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Fly of the Month 2017



December 2017

“Blue Muskie Nymph”

Tied by Bob Machemer

Blue Muskie Nymph


Hook: Orvis 1524 Nymph Hook
Dubbing: Muskrat
Thread: 6/0 Uni-Thread Color doc.blue
Rib: Blue tinsel
Bead: Tungsten 3/16"" Silver

Use an old tooth brush to tease dubbing at the thorax. Wrap tinsel 4 times around the body.






November 2017

“The Black Ghost (Variant)”

Tied by Paul Erdo

Black Ghost


Hook: TMC 300 Size 6
Thread: Black
Head: White Lead Eyes
Tail: Yellow Hackle
Body: Black UNI Stretch
Rib: Silver tinsel
Beard: Yellow Hackle
Wing: White Hackle






October 2017

“The Phonecia Bucktail”

Tied by Rob Paull

PhoneciaBucktail


Hook: Standard Streamer Hook, Size 8
Thread: Black
Tail: Double section of Dark Yellow Wool. Yellow Poly used here Rib: Gold Tinsel
Body: Black Silk, dressed heavy
Wing: White Bucktail
Cheeks: Jungle Cock (optional)

This is a bucktail that originated in the area of the Esopus Creek in the Catskills. It is an adaptation of the Black Ghost streamer. These are great late season fish locators when fished along undercut banks and deadfall.






September 2017

“Compton's Cinnamon Toast Baetis Nymph”

Tied by Kevin Compton

toast


Hook: Hanak H230BL #14-16
Head: 3/32 Gold Tungsten Bead
Thread: FLY DK 80 Brown
Tails: Golden Olive Coq de Leon Fibers
Rib: XFine Copper Wire
Body: Brown-Olive Condor Substitute
Thorax: Jan Siman Peacock Dubbing, Peacock Bronze

The Cinnamon Toast Baetis nymph is a BWO (Blue-Winged Olives) nymph. BWO’s are staples in most if not all rivers. These nymphs are an important food source for trout because of their high number, and multi-broods. The fact that many BWO’s are multi-brood means they are available to trout year round. Baetis are streamlined swimmers, and the nymph pattern should be slender.

For materials visit http://www.performanceflies.com/

For Video instructions: http://flyandfin.blogspot.com or https://www.youtube.com

For more fly fishing content visit: http://flyandfin.blogspot.com/






June 2017

“Denny’s Shiner Minnow”

Tied by Ed Kordyla

Dennys Shiner Minnow


Hook: Size 8-10 2x Long
Thread: Dark Olive
1st Wing: White Bucktail
2nd wing: Olive Krystal Flash
3rd wing: Dark Gray Marabou or Dark Olive
Topping: Pheasant Tail Angel Hair
Eyes: optional

Start thread at the eye of hook. Stack White Bucktail to even tips. Tie in behind hook eye. Bucktail should extend back beyond hook bend about the same length as the hook shank. Cut off excess Bucktail in front of hook eye. Tie in 7 or 8 strands of Krystal Flash. Length should be the same as the length of the Bucktail. Tie in 1 Marabou Feather on top of the Krystal Flash the same length as the rest of the material. Tie in about 8 strands of Angel Hair on top of the Marabou Feather the same length as the other materials. Form head. Whip finish. Eyes can be painted on or glued on if desired.






May 2017

“The Barnes Special Streamer”

Tied by Bart Lombardo

Barnes


Hook: Daiichi 2340 6x long, limerick bend size 6
Thread: Red
Tail: 2 short jungle cock body feathers (I typically don’t tie the pattern with the tail, I don’t notice any reduction in performance without it)
Body: Flat silver tinsel
Ribbing: Oval silver tinsel
Underwing: A small bunch of red buck tail over a very small bunch of white buck tail (your looking for a very sparse underwing)
Wing: 2 yellow hackles flanked by grizzly hackle
Collar: Several turns of white hackle
Head: Red

The Barnes Special is an adaptation of a streamer called the Hurricane. Cecil Lowell Barnes, the fly’s originator, was a guide in the Sebago Lake area in Maine. It was said that he was known to examine the stomach contents of the fish he caught and used this information create the Barnes Special. The Barnes Special is one of the most popular streamers on Grand Lake Stream where I fish for Landlocked Salmon. It is very effective in the spring whether you are trolling in lakes or casting in the river. If you are tying the fly for trolling I would change the hook to a 8x or even a 10x long hook.






April 2017

“South Branch Chub”

Tied by Lou DiGena

The South Branch Chub


Here is a little background information on the South Branch Chub from it's originator, Bob Jacklin.

This little sparsely dressed streamer was developed by me for use on small streams for native brook trout in my home state of New Jersey when I was in high school. I would have like to have called it the Little Brook Trout except there was a fly with that name. The little stream I tied it for was the South Branch of the Raritan River. The upper section of this river had a lot of native brook trout, and they were hard to catch. Unlike other buck tails and streamers, this fly was tied sparse and looked like a small minnow or chub, as there was an abundance of chubs in that section of a river.

I named the fly the South Branch Chub after the river I loved to fish. It wasn't until years later when I was living and guiding in the West Yellowstone area that the fly really caught on. The little fly worked great on small streams for small trout. Tied on a size 10 hook and fished in small streams and ponds this fly is second to none. I then tied the fly on a size 8 hook, still sparse, and used it on the spawning run of browns and rainbows in the upper Madison River in Yellowstone National Park. Since that first evening on the Madison about 18 years ago I have caught many large trout on this little-known fly.

Hook:4X Long Model Perfect Bend, #6, #8, and #10
Thread: 6/0 Black Pre-Waxed
Rib: Fine Gold Wire
Wing: Black and White Monga Ringtail Hair and Barred Teal Flank Feather
Head: Two Jungle Cock Eyes; Black 6/0 Thread






March 2017

“Water Boatman”

Tied by Ed Kordyla

Water Boatman

The Water Boatman is a stillwater pattern for use in ponds and lakes. This fly is designed as a subsurface pattern, so you can weight the fly with wire when you tie it or you can add split shot to your leader.

Cast out and retrieve the fly in 3 or 4 inch strips, as the natural moves through the water in short spurts.


Hook: Size 12 Scud Hook
Shellback: Mottled Olive Thin Skin
Body: White Chenille in rear and Silver Chenille in front
Legs: Black Round Rubber
Hackle: Black


The water boatman does not have gills like most aquatic insects. It comes to the surface to trap an air bubble and uses it to breath underwater while it searches for food. When the air bubble is used up, it returns to the surface for more air. The silver chenile in the front of the fly represents this air bubble.






February 2017

“Bead Head Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail”

Tied by Ed Kordyla

BHSH Pheasant Tail

Hook: Standard Nymph hook, size 16
Thread: 6/0 Black
Rib:Small copper wire
Tail & Body: Pheasant Tail fibers
Thorax: Peacock Herl
Hackle: Brown Speckled Hen Neck
Bead: 3/32 Gold

This beadhead soft hackle pheasant tail is another variation of the pheasant tail nymph. The soft hackle fibers give the fly more movement than the traditional legs. Since mayfly nymphs are in the streams all year long the fly can be fished any time of the year.






January 2017

“Marabou Streamer”

Tied by Ron Ruskai

Marabou Streamer

Hook: TMC 300, size 10-6
Thread: 6/0 Uni black
Tail: Red Hawk fibers
Body: Yellow Dub, Black Dub
Wing: Black over Gray Maribou
Rib: Flat gold tinsel

Tying notes: Use Blood Maribou with thin stems