Wet fly patterns in Joe Hyde's Thanksgiving, 2006 article

Fishing Warm water Forum
1

Since I am starting to get PMs for these two wet fly patterns, I will post them here for everybody. I don’t know of a web-site that has these exact pattern recipes (there may be one though) so I will give them as I tie them. The improved to me means they are basically soft hackles and omit the wing used on the original patterns. I have not found that the duck quill sections wing or lack thereof in any way reduces the effectiveness of these two wet flies.

IBG or Improved Black Gnat

Hook:Southbend or Matzuo baitholder (most any baitholder) or any standard wet fly hook in sizes 8 and smaller (size 10 is my most used but I also use sizes 8 and 12). EagleClaw 084A-8 is a plain short shank that should also work.

Thread: Black 6/0

Tail: Black hackle fibers (hook shank length)

Body: Black chenille

Hackle collar: Two or three turns of black hen hackle and laid back wet fly style

Head: Black thread

IM or Improved McGinty

Hook:Southbend or Matzuo baitholder (most any baitholder) or any standard wet fly hook in sizes 8 and smaller (size 10 is my most used but I also use sizes 8 and 12). EagleClaw 084A-8 is a plain short shank that should also work.

Thread: Black 6/0

Tail: Red hackle fibers (hook shank length)

Body: One turn of each color yellow, black, and yellow chenille

Hackle collar: Two or three turns of yellow or ginger hen hackle and laid back wet fly style

Head: Black thread

Here is the article that has a photo of the flies:

[url=http://warmwaterflyfisher.com/wwjournal/wwjournaboutbluegill_Wet%20Flies%20for%20Big%20’Gills%20and%20Crappies.htm:eea39]Wet Flies for Big 'Gills and Crappies[/url:eea39]

I will post any other pattern recipes for the flies that I gave Joe as he uses them in his articles or if I am asked. Al’s Crappie Candy pattern is found in the Fly Tying Archives, I just used a single strand of yellow chartreuse nylon yarn for the body on the Crappie Candy fly in Joe’s photo (Brand: Needloft, brand color is called Bright Yellow). I have also had good luck for Specks on that particular color Crappie Candy.

Joe,

I’m sorry I only gave you samples of each and if I had more wet fly or baitholder hooks on hand at the time, I would have sent more. I will try to get some more IBGs and IMs to you when I get some more wet fly hooks or baitholders and I’ll throw in some more Crappie Candies also or any others that are working good for you that you might need. Looks like the fish wanted nymphs more than other types of flies…this time. Next time you go out it might be entirely different what they want, I just never know from one time to the next. Another good article, thanks.

2

cool. That saves me the trouble of adding to your list of pm’s. I’ve noticed the same thing about the wet flies I tie. The wings are a pain in the tuckus, so a few years back I just started leaving them out, as you said, not much difference that I could see in the way they fished except that without the wing they seem to run a little deeper for me. I keep hearing that McGinty’s are great gill flies but never tried them. Now I have a great pattern to work from and no excuse not to give them a try! Thanks.

3

I meant that there is not much difference in the effectiveness of the fly as far as fish biting them. Once I got used to tying wet fly wings (practice, practice, practice) regularly, they are not as hard as I once thought they were. The original fly with the wing does “swim” better because of the wing than the one without the wing that does tend to run a little deeper like you said.

4

With a little encouragment, we might Joe involved in the fly tying as well as the fly fishing.

Why should he not have this obsession?

Rick

5

I agree. Occasionally the water gets too hard to cast through in the winter and a guy needs something to do to ease the shakes :lol:

6

I’m creeping closer, guys; I really am. Spent an hour yesterday looking through the Fly Tying section of the Bulletin Board, reading people’s questions/comments/advice on which vices to buy.

I learned there’s two kinds: fixed vices and rotary vices. (See? I told you I looked.)

Don’t know if it’s true or not, but I’ve heard that most of the professionally-tied flies sold in tackle shops are tied by women who live in southeast Asian countries. I’ve also heard (from fly shop owners) that once they get into it, many American amateur fly tyers think nothing of spending $50 a week on tying materials.

Looking at this prospective new hobby long-term, would I be money ahead advertised for a mail order bride who’s already employed by an Asian fly tying shop and who can therefore step off the plane at Kansas City International toting her own tools and a trunk full of supplies?

Joe
“Better small than not at all.”

