Pink Lightning Bug

[ScottP]

More simple ( but effective) tailwater stuff; been a while since I hit the vise but I jumped right back in (to the kiddie pool). The folks at Headhunters put up a nice vid

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMlc8qo8zj8


hook - Dai Riki 135 #16
thread - Danville 6/0 pink
tail - Congo Hair pink
rib - small wire silver
body - medium tinsel holo pink
thorax - Sow/scud dubbing Bighorn Pink
bead - 3/32 nickel black


Regards,
Scott

[Longs for Cutts]

Alternately:

Hook: Dai-Riki #060 or #135 (#060 if you're getting poor hookups on larger fish) #18
Bead: Nickel brass or metallic pink tungsten, 5/64".
Thread: MFC fluoro hot pink 8/0
Tail: Shell pink Antron.
Abdomen: metallic pink Flashabou doubled around the thread and secured, with both strands of flash wrapped together.
Rib: Red X-small Ultra Wire.
Wingcase: Abdomen tags.
Thorax: strawberry pink DK Dub (70/30 baby pink and hot pink acrylic yarn blended).



With the above recipe, now mostly on the #060 for better hookups albeit fewer strikes, that's my best fly on the Missouri River from late winter through about May 15. Always in #18.

[ScottP]

Can't say I've had problems with hookups on the 135 but, being as you guide on the river, I trust your larger sample size.

Regards,
Scott

[Longs for Cutts]

If you are mostly fishing #16 below Holter, I wouldn't expect there to be any problems. With the largest Land of Giants fish on #18, it has a hard time getting around the ridge of their jaw. Of course that's with clients of wildly varying skill level too, so that's probably part of it. For droppers there, whatever fly it is, I almost always do 2-3X as well with #18 instead of #16. That goes with the assorted firebead scuds and whatnot too. Strangely, I can catch fish on #16 Disco-style midges in pink though.

[whatfly]

Very odd finding. Why would a hook with a smaller gape (#060 v. #135) have better hooking power? My experience is usually the opposite. I tend to adjust hook size to length in relative terms rather than absolutes (i.e. a #18 #060 should be about a #14 #135) but even if we were just comparing #18's across the board, shouldn't a #18 #135 still have a wider gape than a #18 #060?

Oh, and nice tie, Scott, as always, sorry to hijack thread.

[Longs for Cutts]

I think the bead closes the gape enough on the curved-shank hook. Not an issue on 16 or larger, but in the 18 it is noticeable. My other option would be to go to a 1X undersized bead, which I often do on scud hooks, but then I'd lose a little weight, which given I'm often fishing 12-foot leaders and 4 size-BB tin shot there, I need all the help I can get...

Edit: This may be a larger factor on the 3x short scud hooks most companies now sell. I used MFC scud hooks for a while but then shifted back, as MFC's model went to a 3x short rather than 1x short. I'm not sure if that's a #135 or the MFC hook. That pic is from one of my newsletters from a couple years ago and I can't remember what I used.

[ScottP]

sorry to hijack thread.

John,

It's not hijacking when you're adding to the discussion; I really appreciate the input from you and Walter.

Regards,
Scott