These may not be very pretty but if they catch fish, I’ll work on the pretty with the next batch.
What do you all think?
Introducing the hairy weenie.
Jeff
Is this the source of the unidentified fly tying material used in the “hairy weenie” series of flies?
Yes, those are the legs from “Kush balls”.
I apologize for not identifying it. I wasn’t trying to be secretive, it was late when I posted.
The “ingredients” are
a “twist” of lead wire tied to the underside of the hook shank (hopefully to balance it out)
Hackle (I used soft hen hackle on some and stiffer rooster hackle on some to see what looked best and what will look best in the water - I think the soft hackle may be the ticket).
A “Kush ball” leg tied to the top of the hook shank. (and my half hearted attempt to “segment” it).
I tied a couple styles, one where I tied the “leg” on the hook shank first and then palmered the hackle over it. Another style is where I palmered the hackle from the eye back to the hook bend and then tied the leg over the hackle.
My thinking on the method where the hackle went first and the rubber went over it was to make it looke like some kind of worm that has a lot of legs.
The hackle palmered over the body, I’m not really sure what that is supposed to be. Just something that looks like it may be tasty to a fish.
Again guys and gals, I wasn’t trying to be coy. If these things work I’ll let you all know and I hope it gives you all some ideas for a fly that is VERY easy to tie and I hope you all tie a bunch of them and catch a bunch of fish on the “hairy weenie”.
Jeff
Jeff,
A fishy looking fly. How does that tail hold up to brim?
mAngler,
I’m impressed. A very perceptive identification of the “mystery material.” You are a veritable Sherlock Holmes. 
8T
Jeff -
If they don’t catch fish, you might want to work on “pretty.”
If they do catch fish, why bother ??
John
If my fishing buddy asks me, “What fly are you using?” …I don’t know if I can answer with a straight face! I can hear his response now…“A…WHAT??” :lol:
8T,
I’m not sure yet. I hope to find out this evening. My initial “stress tests” of the material show it can stretch out to about 5X or better of it’s original size with no issues. I pulled one to see how far it would stretch before it broke and I got it to about 10X it’s original length and I started wondering how much it would hurt when it snapped back on my fingers so I didn’t press it any more.
I do wonder how it will hold up to their sandpaper like teeth. Given that a single kush ball has enough material for a near lifetime supply and they take about 3 minutes to tie, even if it only lasts for a dozen fish, I don’t think I would run out of materials and no big loss if they tear up.
As for the name, I thought you guys would like that. I thought it kind of looked like saussage links, thus the name “Hairy Weenie”.
If we don’t get another serious thunderstorm tonight, I’ll hit the pond with them and see if the bluegill like them as much as I do.
Jeff
Thanks, I’ve been wondering how to use that stuff…it seems to have such an intrinsic motion it ought to be good:cool:.
What size hooks do you like?
dirty worm - just lash a strand to a hook. it’s a killa.
Well, there goes another sekret “fly tying” material 
You can get the balls at dollar stores and there is no need for niceties so just thread a hook through it and fish. Forget gills, they are deadly for trout.
Dave, that’s nothing!!
Currently, not being in “the best of health”, you should have seen my condition when Jeff sent me an email, concerning this “new fly” of his and he started it off, with…
“Hi, Paul! Thought you’d like to see some pictures of my…”
Took me an HOUR to clean the coffee off the screen and another hour to get my heart beating again.
:lol::lol::lol::lol:
Paul,
Always glad to be of service.
Hook Size: Well, I’ve tied in 8, 10, and 12 streamer hook sizes so far.
I think the 10 seems to be the best size for the koosh balls I have right now.
As for the fly name, I’m happy to see it’s meeting with universal approval.
Jeff
Hi Jeff,
I think the softer hen hackle will be the way to go with these. The movement they create will be a great attraction. I think you’re on to a good idea. Well done.
- Jeff
I took a couple hairy weenies to the lake tonight. I only had an hour or so to fish but wanted to test them out.
-
they work! In the short time I was there, 4 bluegill (biggest one about 7") and one bass (not big).
-
the soft hackle looks really good in the water. It moves just like legs on some kind of bug.
One of the bluegill came from about 10’ away and just hammered it. The bass really nailed it too. I saw it swimming around the branches of a fallen tree and cast about 8 or 9 feet in front of him. As I started a slow retrieve, the bass charged like it had after burners on and whacked it pretty hard. I almost lost him because his momentum nearly took him into the tangle of branches.
I think a little tuft of maribu on the tail will make these things a killer.
Jeff
Very interesting idea!
I found a source of the material in my kids’ toy room!
I tried to tie some of that stuff to a hook. It is NOT easy!
After a few failed attempts, I slipped one on a thread-covered hook, and tied it on at the head. Looks ok.
Then, like one of the suggestions here, I simply threaded on on the hook, with no thread at all. That looks good too.
I can’t wait to present this…uh… “bare weenie”… to some bluegills. Its very stretchy and should be hard to tear off the hook. I’ll post results after field-testing.
I found the trick to tying it on the hook to be like this:
- cover the hook with thread,
- palmer hackle from the eye back to the bend
- scissors to trim the hackle sticking up (away from the bend) pretty much level with the hook shank.
- lay the weenie on the hook (had to go there) and make a couple very loose wraps at the tail.
Hold the weenie in place on the hook and GENTLY tighten the wraps. Not too much or it’ll slip around the hook.
Now, here’s the trick.
Lift the loose end of the weenie off the hook and make open spiral wraps through the hackle to the next segment point.
Lay the loose end of the weenie over the hook and make a couple very loose wraps for the segment. Once you have a couple wraps, gently tighten them up (pull on the bobbin) while holding the weenie in place.
Repeat as many times as you want segments. Wrap a few more at the head end, whip finish and you have yourself a
hairy weenie.
It took several attempts of trial and error before I got them looking like anything more than a mess of rubber and feathers globbed on a hook, but once I started tying like above, the hairy weenies started coming out much better.
Hope this helps.
Jeff
Back at the first of this year, I sent some nice guy an extra Thompson A vise I had lying around, along with a bobbin,bodkin, I think and some Dr.Slick scissors.
He was fairly new to FAOL and the BB and was asking some questions about vises and tools, etc. because he’d decided to “MAYBE TRY”, fly tying, to “see if he liked it or not”.
He was going to take a beginner’s class, then if he liked it… go on from there, he posted. At that time, he didn’t know the difference between a “bodkin” and a “bobsled”. But, he said, he wanted to learn.
About 5 months, later now, I guess is all it's been, this same FAOL family member is coming up with interesting and fish catching new patterns all on his own, displaying his new ties in pictures on the board and offering tips to fellow tiers, so they too, can duplicate some of his offerings.
My vise, has long since been returned and this new tier now has his own top of the line equipment, with the added bonus for me, of he and I also becoming close friends in ways, far beyond just fly fishing and tying.
Sorry, this doesn’t have much to do, I know, with the soon to be famous “Sluter’s Hairy Wiener” fly, but it just “hit me”, as to just how interesting and even facinating, this sport we love can be. The people we meet and share with. The friends we make and how those friendships come to be.
Here’s some pictures from today’s Field Trial of a “Bare Weenie” (works great!):
It sank just a bit faster than I’d hoped, and I can see were adding the hackle (“Hairy Weenie”) would help to slow its decent just enough. Even as it was, it was the best producer for me today, bettering some other great flies!
Flybinder - what a hoot! your discription is just so funny hehehe Jeffnles1 your flies are really strange looking but great fish catchers indeed. Well done! let us know what a swatch of marabou tail does for the fly.
nice fish by the way
Jeanne