7

Looking at this prospective new hobby long-term, would I be money ahead advertised for a mail order bride who’s already employed by an Asian fly tying shop and who can therefore step off the plane at Kansas City International toting her own tools and a trunk full of supplies?

roflmbo :lol: :lol:
Move to Southern Utah, order three, and start a buisiness.

(Just jokeing)

Eric

8

Joe–

I’m just teaching my girlfriend how to tie. In the long run it’s easier and cheaper. I don’t have to learn a new language, and do you have any idea what international postage would be on a mail-order bride? Not to mention the size of the envelope it would take!

In all seriousness, tying your own flies is, in my experience anyway, not something you do to save money, but it does add a whole new level of enjoyment to the whole fishing experience.

9

Joe

Truer words were never spoken. I tie some of my own flies, but I am not very creative. By that I mean I can follow a recipe to a point, but whatever side of the brain allows you to sit down and create a variation of a fly pattern is something that escapes me. So I tie a few basic patterns. But buy all my dry flys.

Do yourself a favor. Do not get into fly tying. Spend the money on good scotch and good cigars. :lol:

Dave

10

Joe,

Before you go off the deep end you might want to approach this life changing decision with caution. I’d be glad to loan you one of my extra vises and bobbins–I’ve been taking baby steps into this venture myself so I have a couple of the starter kits. This month the FreeState folks held a class that included instructions on how to tie the “Old Reliable”. Equipment and material would be minimal for this fly and it’s one that even I can tie fairly well. Of course fair warning—if you started tying Old Reliable I can just about guarantee that you soon be adding other nymphs and poppers to your portfolio. The Free State folks will be having more classes next month or there’s folks on this board that get together on Thurs. evenings here in Olathe to tie–they know who they are. I’ll bet if you wanted to stop by they’d give you all kinds of advice–some might even be about fly tying.

BTW, just trying to pay back the excellent advice you provided about canoe shopping here in the KC area–I now have a 38 # Souris River 16 ft. Quetico canoe that I selected after trying out so many brands and models at KC Paddler’s vendor events…Thanks.

BW

11

Don’t listen to anglerdave. All he can tie is an olive wooly bugger. He only buys dry lfies to try to impressthe folks at the fly shop.
I don’t think he has ever had a dry fly on his line.

Rick :lol:

12

You know, it just occurred to me that I actually OWN a fly tying vise. It’s a super rotgut model that might have cost me $10.

The reason I bought the thing was so I could hold 3/0 stainless steel Aberdeen hooks (used for bankline fishing for channel cats) stable enough that I could file off their barbs. I also filed 4-surface “diamond facets” on the hooks so their points would slice into the fish’s jaw like a scalpel instead of poking into it like a nail.

Perhaps that Stone Age vise would work for me for holding small hooks for tying flies, too. That’s what the thing was designed to do.

Most alluring, that my Old Reliable (#10 Hare’s Ear Nymph) is an easy-to-tie fly. I catch fish on that nymph by, like, a 10-to-1 ratio above all other flies. Makes for boring reading but doggone it, the action I enjoy is so much fun!

I’ll look into the cost of Old Reliable raw materials, also instructions on how to tie it. Going to a tying class or two would help me no doubt, because, well…ah…

What’s a bobbin?

Joe
“Better small than not at all”

13

Here’s the link to Al Campbell’s instructions for tying the hare’s ear.

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/beginners/part11.html

You’d just substitute a bit of tinsel flash for the turkey feather wing case in step 5 to make it into old reliable. The color of your rabbit of course will determine the color of your nymph.

You’ll need to learn how to dub the rabbit fur onto your tying thread. Here’s some more of Al’s instruction on step 11.

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/beginners/part9.html

Dubbing is one of those skills that IMHO can best be learned from someone. As for a bobbin…

Ck out Al’s Beginning Fly tying tools…

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/beginners/part4.html

14

Hi Joe,
This is really just a “second” from one of your very pleased readers.
If you read Al Campbell’s instructions AND get some live instruction from a club, a friend or anyone who can show you the steps in tying a few flies - you will be LAUNCHED into a great hobby.
Good Luck. Gopher it!

Bill

15

[/quote]

roflmbo :lol: :lol:
Move to Southern Utah, order three, and start a buisiness.

(Just jokeing)

Eric[/quote]

:lol: !!!

16

Here is another recipe for the HEN:

[url=http://www.tie1on.net/hareartm.htm:d8dc8]HARE’S EAR NYMPH[/url:d8dc8]

Since I don’t have hare’s mask guard hairs for the tail, this is one I can do :). I don’t weight it though unless I add a beadhead.