im already dreaming of summer. but its time too fill the boxes. i was wondering if anyone uses wasp or bee patterns in the summer. this year on the bow i saw many float by me while i nymphed and was wonderin if there any good at a searching/attractor patterns. theres always the odd fish rolling or splashing around in a run 12 months of the year. but in the summer there wasnt many hoppers around.stimmulators and other attractors did work. i found a great foam one in the latest fly tyer magazine and was gonna tye a few dozen up and give it a shot regardless, im just curious as too how many people actually use em ot have tried em.
sunskyhooksnwater:
After hearing about the bee exploits of one of my fishing buddies; I whipped up a bunch of bees & hornets this year and they were a smashing success!!
In my neck of the woods a beetle is my go-to fly for most of the summer and early fall. I use it mostly as a searching pattern and I do extremely well with it. This year I added bees to the arsenal and had a blast with them in the same way.
I liked the fancy bee pattern in the most recent issue of Fly Tyer but I just tie a simple bee using pre-formed yellow jacket bodies from Bill Skilton:
[url=http://www.billskilton.com/products.php?cat=17&pg=2&PHPSESSID=60e849c5746b3cb97c097e75ad3ffce8:e70e2]http://www.billskilton.com/products.php?cat=17&pg=2&PHPSESSID=60e849c5746b3cb97c 097e75ad3ffce8[/url:e70e2]
I just tie them down in the middle of the hook shank and add some hackle in the center; fast, easy, effective. Like beetles I only tie them in one size and the fish take them readily.
[This message has been edited by Bamboozle (edited 06 December 2005).]
Fish love bees, yellow jackets, and wasp. I also use the Skilton foam cylinders that Bamboozle mentioned. I use Skilton’s leg material for the leggs and antenna. I make the wings out of packing foam colored with waterproof markers. Simple fly to tie and it floats great.
[url=http://www.myfishingpictures.com/showphoto.php?photo=32468&sort=7&thecat=500&password=:ee124]http://www.myfishingpictures.com/showphoto.php?photo=32468&sort=7&thecat=500&password=[/url:ee124]
[This message has been edited by Taz (edited 06 December 2005).]
I am a huge fun of McMurry Ants, one of them is a wasp. I use black hackle most of the time, sometimes grizzly and is loads of fun because it is so easy to see.
Joe Fox
Wasps and Bee to fish, are what Jelly Beans are to people. They just love them, and we love our Jelly Beans.
McGinty is a good fly pattern, Roger Stouff talks alot about a “Jitterbee” fly.
here is the url for the McGinty…
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw/060500fotw.html:a2b8b]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw/060500fotw.html[/url:a2b8b]
here is a url that demonstrates how to tie the “Jitterbee”
[url=http://www.loup-garou.net/jitterbee.html:a2b8b]http://www.loup-garou.net/jitterbee.html[/url:a2b8b]
I always have some Wasp/Bee pattern flies in my vest pocket when fishing.
~Parnelli
[This message has been edited by Steven H. McGarthwaite (edited 06 December 2005).]
Also, Don’t forget the Classic McGinty Wet fly. A good imitaion of a bummble bee.
[url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw/060500fotw.html:86d85]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw/060500fotw.html[/url:86d85]
I don’t tie mine exactly like the picture. I tie in the red tail,then black and yellow chennile. Over wrap the black, then the yellow. Then just a black or red hackle head.
Kahuna
There is a pattern called the ‘Ke-He’ over here that was invented in the thirties
by two gentlemen in the Orkney Islands called Kemp and Heddle - thus the name.
They saw some small black bees being taken by the trout.
It is a simple pattern:-
Hook - 8 to 14
Tail - Golden Pheasant tippets
Tag - Red Wool try Fluo Red
Body - Green or Bronze peacock herl tied fat
Rib - Gold wire
Hackle - Medium red brown
There are variations in the hackle colour -
White or Benbecula Ke-He
Black Ke-He
Orange Ke-he
It is really a stillwater pattern but the larger sizes do well with Sea-trout (Sea run browns).
It is fished successfully throughout the UK and Ireland.
I was thinking of posting this in the stillwater board, but it looks like it has withered through lack of use.
Donald/Scotland
[This message has been edited by Donald Nicolson (edited 06 December 2005).]
Jitterbee, That has been a GO-TO pattern for me for several years, It is an easy tie. Also while you are at the Jitterbee WWW site , check out the “VOSI” (Vertically Orientated Stike Indicator) It is good to use it with the Jitterbee or anyother weighted fly. They are easy and cheap to make. Kurt Loup who runs the site got me started several years ago on the Jitterbee. Here is the VOSI. [url=http://laflyfish.com/flies/vosi.php:80361]http://laflyfish.com/flies/vosi.php[/url:80361]
Kahuna
For a cool wasp pattern, have a look at this thread: [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/Forum5/HTML/003907.html:9d3c2]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/Forum5/HTML/003907.html[/url:9d3c2]
Jay
I tied up some of those hornets for a swap a while back, and some for me. They are grabbed quite quickly by the gills here.
Don
I have been making a bee out of foam that I glue the sheets together and then use a punch to make them.
They work great for me on warmwater fish. I often use a midge dropper on them also.
Rick
Here in Michigan we have a near “bee hatch” on some days and the surface is loaded with them. I agree with the others, they’re like candy to the trout!
I have a real simple and effective pattern for a bee . . .
Jack’s Wet Bee
Hook: Dry fly #10 - #12
Thread: Black 6/0
Tail: Red wool tag cut short
Body: Black and yellow chenille wrapped together so it is “striped” down the hook
Wing: Grey squirrel tail tied (length to bend of hook) in an laid flat over body
It’s a VERY simple and fast tie. Also works well in orange and black as well. I fish it dry with some fly dope to start and let it sink slightly over time. Seems to work well on the surface and under the surface.
Joe
WOW thanks everyone for all the respornces. im goin too halto try the ol’bee out next year forsure. once again thanks for all the great responces and patterns
Jayatwork:
That wasp inspired me to revise my 2 second bee pattern!