The Skip Morris Predator

[dixieangler]

Do any of you folks use this Dragonfly Nymph pattern? Does it work for you? Do you fish it on a floating line or sinking line? I have tied one (original pattern, no tail like the natural) and intend on giving it a try (we have size 8 brown/tan colored ones here) but am mainly wondering if it works best on a floating line or on a sinking line. Thanks.

[gerri]

Good Afternoon Robert,
Yes, I fish that fly a lot and have tied them in black sz #8 and #10. I also have tied them in a fluoroscent green. I use WF/F 3wt,4wt and also 5wt fly lines with a leader about 7 ft since blugills and bass don't seem to be leader shy. I LOVE that fly.

[dixieangler]

Thanks, gerri. Well, I put the Skip Morris Predator in the water and it swims okay with the floating line and my 9 foot leader but I didn't get any fish this afternoon on a Damsel nymph (I can almost always count on a fish biting a Damsel nymph on a lake or canal) or the Predator. I tried a lot of different patterns. The LMB (Largemouth Bass) were chasing minnows and I did manage to break in my new 5wt. on a little one pound LMB that went for a #6 minnow crease fly. It was the only fish of the afternoon even though I got a lot of bites on the minnow crease. The wind was very bad after a weather front had moved through last night so the fish were not very cooperative.

[Bluegill222]

The predator as originally tied by Skip Morris has worked well for me. I also use the same technique with thicker foam to tie a shorter bodied floating beetle that works really well also. Apparently a lot of people have stumbled onto this besides me, as Mr. Morris himself did an article in Fly Tyer several issues ago updating his pattern for the same purpose.

[cornmuse]

http://www.flyfishohio.com/Predator.htm this link will take you to tying directions and a bit of information about how I fish the Morrisfoam Predator on stillwaters and creeks. It's a great fly for smallmouth, largemouth and bluegill.

Joe C.

[rrhyne56]

My understanding was that the original intent was to fish it on a sinking line. That being said, I am sure that it works well on a floating line as well.

There are a number of foam and floating flies that could be fished on a sink line for that "sink-and-rise" action.

[dixieangler]

Don't worry I will be giving it a try on my sinking line also . I tied up one of Joe's versions in a size 8 also. Problem is I am not always fishing from my catamaran. A lot of times I go to the little lake at Sun-N-Lake (this lake has no name but it sees a lot of fishing pressure as a residential development community lake with recreational facilities) that is about a five minute drive. But its worth it for a five minute drive. So I am bank, dock, and walk bridge fishing at that lake. Sun-N-Lake may not take too kindly to me putting my cat on that lake but I sure would like to . So far, I've only caught about 4 little LMB and one little Bluegill out of it. I'm beginning to wonder if there are any larger fish in that lake . My results are obviously limited on that lake due to only bank fishing.

[ducksterman]

Do any of you folks use this Dragonfly Nymph pattern? Does it work for you? Do you fish it on a floating line or sinking line? I have tied one (original pattern, no tail like the natural) and intend on giving it a try (we have size 8 brown/tan colored ones here) but am mainly wondering if it works best on a floating line or on a sinking line. Thanks.

Robert, I've been pursuing dragon fly nymphs lately and in answer to your question..it is definitely mainly meant to fish on a sinking line..[and as said above I suppose it will work on a floating line also] ...the idea is though to have these floating dragon fly nymphs fished a little off the bottom.

In case you haven't seen it Skip Morris has an article on just this subject in the Winter 2007 of Flyfishing & Tying Journal..."Morris on Nymphs that float....and he discusses 3 such nymphs..of course one is the Predator.

[dixieangler]

It didn't work so well on my slow full sinking line as it wanted to stay afloat even after the sinking line sunk (and yes I do have a fluorocarbon tippet on). Maybe I ought to get a fast sink tip?