Hello,
I just got done tying up about a dozen of these in different sizes. I am looking for your favorite variations. I think it is a genious fly and any fly box is incomplete without atleast a couple.
Since I have no idea what a “Swapf” is, I don’t have a clue whether my fly box is complete or incomplete ??
Not sure I want to know ??
Yeah, actually, I do.
John
The Shwapf is a fly on Al Cambels begining fly tyining series. It is very easy to tie and is very productive.
Here’s a link for others who may be wondering what a “swapf” is.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/beginners/part9.php
I guess my fly box is incomplete. But I think I can live with that.
tied a few of these last season using Elk hair and Fuzzy Bug for the body, work quiet well. snagged several sm bass with it and a few gills. it’s such a great fly to ty and so simple … which is a real plus 
Mike
I tied them in sizees 12-16 and used for teh body- polytron, Glow blug yarn, and peacock hearl red floss, and for wing I used- Elk hair, Marobou, pheasent tail, and pearl flash.
favorite is size 14 with olive dubbing body, gray squirrel and a couple of strands of red flash mixed into the squirrel.
Love these flies, can be fished wet, dry, just about any way you can think of.
Eric
Looks a lot like the old Sandy Mite fly that Franz Pott was tying back in the 30’s. He had a whole series tied with that technique. His hackles were woven, so a little more complex.
Fishing these on a down-and-across tight line technique brings hard hits as the fly swings in the current. Fun Stuff!
have made some using peacock herl for the body and some krystal flash as a wing. you can use anything just about. any color dubbing also.
I like a size 10 nymph hook with a black & olive mottled chenille, with flashabou or crystal flash back/wing. (Sounds very similar to fishaholics!)
I do pretty well with that variation on bluegills between ice-out until the males start hitting the nests. Unweighted, you can fish it nice and slow in the cold water!
those are basically what I tie just used peacock herl for the body instead. add some pearl flashback over the top of it for a shellback and you got a pretty decent water boatman pattern
cdpaul,
Agreed. I won’t go fishing without some in my boxes! I have tied them in a few different sizes, from #4 long shanked streamer hooks for minnow imitators to #16 nymphs. My most productive SWAPH is tied on a #10 or #12 wet fly hook. For that I use chartruse and a little bit of gray bucktail along with the crystal flash for the wing, chartruse yarn for the body and use red thread (to make a nice red head). It is most productive for bluegills. I fish it in still water, casting it out and retrieving it in short, slow strips. Also works for small smallmouth bass in the river. I’ll cast it upstream and strip if back or across stream and swing it.
I love that fly for all the reasons touted by Al Campbell. It’s super simple to tie and you can use that style of tying to match so many baits.
Looking foward to warmer weather so I can fish mine,
Tom