Grey Ghost

My rendition of the Grey Ghost… reckon this will be a fine streamer anywhere there is smelt.  I made a few artistic liberties to the original pattern; and, gave it more orange since anadromous fish here seem to like that color.

Grey Ghost
Hook:  Size 2 Mustad 79580
Thread:  6/0 Black
Tag:  Oval silver tinsel
Body:  Orange floss
Ribbing:  Oval silver tinsel
Underwing:  White bucktail, 6 strands peacock herl
Wing:  2 grizzly saddles, 2 white saddles
Shoulder:  Barred wood duck
                (original tie uses silver pheasant)
Eye:  Golden pheasant tippet, stripped down to size
         (original tie uses jungle cock eyes)
Gills:  Hot orange thread
Note:  This is a classic landlocked atlantic salmon fly in Northeastern US.  But, I could see surf casting it with a spey rod and shooting line on Lake Superior during the spring staging period.  Trolling it deep behind a float tube for trophy trout may have potential on inland lakes.


Here's a nice video on how to tie the original:

Thinking and Tying Brook Trout Streamers

From the archives… a 14" NE Minnesota brookie.

My biggest brook trout have always come on streamers.  Specifically olive and black woolly buggers. I'll admit, I never really gave "traditional" wets/streamers a chance for brookies.  I have just habitually tied on a size 8 woolly bugger, cast upstream and across, and stripped it back.  It works.  There really has been no reason to change it.

However, as I get older (it must be the calendar), I am beginning more and more to appreciate the traditions embedded in the sport of fly-fishing.  Sure, innovation has its place and needs to occur to advance the sport.  And, I'm all for that.  But, there is something pretty cool also about catching fish on flies that have been around for awhile and still work.

This recent bout of fly tying once again sources back to some spruce grouse I shot this past fall.  I am a fan of their feathers for fly tying, especially the hens.  And, am always thinking of patterns to tie with them.  Then, I remembered the good old fly the "Spruce".  What better material to use to tie a "Spruce" than Spruce Grouse feathers.  That's when thinking and tying brook trout streamers all started for me, with three variants of the "Spruce" tied as Size 10 wet flies.

The Spruce (naked; with spruce grouse soft-hackle)

Dark Spruce (furnace hackle wing - Spruce Grouse soft-hackle)

Dark Spruce (Red Squirrel hairwing - Spruce Grouse soft-hackle)

A time-honored classic… the Royal Coachman.

Royal Coachman (Kip tail hairwing - Spruce Grouse soft-hackle)

The Pass Lake…. this fly gets a lot of props here in Minnesota and Wisconsin.  

Pass Lake (Kip tail hairwing - Ruffed Grouse soft-hackle and tail)

Click here to view some waaay cool classic wet fly patterns.

Winter's Day Angling the Driftless

Favorite Carp Flies

Today, I worked on rebuilding my carp fly stash for the pending spring.  I stuck to tying favorite patterns; which, was easy since I only have a few.  Simply put, big, gold-bead Sparrows catch carp and bigmouth buffs where I fish. So do big, gold-bead soft-hackled Hare's Ears. These patterns work great for sight-fishing; or, drifting blind on a deep broadside or wet-fly swing.  However, most of the really big fish (over 30 inches) from last year ate the downstream dangle.  As you can guess, I fish rivers and streams.

Gold-bead Sparrow (Yellow)

Gold-bead Sparrow (Yellow)
Hook:  Size 6-8 Tiemco (your favorite stonefly hook)
Thread:  6/0 Yellow
Tail:  Spruce Grouse Marabou Fibers stripped from stem and pinched square
Body:  Sulphur Dubbin
Rib:  Flat Gold Tinsel
Weight:  7 turns small lead wire
Hackle:  Spruce Grouse Rump Feather (1-2 turns)
Collar:  Spruce Grouse Aftershaft Feather (2-3 feathers wrapped one at a time)
Head:  3/16" Gold Bead

Note:  I have caught more Buffalo and Carp on this than anything else.  Jack Gartside just might be a genius. 

