Hey guys, I’ve been tying a bunch of streamer flies for stripers, but most of the different types of white fibers I try out tend to go transcluscent in the water or gets matted down! I’ve tried Puglisi fibers, Polarfiber, Streamer hair (stays white but gets matted).
I like the idea of the larger profile that puglisi flies have but something that will retain its "whiteness’ and shape while in the water. I’ve also tried bunny strips and those work really well, but looking for other different types of fibers, so if you have any specific brands that you like that don’t lose its color in the water pass me a link or a name if you dont mind!
I havce used Arctic Fox tail and white skunk fur very successfully in that application. You can get these furs from Moscow Hide and Fur at hideandfur.com. I have no affiliation, but they are just great folks to do business with.
I fish a lot of saltwater for stripers in the NE and mostly use deceivers with sparsely dressed bucktail collars and hackle tail. They’re tough to beat, cast well, swim well and catch fish.
EP fibers are also very popular up here too. Angel Hair, Unique Hair and Polar Plus Fibre are popular synthetics. Artic Fox and Yak hair (for big flies) are popular natural materials.
If you want to get a big profile with EP or the other synthetics, with a minimum of material (to prevent matting), you could try a “reverse tie” with the bulk of the material hanging over the eye when you tie it in, flip it back over the tail, fan the material in the profile you want, and use a toothpick to apply small dabs of 5 minute epoxy until it sets up. Rotate it a bit so the epoxy doen’t sag. After the first coat is dry, you can put on some stick-on eyes, and draw gills with a red sharpie. Apply a second coat to seal. This will ensure a fat profile, but will be easier to cast than a lot of material and won’t mat very much. You can add some strands of crystal flash in the with the hair too to give the fly some sparkle and depth, and/or a lateral line of mylar.
You can use a sharpie to darken the back, draw stripes etc too.
Oh, and somewhat off topic, but since you’re using synthetics, there’s a pattern for striped bass up here using those Gamakatsu or Owner hooks used by plastic worm fisherman (shaped sort of like an upside down question mark).
The hook is inverted and the material is reverse tied on the short straight section by the eye so it flows back over the bend completely covering the hook. The fly is practically weedless, and is similar to a bendback or a streamer tied on a keel hook.
I have not used any of the synthetic fibers for streamers yet (I’m about to get some EP 3-D fibers to see how I like them), but could you use these AROUND the bucktail? I mean surround the bucktail with the synthetic fibers to get the bulk of the synthetics while the whiteness of the bucktail comes through them? Like I said, I have no idea because I haven’t used them, but it might be a thought.
Joe
Transcluscency for streamer patterns is good. Baitfish are designed to be able to disappear in plain view under water. When designing flies look at baitfish under water not laying on a dock or beach, totally different appearance.
Other white materials include: hackles, marabou, ostrich, calf tail, silver pheasant, etc…
Hey thanks for all the helpful tips. Yeah I guess for me, I like the solid white color that I can get from bucktails because most of the waters I fish aren’t too clear.
Pere, I will try that method, sounds very promising!
Joe, Haven’t thought about doing that. I guess in theory it would look good, but I wonder would the fly be to bulky to cast? I guess only one way to find out!
Philly, those look like awesome looking flies, but if you put it in the water, I think those fibers might go transcluscent, and thats what I guess, I’m trying to avoid. But overall great looking flies!
Micro, I guess I’ve never been given the chance to look at baitfish underwater. I’ll look for some pix’s
Materials I use instead of deer tail at times for salt water flies
Macroma yarn
Lama hair
Yak hair Great replacement for Polar Bear
craft fur
calf tail
Those two particular fibers actually are white. There is some transcluscence but with the flash blended in they present a pretty realistic profile for shad or bunker.
Jax