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Winter Lake 2

Swap 
13K views 154 replies 16 participants last post by  Irafly 
#1 ·
It is time for another Winter Lake Swap. The last swap produced some incredible flies. I myself have some new patterns that have produced exceptionally well.

10 or 12 tiers depending on the interest. Tie two of the same pattern or two patterns. Due by Dec 20th. I might be able to get them out by Christmas then.

1. Irafly I'll be getting jiggy with it! DONE
2. McNasty DONE
3. Jim Wallace Stocker Clocker DONE
4. Zen Leecher DONE
5. Troutpocket DONE
6. Gary Knowles 6 Pack Soft Hackle DONE
7. Patrick Gould DONE
8. Travis Bille DONE
9. Bakerite Floating Dragon Nymph DONE
10. Ron McNeal Chironomid DONE
11. Maryfish DONE
12. Jeff Dodd DONE
 
#125 ·
I've taken all the photos, now I just need to upload them but I can't find the upload cord. I plan on fishing tomorrow and Saturday and I plan to try to use swap flies exclusively. My goal is to take as many photos I can with swap flies in fishes mouths. I may not find any willing fish for the dries, but if it comes to that I'll try.
 
#127 ·
That fugly bugger I tied is called the NSC, so I don't have to say Narwhalsawzall Stocker Clocker. Its good for dragging around the lake on a clear intermediate line. The original was tied just like those, but with natural furnace hackle. I ran out of that, so I substituted olive-dyed Badger. Also, I wound about 5 wraps of lead wire under the body on these, since the gold bead i used on these was on the smaller side. When I use the next size up bead, I can eliminate the lead wraps. I ran out of the #8 hooks I was using, so I had to cheat and tie a couple of 'em up in size 6.

The magnum Griffith's Gnat is tied on a very light wire #14 hook. If you apply floatant to the entire fly, it'll skate lightly over the surface. Heck, with one of these tied on, you can maybe stand on the upwind shore of a lake on a breezy day and try some of that dapping-in-the-wind stuff. *(Don't worry, no one could righteously accuse you of practicing Tenkara! No way. Unless you use a Tenkara rod!)

If you can manage to apply floatant to just the top half of the fly, it settles better in the water like a struggling gnat. Or at least that's what they tell me. I can't seem to apply floatant on only the top half.;)
 
#135 ·
So I did fish several of the patterns out at Pass on Friday but I only ended up hooking fish on Jeff's Spider (although the wings kept wrapping around the hook bend so I had to cut them down), Jim's NSC, troutpocket's jig nymph, and both of my jig flies.

I still can't find the cord to download the swap photos, I may need to buy another.
 
#139 ·
Ira?
Did you try the streamer under an indicator?

As for the wing, I have had that happen to me as well. Sometimes I will put some wood flooring glue at the base of the wings to help support the quill. Head cement will melt the liquid lace body material.

Glad you got out & fished these flies!

I forgot most of my flies in the house, but fishing was very slow. The only fly that landed fish was Ira's jig hook micro leach, maroon with brown tail :) Fished in 2-3 feet of water, a foot under a micro indicator :) Thanks Ira!
 
#140 ·
Ira?
Did you try the streamer under an indicator?

As for the wing, I have had that happen to me as well. Sometimes I will put some wood flooring glue at the base of the wings to help support the quill. Head cement will melt the liquid lace body material.

Glad you got out & fished these flies!

I forgot most of my flies in the house, but fishing was very slow. The only fly that landed fish was Ira's jig hook micro leach, maroon with brown tail :) Fished in 2-3 feet of water, a foot under a micro indicator :) Thanks Ira!
I thought about throwing it under an indicator and I still may as my top fly. Sorry to hear fishing was slow, I think the fish knew this cold front was hitting us before we did and calm blue skies don't help. Once the temps level off I think fishing will pick up again. I'm surprised to hear the fish were in shallow, but I'm happy to hear that my pattern worked for you. Then again you've seen it work before so you already possessed the confidence to give it a good try.
 
#141 ·
After some major issues with the postal service and not receiving a single piece of mail I finally got the flies! All I can say is wow. Fantastic ties, I clearly am not even close to the class of you all. Now the toughest part is figuring out which ones to throw first.

Sent from my SGH-T679 using Tapatalk 2
 
#142 ·
I tried my pattern out at RF and had success. I also tried Ira's, but after losing the first one I decided to keep the other for some spring lake fishing and not risk losing it.

Jeff's streamer is almost to nice to fish. I'm going to have to save it for a situation where there is no chance of losing it.



Thanks for the extra flies Gary. It's a great pattern, I can see fishing them in rivers and still water.
 
#143 ·
No problem Patrick. I figured that if the quality wasn't quite there yet, at least I could provide some quantity.

Ira, you may be interested in the variation: Balanced bead head six pack

All of mine were tied on Allen W502 hooks in size 12. Most sources indicated that the original six pack was tied with only pheasant rump and copper wire. As I was taught and I like them better this way, tie in 6-8 of the longer pheasant tail fibers at the bend. Tie in fine copper wire then wrap pheasant tail forward to about the 80% mark and tie off. Spiral wrap the wire forward and tie off. Strip a pheasant rump feather of the fibers on one side, tie in by tip and wrap forward until all of the fibers have been laid down then tie off. Boom, done. Quick, easy, cheap, and effective.

I fish them on intermediate and type 3 lines. Troll or cast and strip. I haven't hung them under and indicator, but I wouldn't be surprised if it work once in a while. I often pull a beaded leech pattern with the six pack as a dropper 20-24" behind that. Both the natural and yellow work for me. Sometimes I find no difference between the on that day/lake. In some lakes one color almost always out-fishes the other. They are said to be damselfly nymph imitations, but I fish them successfully year round, not just when damsel nymphs are present.

I have had some success with the natural dead drifted and swung in rivers, especially when it is behind a heavier point fly (I think the weight gives it a little more action). I am told that the yellow version in larger sized (2-6) is a very effective lower river SRC fly, although I've never tested this theory out.

Scott Chisholm (scottflycst) taught me how to tie this pattern at my request after he gave me some and I had a couple banner days with it. The pattern was invented as a Carey Special variant first tied by Karl Haufler. The name supposedly comes from the barter system. Karl was using it on a lake to great success while no one else was catching much at all. He then started trading that fly for 6-packs of beer and named it as such.
 
#148 ·
That link gives a nice explanation for why jig-style versions of common stillwater patterns can be so effective. I've been experimenting with jig-style ties for 4-5 years but really started getting good results last year when Ira turned me on to the 60-degree bend hooks and slotted tungsten beads. Before, I was using "fly rod jig hooks" with micro leadheads but didn't like the quality or configuration of the hooks. Now I'm tying and fishing a variety of leech and nymph patterns (including the black nymph I did for the swap) and having really good success.
 
#145 ·
No need for the payment, but PMs about the successes and failures of it would be nice. I also wouldn't be opposed to meeting on the water and you sharing a six pack of knowledge and tips for a new(ish) flyfisher that I am.
 
#147 ·
That is a great link Gary! I just tied some buggers with that style when trying to catch some deep suspended trout at the end of the season over here. I'm going to really be studying indicator fishing as soon as the lakes thaw! The jig hooks look great to Ira. I agree that Jeff's steamer is a great looking tie I will be duplicating!
 
#150 ·
I agree there are so many nice ties I received in this swap. I was in a panic Sunday thinking I lost one of the boxes many of the swap flies were in (Misplaced my entire Chironomid Box for 48 hours). I found it

Thank you for the kind words on the streamer pattern. Anyone can tie it of course and the tutorial below will get your version looking better than mine. If the direct link to the pattern does not work, use the "Flybox" drop down menu and scroll down to Platte River Special. It's one of Charlie Craven's patterns.

The one variation I did was wrap liquid lace, small, over the gold tinsel. I like the effect liquid lace does to the body and it's very durable as compared to tinsel on a bare hook.

Drop down menu to: Platte River Special
http://www.charliesflyboxinc.com/flybox/index.cfm

http://www.uniqueflyfishing.com/

direct link to fly didn't work... Unique Fly Fishing is the link to the liquid lace product.
 
#153 ·
Just an FYI for anyone interested... I was in Avid Angler last week and I purchased both the Umpqua jig hooks as well as the slotted tungsten beads to go along with them.

Nick

I buy the slotted tungsten beads here:
http://www.fishegear.com/servlet/the-912/TUNGSTEN-SLOTTED-FLY-TYING/Detail
I haven't found a local shop that carries them yet.

Avid Angler in Lake Forest Park now carries the Umpqua jig hooks but if that doesn't work for you try:
http://www.bluequillangler.com/Prod...ph-Hook-Barbless-Up-Turned-Point#.UOhREKX5ZSX
http://www.jsflyfishing.com/cgi-bin...4500/Umpqua-C400BL-Barbless-Jig-Fly-Hook.html
 
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