I usually make them as I need them.
The ingredients are:
- A number 8, 10 or 12 hook -I used a down eye Mustad wet nymph hook (3399) for this one because it is what I had on hand. A straight-eyed, streamer hook is better.
- Tying thread: Black Uni-thread 6.0
- Body: 4 inches of French tinsel for ribbing, 6 inches of Uni-yarn 2x Fluorescent - orange, Chartreuse or Chinese Red. Other colours work but these are my favourites.
- Lead eyes or beaded chain eyes. I like the lead eyes early for high water but go to bead eyes when the water lowers and slows. Bead is much easier to cast than lead.
Place the hook in your vise and attach the thread just above the point.-
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Attach the uni-yarn, leaving a tail as long as the hook-gap is wide.Attach the tinsel ribbing
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Wind the tying thread forward and using a figure-eight wind, attach the lead eye well back from the eye of the hook. Leave lots of room to tie off materials and form the head.-
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Wind the uni-yarn forward forming the body and cover the eye attachment area ending just in front of the lead eyes. Tie the uni-yarn off here with a half-hitch. Let the bobbin dangle and wind the tinsel ribbing on - four or five wraps will do it. This is for you and other fishermen, not the fish. You don't want your hand tied fly to look too easy or everyone will give up golf and take up fishing.-
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Bring the ribbing in a figure eight around the eyes. Tie off uni-yarn and ribbing forming a small head with the tying thread. Whip finish and place a drop of head cement on the final knot.-
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Put a tiny drop of head cement on the "X" where the thread and tinsel cross the lead eyes for a bit more durability. This will also hold the eyes from twisting on the shaft and altering the hook-up drift.
That is all there is to it. It takes longer to read this than do it.
Funny you posted this as I just finished tying 2 green, 1 orange and one purple shad flies. I hear that green are working quite well this year, but that can change from day to day.
ReplyDeletehttp://singlebarbed.com/2008/05/12/alosa-sapidissima-where-art-thou/
ReplyDeleteCheck out this for some shad flies.
RP
Its a good day for tying, the weather is lousy. If it clears at all I'm going to head out for a flick this evening.
ReplyDeleteWish my camera had a better macro setting I'd post more how to's, Brad.
Hey RP,
That article is great. Thanks.
Cheers,
Steve
I have a Micro setting I will post a step by step on my blog , would love too know if you can catch in your rivers with it if you tied one up . Oh and for a change the weather as been good over here for the last week or so .
ReplyDeleteTight lines Tony
I like the simplicity of this fly. Nice.
ReplyDeleteHey Tony,
ReplyDeleteI'll look for the step-by-step.
Maybe if anyone is interested we can organize a fly-swap among the readers here. It would be interesting to try flies from away on local fish.
cheers,
Steve
Mr Anchovy has an interesting post at his place about Slate Run, Pennsylvania.
ReplyDeleteSouthern Ontario Fly Fisher - Mister Anchovy's fly fishing journal
I've always wanted to fish some of those classic American streams.
That's some serious lead for a fly that size, friend Steve - is that due to the type of water you're fishing (fast and deep) or are the lead eyes chosen more for the effect on the finished fly - i.e. it's part of the pattern?
ReplyDeleteHello kbarton10,
ReplyDeleteYou said,
"That's some serious lead for a fly that size, friend Steve"
Yes, it is a lot of lead - usually I use small, chain bead. However, it has been raining off and on for a couple of days and the river, which is normally quite tranquil, is now up about two feet, running fast and very dirty.
I fished with that fly last night and still had to add another split shot about six inches above it to get it down into the zone where the fish were. Had some luck. The strikes were aggressive and the fish well hooked in the upper mouth but it was harder fishing than usual for Shad.
All of the fish Brad and I caught last night were small males, no sign of the big females at all.
They probably had the good sense to find a quiet spot to lay up.
Great Blog!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be fishing the Shubie for the first time Wednesday on my way through to Keji for some brookies. I'll be tying some flies tonight!
Cheers!
Hello, thanks for stopping by acosi151.
ReplyDeleteThe water is so high and dirty after this rain you'll need a lot of weight to get down to the shad.
Trout fishing should be perfect in Kedji about now though. Let us know how you make out O.K.?
If the weather gets a bit nicer tomorrow I might head out to my camp that is in that area- depending on your report - otherwise I might just dart out for a couple hours of Elmsdale Shad fishin'.
Cheers,
Steve