that the face of the back is pointing slightly upwards when at rest.
In my experience commercially tyed bugs are actually far too loosely packed 'cos tight packing is more costly in terms of time and materials.
I pack as tight as I can because I believe a loosely packed bug will quickly become too waterlogged for the action I'm seeking and yes tight = longer lasting.(and I've never had a problem with a skipping bug after the first cast)
David, as far as weedguards are concerned the purpose isn't to safeguard the the bug from loss but to allow me to cast it into and beyond snags and then work it through - isn't that where the 12lber is more likely to be hiding?
Chris, at the end of the day everybody catches more if they fish the fly they have most confidence in - experiment and make up ypur own mind

I can see the 22nd will now have 2 lunchtime seminars and a bug shootout

Mike