Gold-bead Sparrow (Olive-Brown)

Gold-bead Sparrow (Olive-Brown)
Hook:  Size 6-8 Tiemco (your favorite stonefly hook)
Thread:  6/0 Black
Tail:  Ruffed Grouse Marabou Fibers stripped from stem and pinched square
Body:  Hareline Dubbin's Olive-Brown Hare's Ear mixed with Antron
Weight:  7 turns small lead wire
Hackle:  Ruffed Grouse Wing Covert Feather (1-2 turns)
Collar:  Ruffed Grouse Aftershaft Feather (2-3 feathers wrapped one at a time)
Head:  3/16" Gold Bead

Soft-Hackle Gold-Bead Hare's Ear

Soft-Hackle Gold-Bead Hare's Ear (Tan)
Hook:  Size 6-8 Tiemco (your favorite stonefly hook)
Thread:  6/0 Hot Orange
Tail:  Hare's Mask (from top of mask just below and between the ears)
Abdomen:  Hare's Ear Dubbin
Rib:  Flat Gold Tinsel
Weight:  7 turns small lead wire
Thorax:  5-6 Peacock Herls
Hackle:  Ruffed Grouse Wing Covert Feather (1-2 turns)
Collar:  Ruffed Grouse Aftershaft Feather (1-2 feathers wrapped one at a time)
Head:  3/16" Gold Bead
Note:  This is my version of the pattern tied by Tightline Productions.

New Carp Fly - Hybrid Copper Grudge Grouse

Hybrid Copper Grudge Grouse

Soft-hackles have been the fly tying theme all week.  And frankly, after tying size 14-16 soft hackle wets for trout I needed some variety.  And, that's when I opened my carp box and noticed the low reserves of trusty size 6 GB Sparrow Nymphs.   Many a carp and buff have been caught and released using this fly and it is my go-to pattern when pursuing them.  But, I wasn't going to tie Sparrows.  I needed to tie some other large soft-hackles that would catch carp, steelhead, smallies, or whatever; including trout--much like the Sparrows do.

Without much thought, I rummaged around for my size 6 TMCs… they were gone.  That explains the low supply of Sparrows remaining from last year.  Onto Plan B.  I had plenty of salmon hooks and nymph hooks of the right size; but, their shape was not what I was looking for. Then, I landed on a curious old box of size 10 Mustad 9672 streamer hooks.  I had them around for tying masses of Pass Lakes and Picket Pins for Arrowhead brookies, that I never got around to tying.  I like the length of this hook for a larger soft hackle; and, I wanted to build something with a narrow, but buggy profile on it.  The Copper John came to mind as a base fly for the fusion of patterns that was about to occur.   

I wanted more bugginess on this fly than the goose biot tails would offer from the CJ.  So, I threaded on a gold bead, tied in, and quickly put a tan rubber tail on the fly.  Then, I started with the CJ influence by wrapping a copper wire abdomen; but, ribbing it with an additional copper wire to help build the profile slightly.  Next, I wrapped the thorax with lead and proceeded to wrap 5 or 6 strands of peacock herl.  I made wraps over the herl thorax with black thread to improve the durability of the fly.  Then, I started to tie the Sparrow Nymph at the front end of the thorax--wrapping a couple turns of a ruffed grouse wing feather.  But, I wasn't satisfied with the bugginess this would offer.  And I remembered how much I liked Whitlock's Rubberlegged Red Fox Squirrel Nymph.  So, I tied in a set of rubber legs matching the tail.  The fly came to life.  I then returned to the Sparrow pattern by tying on a grouse aftershaft feather and making two turns of it before finishing the fly. 

I sat back and admired the hybrid.  I liked it.  It was buggy as hell.  Of all the right colors.  Natural but with some flash.  Slender and true in profile to the traditional soft hackle wets--but with a few modernizations.  Delicate but it would sink quickly to a laid up carp in the shallows.  Three popular flies made their way into this pattern:  the GB Copper John, the Sparrow, and Whitlock's GB Rubberlegged Red Fox Squirrel Nymph.  

This fly should work very well in the spring when large carp enter small water.  I've had days on these fish where they simply wouldn't eat anything I threw on them.  It was enough for a grudge to begin to develop.  This fly is meant to take care of that grudge.  

Copper John body with Sparrow Nymph hackle scheme.

Hybrid Copper Grudge Grouse
Hook:  Size 10 Mustad 9672 (TMC equivalent preferred for sharpness)
Thread:  8/0 Black
Tail:  Solid Tan Rubber (with random fleck)
Abdomen:  Small Copper Wire
Rib:  Small Copper Wire
Weight:  8-10 turns of Lead Wire
Thorax:  Peacock Herl (roughly 5-6 strands)
Hackle:  Ruffed Grouse (2 turns)
Legs:  Same as Tail
Collar:  Ruffed Grouse Aftershaft Feather (2 turns)
Head:  Gold Bead

Hopefully, this fly will show up again attached to some nice fish in my April and May blog posts!

       

Fly Fishing for Mooneye

A Mooneye trip or two is order this year…

Dry fly session. from julien favard on Vimeo.

North Country Flies Hot off the Vise

Why don't we fish soft-hackles (or North Country flies) more often for trout here in the USA?  There is a cult following swinging wets to steelhead. And, each year more and more folks are swinging big nasty streamers to stream trout.  But, it has been my experience few folks are fishing soft hackle wets to trout on a regular basis.  If you don't believe me just open your next fly shop catalogue and look for soft-hackle wet flies…. if you find any there will usually be just a few compared to dozens of types of nymphs and dries.

As I tie more soft-hackles, it is becoming apparent many of these little flies can be down-sized and simplified versions of salmon and steelhead flies.  This leaves a lot of room for imagination.  And the fact that I can make them from materials I harvested in the fall (upland birds, ducks, small game, etc.) make them fun and meaningful to tie and own.  And then there is that whole history thing…. some of these patterns date back to late 1400s Yorkshire (hence the North Country nickname these flies hold).  I guess what I am saying is soft-hackle flies are damn cool.  

Below are some soft-hackle wets I tied today.  I can see these working on North Shore freestone streams and also thought more than once about fishing them to spring whitefish in wilderness-lake river mouths (maybe it's because I look at whitefish as grayling without the sail and these types of flies are notorious grayling getters in Europe).    

Spruce Grouse Aftershaft and Yellow

Spruce Grouse Aftershaft and Yellow
Hook:  Size 14
Thread:  6/0 Yellow
Tag:  Gold Wire
Body:  Yellow Silk Floss
Ribbing:  Gold Wire
Hackle:  Spruce Grouse Aftershaft
Head:  Yellow Thread

Ruffed Grouse and Pheasant Tail

Ruffed Grouse and Pheasant Tail
Hook:  Size 14
Thread:  8/0 Black
Tag:  Gold Wire
Body:  Pheasant Tail
Rib:  Gold Wire
Thorax:  Peacock Hearl
Hackle:  Ruffed Grouse
Head:  Black Thread

Bufflehead and Olive

Bufflehead and Olive
Hook:  Size 14
Thread:  8/0 Black
Body:  Olive Z-Lon
Thorax:  Peacock Heal
Hackle:  Bufflehead Drake, Black
Head:  Black Thread

Bufflehead and Red Wire

Bufflehead and Red Wire (Brassie)
Hook:  Size 14
Thread:  8/0 Black
Body:  Red Ultra Wire
Thorax:  Peacock Herl
Hackle:  Bufflehead Drake
Head:  Black Thread

Ruffed Grouse and Copper

Ruffed Grouse and Copper
Hook:  Size 14
Thread:  8/0 Black
Body:  Copper Wire, Fine
Ribbing:  Copper Wire, Fine
Thorax:  Peacock Herl
Hackle:  Ruffed Grouse
Head:  Black Thread

Bufflehead White and Yellow

Bufflehead White and Yellow
Hook:  Size 14
Thread:  6/0 Sulphur
Tag:  Silver Wire
Body:  While Silk Floss
Ribbing:  Silver Wire
Hackle:  Bufflehead Drake White
Head:  Sulphur thread

Bufflehead Black and Dun

Bufflehead Black and Dun
Hook:  Size 14
Thread:  8/0 Black
Tag:  Silver Wire
Body:  Black Thread
Ribbing:  Silver Wire
Thorax:  Dun Dubbin
Hackle:  Bufflehead Drake, Black
Head:  Black Thread

Ruffed Grouse and Orange

Ruffed Grouse and Orange
Hook:  Size 14
Thread:  6/0 Orange
Body:  Orange Silk Floss
Hackle:  Ruffed Grouse
Head:  Orange Thread

A Day for Soft-Hackle Flies

Left to Right:  Ruffed Grouse, Spruce Grouse and Bufflehead

It started today when I went to the freezer to get an early lunch.  I opened the door and scanned the contents for anything edible.  Then, my eyes stopped… fixed upon a bag stuffed with wings and tails of upland game birds shot this past fall.  My appetite became second thought.  Ruffed grouse, spruce grouse, and bufflehead feathers all waited patiently in a deep freeze for a chance to be born again, to come back to life and catch a trout.  I reached for the bag, dusted off loose frost, and walked it over to the table.  There, I opened it and curiously inspected the contents, carefully pulling apart wings frozen together.  I began to remember each bird and the day of the harvest.  I examined the plumage.  Next, my eyes panned to the fly tying bench.  And then I went to the fridge, opened the door, and scanned the contents for something agreeable to wet the palette with.  My eyes found something quite delightful.  The next move was easy; I happily reached in for a locally brewed Northern Porter.

