New Personal Best LMB on the fly!

[featherchucker]

Lately I've had a spate of enjoyable bluegill fishing being interupted by some greedy Bass smashing my fish and this resulted in me taking the battle to the Bass. After thinking up a bluegill imitation fly, I tied something vaguely resembling a panfish from peacock sword feather tips and some other add ons. So one more time I'm casting spiders to the gills and Mr Monster Bass smashes my 6 inch gill with fervor. Only this time, I'm READY! On the first bluegill caught I quickly get him to hand and release it ten yards down the bank from the Bass attack. Then I switch flies and cast it only to realize that I had yet to add weight to it or even wet it so it's just sitting there like a newly fallen dry leaf on the pond surface not looking very fish at all. I pulled it in and smacked it on the water surface a few times to soak it and cast it again where the attack occured. WHAM! the big bass strikes and spits the fly. ZING! goes my adrenaline levels at this point and I hurriedly cast again and pay more attention to the fly action which is just below the surface and looking good. I give it some herky-jerky strip and it darts and wobbles and then pause. The fly is made of two right side feathers so it is screwing and twisting in the water which puts a twist in the leader and tippet. I see the extra bonus results when I pause the fly because it is unwinding like a rubber band wound propellor though quite slowly and hopefully seductively to the bass. Sure enough ....WHAM! ... FISH ON!...I've got a fight on my hands how and the line on the bank at my feet quickly zips through my finger and the fish is on the reel. What a bulldog on my line! It only lasted another minute or so and VOILA! my new personal best Largemouth Bass and one big smile. The peacock Bluegill imitator fly is a resounding success. Now I just wonder how long before I turn in my notice to my employer as I've created fly that will make me rich........hmmm.....probably better not quit the day job just yet. lol! Guess I just needed to share some newbie enthusiasm. Now you can see my old and first cheapie fly rig, too. The twice snapped (now thrice and retired) and repaired SA 5 wt with matching graphite SA reel.
I'm happy......he's not!

Me and Mr. Bucketmouth

In my excitement I completely forgot to weigh or even measure the beast before the release......oh well, I know where he lives and we may meet again.

The release.....

......and the fly....I call it the Bluegill Imitator....



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I fish, therefore I swam.

[lee s]

NICE!

[Micropteris]

Great fish and even better looking fly. It looks easy to tie which is an added benefit, most gill patterns are a pain in the *** to tie.

Congrats.

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Who has time for stress when there are fish to catch.
Nick

[featherchucker]

Yep, it's easy to tie. I wanted something dark, flat, a little flashy and kinda big.
The recipe is easily modified.

Hook: 1 or 1/0 or any bass sized hook
Body: I used two left Peacock sword tips
Gill plate: two black hen fans
Eye: guinea spot, trimmed or use jungle cock eyes
Throat: small amount of yellow marabou
Thread: dark would be better than the light color I used

First I stripped the herle side of the sword tips and glued the vanes together nearer the tips and tied them onto the hook point down for keel weighted upright swimming.
tied in the black fans then the throat and eye feathers and finished it off with head cement.

afterthoughts: have changed to dolleyes (bead eyes could help too) and it needs more weight to overcome the bouyancy. Fished in a herky jerky strip and pause motion. The two left sword tips cause the fly to wind the tippet some and the pauses unwind slowly flashing the irridescent feathers to any takers. Casts like a leaf! lol!

[MOturkE]

Featherchucker,

That's a really nice fish! I'll have to get me some peacock swords now. You should submit that fly for the Fly of the Week. It ain't too hard to do as stated in the following quote:

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>We would much rather have Fly of the Week from our readers! It is really not that involved - we need:
1. A paragraph on the fly, where it came from, (is it original?)

2. Materials List

3. Step by step photos and written instructions.

4. How to fish the fly.

Text can be sent as an attachment, or just
cut and paste into the message part of the
email.

Photos should be sent as .jpg or .gif, and sent as an attachment (please take care on focus). Fill the frame with the fly if you can.

If you do not have photo ability, tie the fly in steps and mail it to us and JC will do the photography.

If you want, include a little bio about yourself.

We are always delighted to have the flies from you!

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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>



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There's almost nothin' wrong with the first lie, it's the weight of all the others holdin' it up that gets ya'! - Tim

[dixieangler]

Bluegill Imitator? Either that or Shiner Imitator . Nice Bucketmouth. Great job. I know that had to be a lot of fun. Its always fun to catch a "Hawg" .


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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

"Flip a fly"

[Gardenfish]

what a beast! Nifty fly to. FOTW for sure.

[vermont trout bum]

GREAT FISH!!
I like the fly too!

[white43]

That is . . . one cool fly! And a beautiful bass. We could also get in some "good ol' boy" with that s**t-eatin' grin on that mug, too. JGW

ps: check the swap board, folks. I just laid out a new one. Especially you, Featherchucker!

[This message has been edited by white43 (edited 08 November 2005).]

[This message has been edited by white43 (edited 08 November 2005).]

[Okie_Noodler]

Wow. What a great story! And great photos to boot!

I'm going to tie one of those as soon as i get home. This is by far, one of the best posts i've seen on this site.