Buffy the Striper Slayer
There are dozens if not hundreds of baitfish imitations out there.
One major problem I have seen in their design is that they are
lacking in a large profile and if they do have a large profile it usually
required half a chicken in doing so! As fly tyers we are very fortunate
today to have a vast amount of synthetic and natural materials to
experiment with. Some people feel that flies made with all natural
materials are superior to those made with synthetics and vice versa.
In my experiences I have found that a combination of both natural
and synthetic materials creates flies with the best profile, silhouette,
coloration, action and castability. Finding out which natural materials
blend readily with synthetics takes time and experimentation but adds
to the fun of creating your own flies.
A few years ago I met Rich Murphy of Umpqua Feather Merchants.
His patterns evolved around a synthetic pearly mylar tubing called
EZ body braid. By implementing a ‘spreader’ he designed flies with
huge profiles without added bulk. Over the past couple years I have
played with spreaders and have come up with my own creations.
I am absolutely sold on spreaders now and believe that used in
conjunction with the right materials that you will not be able to
beat the profile, cast ability, and life-like action that these style
flies produce.
Most of my baitfish patterns tyed with spreaders are tied with Success
Flies Kinky Fiber or Natural Yak hair. Both of these materials will
not retain water and used in conjunction with a spreader you can
create a very large profile with very little material. Natural Yak-hair
also has a light cream translucent hue that when used along with
neutral polar flash and crystal flash creates the sides of just about
any baitfish out there. Some of the Yak I use is hard to come by
due to its fine silky feel and finer diameter, Kinky Fiber seems to
fill this void and is readily available. You can match the intended
baitfish by starting your patterns with this formula and adding different
layers of colorations and flash on top. The flies are relatively easy
to tie and are fairly foul proof. One thing you must do is choose a
hook with a short shank and large gap. Trey Combs Big Game hooks
are my chosen weapons but they are pricey. Live eel hooks can be
substituted but just make sure you bend the offset inline with the shank.
I chose Kinky Fiber to tie this particular Buffy due to it’s readily
availableness. This fly has been extremely effective for me and
others I have tied it for. It works great in the outer surf where a
larger fly is more readily seen than an epoxy or clouser. I hope
you give this fly a try and that it helps you slay a few bass.
Materials
Hook: Trey Combs Big Game Hook. Size 2/0-8/0.
Thread: Larva Lace clear nylon thread.
Tail: Light pink bucktail. 3 strands of light pink crystal flash.
Spreader: Spreader: Light pink corsair tubing.
Belly: White craft fur or Polar Fiber extended beyond bend.
Lower Wing: Fine natural yak hair or Success Flies Kinky Fiber.
Mid Wing: Lavender Craft Fur or Polar Fiber.
Upper Wing: Olive Craft Fur topped with longer olive Streamer Hair.
Mid Body Flash: Neutral Polar Flash, Neutral crystal flash.
Upper Body Flash: 3 strands of light purple crystal flash.
Topping: Peacock Rainbow thread or natural peacock swords.
Upper topping: Black Angel hair.
Gill Effect: Hot Pink Diamond hair.
Eyes: silver mylar covered with clear epoxy or goop.
Originally published December 11, 2000 on Fly Anglers Online by Jeff Smith.