Small Zoo Cougar

[SteveW]

Guys and Gals,

I have a small stream full of 12 inch smallmouth that are waiting for my 3 weight and a good sculpin pattern. However, my tying skills at spinning deer hair is way less than perfect. I would be willing to purchase some small zoo cougars, if someone would be willing to tie them for me. Small being size 8-10.

Thanks

[ScottP]

Practice makes perfect and 12" smallies don't care.

Regards,
Scott

ps - zoo cougars are a PITA, but they do work

[Mark Vendon]

Hi SteveW,

Don't even bother with deer hair type patterns. Like ScottP wrote, most stream smallies don't care. Depending on what tying stuff you have, weighted woolly buggers, woolly buggers with rubber legs here and there, large weighted long nymphs sizes 6,8, or 10. Clouser type patterns if you have any bucktail or synthetic hair with some Krystal flash or Flashabou. That's just subsurface. If you have foam, rubber legs, and just about any type of hackle, you can make easy surface patterns too. There's tons of options since they just aren't that picky and tend to like good sized patterns.

Regards,
Mark

[JohnScott]

I don't fish for smallmouth bass, but I do believe some of the BB members who do have used the P.S.C. and have done well. From what Scott and Mark said above, this fly will probably do it for you, and it won't challenge your fly tying skills, either.

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/fotw...tw20090921.php

John

[ScottP]

Hey, I don't want to dissuade Steve from tying those suckers; he should learn how and even ugly Z-Cs are effective. Having said that, the PSC (or Slumpbuster) is a heck of a lot easier, easier than a bugger even, and a real, real good fly, to boot. Me? I'd fish topwater.

Regards,
Scott

[Uncle Jesse]

The Goober Bug is very easy to tye and Warren told me he had some success with bass on it. I tried it with bream this weekend and except for the size (too big) they loved it. I had one run off with it that was only about twice as long as the fly. The Goober Bug is the 3 on the left, the other is a hellagramite pattern.
Goober bug 2.jpg

[SteveW]

Thanks for the ideas, I will get to the vise and try some. I will let you know how it goes

[Steven]

If it's spinning the deer body hair that's the problem, sculpin wool should work as an alternative.