Giving Thanks.
This Thanksgiving I am actually at home with friends and family rather than fly fishing the Great Lakes tributaries several hours from home. However, the festivities are closing out and the Cowboys just lost. Soon I will be leaving my friends and families and heading to the aforementioned tributaries. I thought it would be a good time to talk about several products that I have been tying with over the past few months that have really added some great effects to my fly patterns.
The first product is Bug Bond. This has taken the tying world by storm this past year and I have found it a very appealing alternative to the Loon products I was using. Bug Bond dries completely without any sticky residue with a quick few seconds of their UV Torch. It is also very useful for layering and building bodies on saltwater patterns. The torch is top notch and it cures Loon's UV products much better than the various Loon torches that I have used in the past.
Bug Bond and a Bug Bond UV Torch.
Loon UV Products.
The second product is several fish eyes from Richard Johnson of Kustom Flyz and the Pike Flies Blog. Often when fishing streamers or baitfish imitations the targeted fish will follow your fly before inhaling it. Often, they turn away at the last moment leaving you heart broken. This is when it pays off to be using eyes on all your patterns. The eyes will be a triggering mechanism that elicits a predatory response from your targeted species. Richard's eyes are incredibly realistic especially his Realistic Flyz Eyez.
Large Saltwater Eyes.
Rich's Bread and Butter and My Favorite Fish Eye.
Green and Purple Versions.
A Unique Eye.
An Awesome Tear Drop Eye.
More Unique Realistic Eyes from Kustom Flyz out of the UK.
The next few tying materials are the brainchild of Greg Senyo, an Orvis endorsed Guide and tier from Steelhead Alley Outfitters. They are Senyo's Laser Dub and Senyo's Shaggy Dub. Over the past year I have been incorporating UV and UV resistant materials into all of my flies. Research has shown, that UV materials are seen better by fish, especially in low light conditions. Senyo's Laser Dub works well tying nymphs and all manner of streamers and tube flies. I find it very useful in building heads on my streamers and tying Senyo's Ice Man Minnows. His Shaggy Dub is a rubber material that is UV resistant and will not breakdown or fade over time like most rubber currently out there. I have found it extremely useful on my articulated streamers. The rubber comes long which is perfect for tying because you can always trim it to your desired length. Left alone and long the material pulsates in the current and provides a larger profile for swung flies.
An Articulated Streamer Incorporating Senyo's Shaggy & Laser Dub.
Realistic Eyes Seal the Deal.
Articulated Black Streamer With Shaggy Dub Body and Laser Dub Head.
Brown & Rust Version.
A Non-articulated Sculpin Pattern w/ Realistic Eyes.
Olive Version.
Olive Realistic Flyz Eyez.
Heavily Influenced By Kelly Galloup and Nick Granato.
Small and Large.
Standard Ice Dub Works Well Combined With Laser Dub.
My Stinger Missile With a Shaggy Dub Head.
Another Olive Version.
Bonefish Minnows With Bug Bond Body and Eyes From Kustom Flyz.
Bonefish Minnows With the Unique Plated Eyes From Richard Johnson.
A Different Angle.
A Mini Scott Sanchez Double Bunny Using Senyo's Laser Dub and Realistic Eyes.
Gray Over White.
Brown Over Yellow.
Four Inch Long Mullet Pattern With Large Eyes from Kustom Flyz.
Close Up.
Awaiting Further Testing.
Another great product comes from D's Flies. It is called UV Chewee Skin. It works well building bodies on caddis larva, stoneflies, and san juan worms.
Weighted Tungsten Caddis Larva With UV Chewee Skin and Senyo's Laser and Shaggy Dub.
Swimming Version and a Grub.
Side View.
Senyo's Ice Man Minnow w/ Kustom Flyz Realistic Fish Eyes and Bug Bond.
Orange and Rust Version.
The next few flies come from my partner in crime, Adam Hope. Adam and I are very different fly tiers. He is a perfectionist that is known to spend an hour or more on single patterns. He is also a fan of incorporating materials from the Bass fishing world. He likes to work in jig heads, rattles, and bass fishing skirts. He also has been known to fashion his own weighted heads. The following are a sampler of some of his streamers he used this past weekend to slay a few steelhead on the swing.
This Bad Boy is Heavily Weighted With Spey Plumes For Added Action.
A Lot of Pheasant Butt in This One.
Articulated.
This Fly Kicked Butt.
Proven.
An Absolute Monstrosity.
Upside Down.
Bass Skirt.
Custom Built Weight.
Also, if you are looking for a new rod or gift for the holidays be sure to check out the latest and greatest from Sage: The Sage TXL-F. These are perfect for the small stream waters in the Mid-Atlantic area. Here is the press release:
"November 22, 2010 (San Francisco, CA): Since 1985, Sage has endeavored on perfecting performance by handcrafting fly rods in Bainbridge Island, Washington. This year, Sage’s master rod builder, Jerry Siem, has developed a new series of dedicated small stream fly rods named TXL-F. This latest rod offering provides big rod performance in a small package.
Celebrate small stream fishing: Ultra-light rods in general have a reputation for being "noodly". Not so with the TXL-F, which responds to the same casting stroke that efficiently loads and unloads Sage's high-performing, fast- action rods. Now an angler can play “small ball” on tight trout streams without sacrificing performance.
Bottom Line on TXL-F: The ultimate small-stream performance fly rod. Adds a new level of enjoyment when fishing creeks and tighter streams. Makes every cast fun and small fish feel big."
Celebrate small stream fishing: Ultra-light rods in general have a reputation for being "noodly". Not so with the TXL-F, which responds to the same casting stroke that efficiently loads and unloads Sage's high-performing, fast- action rods. Now an angler can play “small ball” on tight trout streams without sacrificing performance.
Bottom Line on TXL-F: The ultimate small-stream performance fly rod. Adds a new level of enjoyment when fishing creeks and tighter streams. Makes every cast fun and small fish feel big."