Three minutes to tie - what do you choose?

[Clarkman]

Wow, that didn't take long at all to tie this bucktail game changer...

j/k

 

[NRC]

if that first number were hours, that’d be about right for me

 

[Phil Fravel]

San Juan worm. Its the only fly I can tie in 3 minutes

 

[Clarkman]

It's funny, I actually started timing the last musky fly I tied, and I just got the rattle on the rear hook and not much else in 3 minutes.

 

[SilverFly]

I know for a fact that one produces

It's produced some surprises. A few years back I got tired of watching @Randall Clark putting on a rockfish clinic at BV Jetty, while I was gettting blanked on anchovy patterns. In desperation I downsized to a #8 krystal krill thinking the smaller rockfish might like it. Or maybe pick up a perch, greenling, herring ... anything. A few casts later hatchery coho was on the menu!

 

[Clarkman]

It's produced some surprises. A few years back I got tired of watching @Randall Clark putting on a rockfish clinic at BV Jetty, while I was gettting blanked on anchovy patterns. In desperation I downsized to a #8 krystal krill thinking the smaller rockfish might like it. Or maybe pick up a perch, greenling, herring ... anything. A few casts later hatchery coho was on the menu!

View attachment 232025

that was soooo awesome! "I got one"....."wait, this doesn't feel like a rockfish should..."

 

[SilverFly]

that was soooo awesome! "I got one"....."wait, this doesn't feel like a rockfish should..."

Couldn't believe it when it peeled some line and could see silver flashing in the depths. Still need to get my jetty rockfish game dialed though. Maybe I can talk you into a tutoring session at BV this summer.

Anyway, as a segue to get this thread back on track, the reason I came up with this pattern in the first place was precisely because I needed something quick and dirty when scrambling before a tuna trip. Checked my jetty box and it only had a few old/rusty flies. I literally needed some 3 minute patterns that weren't bait fish imitations sized for tuna. The quickest appropriate tie I could think of was a super-simple krill pattern I use for estuary steelhead and coho. Butt-ugly, yet effective. So I did a slightly better looking reboot by losing the marabou and adding a sparse krystal flash hackle.

Fun thread. Hope to see some more spontaneous 3 minute creations posted.

 

[Clarkman]

Guy, I wouldn't say I'm an expert by any stretch. I usually do ok, with the exception of the last couple of times I've fished it.

As far as legit 3 minute ties, I'd say my best true 3 minute tie would be a simple clouser. They just flat out work...for a lot of things. Although I like to tie them with a couple of saddle hackles in there for a little bit more action.

 

[flybill]

I would grab a beer or whisk(e)y, light up a cigar and watch your fools tie.. then I'll just go to one of my 20 fly boxes and find something close...

 

[holtad]

I'll have to try this. I think 3 min is usually the time it takes me just to find the right sized hook a my tying station.

 

[Nick Clayton]

I would definitely go with one of these. I've never timed myself tying one but I'd bet money I could crank one out in about 2 minutes

 

[NRC]

The crappy imitations are starting to roll out

 

[wanative]

My shoes if I can find them.

 

[mickeyrat]

I would definitely go with one of these. I've never timed myself tying one but I'd bet money I could crank one out in about 2 minutes

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Silver Surfer for the win! IMHO. It's been my go to lately.

 

[Zak]

Three minutes plus or minus ten seconds: