What Are You Tying 2016 Edition

[SilverDoctor]

I gather that you make the dubbing yourself? I really love the look and color. I sure learn a lot from your posts too, so thanks for showing your wares! FHD

Thanks nice of you to say. Yes I mix all of my own dubbing, mostly from, Rabbit, Muskrat, Opossum, Squirrel etc. skins, with a small bit of synthetic added for sparkle. I use an old coffee grinder to do the mixing and control the density and color batches. In my family hunting in the fall was not only for food in the fridge but to restore the tying larder. These days I have to look for Buddies that hunt to get hides.

[SilverDoctor]

A slough of Salmonflies (Doc's Salmonflies)

 

 

[BigFoamy]

A couple Soft Hackles. I really love fishing these as a single fly. I typically use partridge but dont have any. This hackle is CDC, Im excited to try them, out.

 

 

[ggp]

Damsels

 

I like to fish near but not necessarily on the surface. Mustad 94840 size 14.

I see the barb broke when pinched down, will have to file it smooth.

 

[BigFoamy]

Damsels

 

I like to fish near but not necessarily on the surface. Mustad 94840 size 14.

I see the barb broke when pinched down, will have to file it smooth.

 

beauty ties!! love these

[ggp]

Thanks Big Foamy

[SilverDoctor]

They look like they would certainly stir interest in some bruisers.

[jgib01]

A slough of Salmonflies (Doc's Salmonflies)

 

 

Lornce, what sizes do you typically tie those in? I may give it a shot tonight tying a couple just in case the entomo-gods are smiling on me this weekend. I am looking forward to the first time I actually hit a full blown salmon fly hatch. The stuff of legends... or the very least some good drinkin' stories.

[SilverDoctor]

For years I tied these quite large in the 4 to 6 + range. But after doing a few custom orders for guys fishing the Henry's Fork in 12 to 14 I found that although they are smaller than the real bugs, the trout cue into them without any problem. Plus that size is easier to cast.

[SilverDoctor]

A glut of Golden Stones (Doc's Goldn Stones)

 

 

[bjbailey]

Nice stones, Doc. I like the subtle flash and mixed colours

[FlyTrapper]

I've been busy figuring out the trailer hook set up on shanks, but I believe I have it down now. Here is a sample of what I have been tying. Some Ho Bo Speys and variations of my own.

 

 

I have also been doing lots of reading about fishing for Coho in the salt. Going to be in the San Juan Islands this summer and I am planning on throwing some of these Clousers for them. If anyone has any experience shore fishing for Coho, I would really appreciate any tips. Thank you.

 

 

Nick

[Dangus]

Look for areas with twoonie to golfball sized cobble, eel grass and little to no sand. Close to a deep drop off if possible. I tended to find fish better on low slack tide.

Don't always need big flashy streamers. Often you fish with size 8 versions of wooly buggers, flash flies, California neils, muddlers etc.

As far as I recall, There will be a few pinks about as well as they don't alternate even/odd year as dramatically as on the mainland.

Typically beach stuff is better later into the summer and early fall.

[bcubed]

Nice flies flytrapper. Your bottom two on the left have the right trailer length, the ones on the right are getting pretty long and risk sticking deep. Unfortunately, that is one of the major downsides of the Hoh Boh Spey, to the point that a lot of the guiding outfits refuse to allow clients to use them.

[Dangus]

Good point. Not really a problem with the fly style, just some guys get carried away with the length of the stinger.

The point of the stinger is not only improve hook sets on short takes, but also defeats the leverage issue that long shanks can have. Also, you can switch them out for new hooks. Typically I find that I lose the fly or beat it up so bad that I just chuck it anyways. Plan to leave your stinger well within the fibers of your fly and you shouldn't grab any gill rakes.

[Gil]

For years I tied these quite large in the 4 to 6 + range. But after doing a few custom orders for guys fishing the Henry's Fork in 12 to 14 I found that although they are smaller than the real bugs, the trout cue into them without any problem. Plus that size is easier to cast.

 

 

I found the same thing with smaller stimulators. Drastically smaller sizes than the real thing can be fantastic at times....

[ppb]

Love the look of those Doc's golden stones. I tried to do a search for the recipe/ tying instructions but no luck. Where can a guy find the recipe at?

Thanks in advance.

[bcubed]

Good point. Not really a problem with the fly style, just some guys get carried away with the length of the stinger.

The point of the stinger is not only improve hook sets on short takes, but also defeats the leverage issue that long shanks can have. Also, you can switch them out for new hooks. Typically I find that I lose the fly or beat it up so bad that I just chuck it anyways. Plan to leave your stinger well within the fibers of your fly and you shouldn't grab any gill rakes.

Until recently all the commercial hobos were tied with too long of a stinger. Kinda the nature of the fly as marabou tied in at the front is only ever going to be so long

[Dangus]

Fair enough. Moral of the story for the home tiers: too long a wire. I'll put this in the lonely category of things we agree on. Great success.

[SilverDoctor]

Love the look of those Doc's golden stones. I tried to do a search for the recipe/ tying instructions but no luck. Where can a guy find the recipe at?

Thanks in advance.

Hi Paul, like a few of my commercial flies you won't find the recipe readily online as it a tweaked original.

 

Here it is.

 

Hook - #8 Stimulator

Tail: - Gold Turkey Bidots

Body: - Yellow foam

Rib: - Brass wire

Underwing: - Red & Green Fashabo

Wing: - Summer Deer hair or elk Body hair

Legs: - Black and green Sililegs

Head: - Yellow sparkle dubbing & Yellow Foam

[ppb]

Thanks SilverDoc, I'll be tying some of these up in the near future..

Paul

[FlyTrapper]

Thank you for the replies both Bron and bcube.

 

Bron: Thank you for the pointers on the salmon, I will try tying up some of the patterns you suggested, where I will be staying there is a really strung tide "stream" through the rocks that I want to try, no sand, kelp and pebbles so I am hoping it will be good.

 

bcube: Thank you. My main issue with those long stingers is making the loop big enough to get the hook into. All the Hoh Bo's are tyed on 40mm shanks while the ones you are saying are good are on 25mm. Been a little frustrating as I have tied a bunch of the Hoh Bo's but now that I look at them they are pretty long. Maybe I should catch up on some the other patterns as I was hoping to rely on the Hoh Bo's. Any ways, thank you for your continued advice, I'll try again on these.

 

Nick

[Dangus]

Loop the hooks on the wire before tying onto the shank. Pull an eraser out of a bic pencil or something and put it on the hook point so you don't stab yourself while tying.

 

Like I said, you won't likely be able to change the hook out, but I don't find that's usually an issue, especially if you tie it hook point Riding up.

[SilverDoctor]

A couple that have worked well in the salt are the Rolled Mudder, Green Coho Mudder and the Handlebar (although it's a good Sea run Cuttie fly) its caught its share of Coho for me.

[bcubed]

Thank you for the replies both Bron and bcube.

 

Bron: Thank you for the pointers on the salmon, I will try tying up some of the patterns you suggested, where I will be staying there is a really strung tide "stream" through the rocks that I want to try, no sand, kelp and pebbles so I am hoping it will be good.

 

bcube: Thank you. My main issue with those long stingers is making the loop big enough to get the hook into. All the Hoh Bo's are tyed on 40mm shanks while the ones you are saying are good are on 25mm. Been a little frustrating as I have tied a bunch of the Hoh Bo's but now that I look at them they are pretty long. Maybe I should catch up on some the other patterns as I was hoping to rely on the Hoh Bo's. Any ways, thank you for your continued advice, I'll try again on these.

 

Nick

They're not useless so don't throw them away or anything silly you can still use the them using the original rigging for intruders.. I'd cut the loop off, and get yourself some junction tubing (take one to a fly shop and ask to make sure the tubing fits).

 

Rigging:

Tippet through bottom of eye of hook, along back of shank and down through the other eye (assuming you're using waddingtons or similar). Then thread through junction tube. Tie your hook on with a non-slip mono loop. Slip the knot into the tubing, and then the tubing over the back eye, cinching tight.

 

You're golden!