Info needed on Carter Nelson Series

[rookie]

I wasn't sure whether to post this under Fly Tying or Warm Water.

Carter Nelson tied a series of six patterns to be used for Bream and Bluegills for Callaway lakes. The six patterns are:
1. Carter's Weighted Rubber Legs
2. Claire's Partridge
3. Carter's SEM Damsel
4. SEM Sculpin
5. Carter's Rubber-Legged Dragon
6. Claire's Daddy

The recipes and discriptions don't suggest any other tying variations such as color, material and sizes. I know I can substitute but I am wondering if anyone has tried these patterns, their success with them and if you have tried any color, material or size variations?

Thanks in advance for any information.

[BigFlatBrook]

Never mind.

[James Smith]

Rookie,

I got to know Carter a bit while he was at Callaway Gardens and when he worked at the Fish Hawk here in Atlanta. He is a agreat guy and a very tallented tyer.

I think you'll find all of the patterns you're looking for at the following website http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns6.asp. The Carter's Sculpin is one of my absolute go-to patterns for winter and early spring fishing here in Georgia. I would guess that I've caught well in excess of 1,000 fish on that one pattern alone. It's great for large bream and crappie as well as LM bass.

I even participated in a fly swap once where I submitted that pattern. I had a guy from Pennsylvania email me later to tell me that he was having one of those fishless days when nothing seemed to work so he tied on the Cater's Sculpin I sent him to give it a try. He ended up catching eight big rainbows before he lost it in a tree.

Good luck.

Jim Smith

[rookie]

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the information. That site is the one I was looking at, but you answered my question. I am not in Pennsylvania but not to far off from it. I wasn't sure if these northern fish would eat good southern cooking. I understand Carter is quite a fine person and innovator of patterns.

By the way, I sure have put my dubbing block to good use. Thank you again for the components.

[James Smith]

Rookie,

Sorry about that, I guess I didn't understand what you were asking for. I find that most patterns work in a wide variety of locations simply because they are very general and represent many different food sources to fish. The Carter's Sculpin for example looks like a small sculpin or perhaps a crayfish when it is work slowly along the bottom. I fish it mid water most of the time and I suspect it looks something like a leech or even a small baitfish. For that reason, I don't worry about geographics too much unless there is a very specific food source that the fish are targeting.

I'm glad that you're enjoying the dubbing twister. I think that dubbing brushes will work very well on most of the Carter Nelson series to give them a little different look. Give it a try and let us know how you do.

p.s. I'm afraid you're going to have to change your handle from rookie since it obviously doesn't apply any longer. Just a thought...

Jim Smith