'Sticky' flies....

[Buddy Sanders]

I've had great success over the years with 'bushy', 'shaggy', or 'messy' flies. Those tied with dubbing loops and shaggy dubbing blends. Hare's ears and other bushy patterns have been very productive.

Lately one of my 'go-to' patterns has been a simple version of a leech pattern tied with the 'Arizona Semi Seal' dubbing material. It's a long fibered mateial with a bit of flash blendd into it. Simple pattern, basically a copper wire dubbing loop with the dubbing in it wound onto the hook, then teased out and stroked back with a wire brush.

I've caught lots of fish on this pattern: bass, pike, walleye, several species or trout.

I had an interesting 'experience' with this pattern this summer, fishing on a reservoir in SW Colorado that's home to some very large pike, some huge browns and rainbows, and a decent population of smallmouth bass.

I caught a couple of decent bass on my semi seal leech. Then I hooked a trout. I landed it, and found, after landing the fish, that the hook point had broken off. Actually, most of the bend itself was 'gone' from the fly. I either broke it off while unhooking the previous bass or somehow struck it on something that snapped the hook off.

In any event, I was able to land the trout that hit because the tangle of the dubbed Az. Semi Seal had snarled itself in the trouts teeth. Sort of like Velcro.

In the past, I'd noticed that the pattern tangled a bit with the teeth of fish, especially pike, but it was never 'stuck' to the point where it wasn't easy to remove once the hook point was backed out of the fish.

So, what I got to thinking was does this ability to 'stick' or 'velcro' with the teeth (or other sharp or protruding areas) on a fish add to the patterns effectiveness? Do I miss fewer fish because of this? Does this factor cause the fish to be unable to 'let go' as quickly, giving me a better chance to feel the fish and set the hook?

Do other shaggy patterns take advantage of this? Do most dubbing procedures produce at least a bit of this 'velcro' factor?

And, is it 'okay' or 'ethical' to tie a fly that will take advantage of this?

No judgement from me on this. I'm just curious what you all think about the concept.

Good luck!

Buddy

[Micropteris]

I view it as once a fish takes your offering into its mouth you deserve to catch it no matter how it is done. You fooled him into thinking your offering was something to eat you didn't just drag a hook across his back and snag him. I have been keeping my hooks razor sharp this past year and have increased my hookups dramatically. I have noticed with the sharper hooks I am hooking more fish on the edges and just outside the mouth. I think what is happening is the fly is hooking up as the fish tries to spit it out if I am slow on the hook set. I think it may be a similar effect with that bushy fly. It is getting caught up after the fish tries to discharge it and increases your odds of getting him.

If it ain't broke don't fix it

[WarrenP]

Buddy,

Sounds like you have a great fly pattern for gar!

[Goldbead]

Hookless flies!!! The future of FF

Some crazy Flyfishermen actually fish that way!!

[Riverdancer]

Buddy,

That's a VERY cool idea man! I never thought about that, but it's very possibly the reason Puglisi fibers are so popular nowadays. I'm sorry I missed you when you were up here, but I heard about your great trips with Paulito.

[Garic]

Have never heard of this method to catch trout, but I know it used to be used quite extensively in the UK by commercial eel fishers, no hooks, just a mass of frayed rope(I think it was rope anyway)

[pspaint]

Hey Buddy, that's actually kind of a popular idea in my neck of the woods, for steelhead. We use a lot of yarn flies, which tend to get stuck in their teeth and gives you a spilt second longer to set the hook.
I think it's perfectly ethical. By the way, sounds like a nice pattern. Perhaps a steelhead version?

[nighthawk]

Buddy,
Perfectly legal and ethical. Egg yarn patterns for steelhead behave the same way.