Sculpins and others

[mr trout]

I am really wanting to figure out the streamer game for rivers like the Yakima and others that I fish, but I am having an issue thinking of patterns to tie up. What are some of your favorite sculpin patterns? I have been messing with woolheads and bunny type flies, but there has got to be others out there? What other sorts of streamers are you fishing on places like the Yak? I have thought about trying a big MOAL type fly in black or white might be something they dont see everyday. Thoughts? I am also thinking about playing with articulated patterns. Any pros/cons to that?

[pcknshvl]

I like two bunny strip type flies: one is similar to a Zoo Couger, but with a zonker strip as the overwing, instead of duck feather. The other is a cone-head zuddler. In olive, dark olive, brown, black, and tan. Good sculpin patterns.

I also hear that double bunnies have their place on the Yakima, but haven't tied any up yet.

Tom

[Ringlee]

Tie some werid looking stuff up. You never know what might work.
Here is a link for some sculpin patterns that I found when I was looking on the internet before I went to Alaska.
I liked the classic sculpin with a rabbit strip with 2 feathers of your choice for fins and a woolhead.
http://www.alaskaflyfishingonline.com/afb/creatureindex.html
hope this helps!
Chris

[cabezon]

In the Fall 2005 issue of Flyfishing and Flytying Journal, Skip Morris has an article on zonker strip sculpins. Among other patterns, he describes a variation called Skip's sculpin. It uses barbell eyes (fly rides hook up), a white or tan dubbed body, pectoral fins of partidge, red gills, a brown or brown/olive zonker strip for the back and tail, and a covering partidge feather over the "head". I really like the profile of this fly (and I've been studying marine sculpins for 30 years)! I tied up a few this fall and they were very popular among the searun cutts on the Cowlitz. I also picked up a few searuns in the salt on this pattern (and some staghorn sculpins - cannibals - too). My versions were more gray than the olive or brown version that Skip Morris describes. Sculpins (freshwater species at least) are well-known for their ability to blend into their environment. You would want to tie them with materials that match the background color of your target water.

On the Yak, a sculpin-type pattern should be a good match for freshwater sculpins or for young suckers/whitefish or even pikeminnows. However, I haven't tried them there; I have a hard time resisting dry flies when there is the faintest whiff of a hatch or a fish that is looking up.

Steve

[mr trout]

I really like the profile of this fly (and I've been studying marine sculpins for 30 years)!

I have a hard time resisting dry flies when there is the faintest whiff of a hatch or a fish that is looking up.

Steve

Sweet, a sculpin specialist. I just had to memorize a bunch of sculpins for a trawl we did in one of my fisheries classes at UW.

I, too, usually have a problem of doing what I know will work when I fish the Yak. I can consistently fish nymphs and dries, but I am trying to discipline myself enough to learn to fish big streamers for big fish. Not the most exciting fishing, but I have heard from some of my "sources" that the delayed gratification is well worth it when you get into "the one." :beer2:

[John Hicks]

I really like the zoo cougar. very good life in the water and can be fished several ways.

[orkila]

Do you weight your Zoo Cougars?

Orkila

[pcknshvl]

Yes. Lead wraps, but not too far forward so as not in inhibit the hair spin.

[John Hicks]

I do not weight mine. fish them with a sink line and short leader like Kelley Gallup. cast Strip strip strip. cast strip strip strip. Also this pattern is a real killer on the bass and pike. Use a floating line strip wiggle strip wiggle strip looks like a wounded prey trying to get away. Killer take surface smashing jaw dropping.