Crappies like these!

[FishnDave]

I thought these looked good, but you never really know if the fish are going to like them until you hit the water. Well, the jury is in! Crappies DO like these things!!





Close-up:

[Rick Z]

tying instructions?

Rick

[mickalo]

looks like a variation of Punisher's "Float & Fly" jig w/Mylar and some marabou or craft fur ... possibly? Not actual a jig though. But I know they work around my neck of the woods, using a "Float & Fly" method.

Mike

[FishnDave]

tying instructions?

Rick

Materials:
Hook - I use a size 8 long-shank streamer hook for crappies, size 10 for bluegills.
Tail - marabou
Body - medium diameter mylar tubing (pearl, silver, or silver holographic)
Eyes - 3D eyes
Overcoat - Loon Hard Head
Weight (optional) - lead tape cut to shape, or lead wire around hook shank

Tying Instructions:
1. Prepare the hook with lead wire or lead tape as desired. Start your thread.

2. Tie the marabou tail on the hook shank near the bend.

3. Work your thread up to near the hook eye. Cut a length of mylar tubing about 1/4" longer than the hook length.

4. Slide an open end of the mylar tubing over the hook eye, and push just past the thread. Do a loose wrap of thread around the tubing, as close to the hook eye as you can get. Do a second loose wrap, and slowly tighten . The mylar will snug down to the hook shank, and make 3 more tight wraps. I like to add a drop of Softex or other glue to these thread wraps.

5. Wind your thread back to the hook bend. Push the mylar tubing back over itself, so it "inverts" over the hook. This results in a more rounded "nose" shape.

6. Tie off the tubing by starting with a couple of loose wraps, tightening, and then makeing 3 more tight wraps, and whip finish. Cut thread, and spread a drop of glue over these thread wraps.

7. I stick on the 3D eyes, color the fly as desired with permanent Sharpies. I then cover the eyes and entire mylar body with Loon Hard Head.

8. If the loose ends of the mylar at the rear of the fly are to long, simply trim with scissors. Be careful not to cut the marabou.


--An alternative to using lead wire or lead tape for weight, is to tie this on behind a bead head.


What you want is a fly that will sink to the level the crappies are, or just above...and then use a slow jerky "stop-and-go" retrieve.

[mickalo]

excellent instructions. thanks Dave. Gonna give this one a try

Mike

[Fred in KY]

Thanks Dave!!! That is some very good work.

[Big Bad Wulff]

Very nice indeed.

[SKershaw]

Dave,

What do you call it? FOTW for sure!!!

[Eric-WD]

I agree take a few pictures while tying one and submit it for fly of the week. This one is too good to disappear in a few weeks with this thread.

Eric

[Thwack]

I tied something real similar a couple years back for a fly swap. Great looking flies!

Sometimes, the mylar tubing doesn't want to turn inside out after tying it onto the hook. I figured out that the eraser end of a pencil would fit nicely into the size mylar tubing I was using and would make it a LOT easier to push the mylar onto the fly after tying in the head.

I usually leave the mylar tubing long after tying off near the bend of the hook hook. Then use the bodkin to unweave the tubing that's behind the tie-off point. It gives the tail more flash (just an alternative to trimming it short and leaving the tail as only marabou).

I worried that the hollow body would hold too much air and lay on its side in the water. I figured next time I tie some, I'll put a little weight on the top of the hook to make them ride clouser-style.

I was thinking of tying some small ones on 3x hooks and coloring a big orange spot under the front (to look like a alevin). I have a couple small clousers with a blob of orange on them to look like alevins but it might be just as easy to adapt this pattern (it's spawning season so alevins seem like a good match-the-hatch pattern).

Thanks for sharing your flies!