It was all starting to make sense now.  A London style Northern Porter made locally; along with, all the feathers one needs for tying traditional soft-hackle fly patterns dating back to 1400s Northern England… and "harvested" locally.  These went together way too well.  At this point, I had both in hand; and, an idea was about to hatch from the association between items.  "Cool, I'm going to tie soft-hackles today", I thought.   The traditional soft-hackle flies known as "North Country" flies in the UK were now on their way to creation Prairie Wood Angler-style from birds harvested in the North Country of northern Minnesota.

Here are a few of the patterns I tied today.  Each one representing a species of game bird harvested this past fall in Northern Minnesota.

Ruffed Grouse and Peacock

Ruffed Grouse and Peacock
Hook:  Size 14 or 16
Thread:  8/0 Black
Tag:  Gold Wire
Body:  Peacock Herl
Ribbing:  Gold Wire
Hackle:  Ruffed Grouse
Head:  Black thread
Note:  I could see fishing this anytime, and just might go for it over a Prince Nymph someday.

Spruce Grouse and Yellow

Spruce Grouse and Yellow
Hook:  Size 14 or 16
Thread:  6/0 Yellow
Body:  Yellow Silk
Thorax:  Hare's Ear Dubbin
Hackle:  Spruce Grouse Hen (wing underside)
Head:  Hare's Ear Dubbin
Note:  This would be killer during a PMD / Sulphur hatch.

Bufflehead and Orange

Bufflehead and Orange
Hook:  Size 14 or 16
Thread:  6/0 Black
Body:  Orange Silk
Thorax:  Peacock Herl or Black Hare's Ear Dubbin
Hackle:  Bufflehead Drake (naturally black)
Head:  Black Thread
Note:  Little Black Stones… need I say more.

I agree with most positive things written about soft-hackle flies.  Their simplicity, elegance, and bugginess are second to none.  Their tradition takes you back to the very early days of fly fishing.  And the ability to tie them from local game bird species make these patterns all the more fun.  Furthermore, combinations of body and hackle seem limitless to the imagination.  There is definitely a space in my fly box for these patterns and I'm giddy to give them a try this season.

Cheers!


P.S. Here's a few soft-hackle links:

• Jack Gartside's "The Soft-Hackle Wet Fly"
• Tying a Grouse & Gold River Wet by Davie McPhail
• William's Favorite "Soft-Hackle Patterns Lists"

   

The "Filthy Thirteen" Selection of Flies

If you read my last post you know I forgot my nymph box up North and have feverishly been tying a new fly box up for the early trout season.  160 flies later and my nymph tying mission is mostly complete.  I was reminded artists are willing to suffer for their work; and, suffer I did… tying most evenings after a full day in the office during the last two weeks.  Don't ask about current events during this period… I haven't a clue; other than the Super Bowl is later today and some ape in a zoo in Utah picked the Seahawks to win it.

Everyone has their top ten lists of flies and so on.  I am by no means a master tier but thought I'd share mine for the early season… the "Filthy Thirteen" I call it.  These have been reliable choices over the last 20 or so years waving the long rod on driftless area and karstic streams in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

The lost fly box has been rebuilt.  

 The Filthy Thirteen (in no particular order):

1. Gold-Bead Hare's Ear, Tan - Sizes 14-18
2. Gold-Ribbed Hare's Ear, Olive - Sizes 14-16
3. American Pheasant Tail - Sizes 16-20
4. Prince Nymph - Sizes 14-18
5. Zug Bug - Size 14
6. RS2, Blue Dun - Sizes 18-20
7. Gold-bead Brassie, Red - Sizes 18-20
8. Serendipity, Red - Sizes 18-20
9. Serendipity, Olive - Sizes 18-20
10. Zebra Midge, Black - Sizes 18-20
11. Zebra Midge, Red - Sizes 18-20
12. Higa's S.O.S. - Sizes 18-20
13. Al's Rat - Size 24

This selection of flies will cover most subsurface mayfly and midge activity on the stream at any given time.  I did not include scud patterns on this list but have found messy Olive Hare's Ears do a fine enough job imitating them.  Caddis pupa are represented in this selection by the Olive Serendipity as well as the Zug Bug, which imitates nicely a cased pupa in addition to being an ambiguous nymph pattern.  

As I write this we are currently in another wind chill advisory with values expected today at -20 to -30 degrees F.  Hopefully, this weather turns around soon so I can hit the stream and send the Filthy Thirteen into action.

  

Learn more about the real Filthy Thirteen here.

Classic Flies for the Winter Trout Season

The special winter trout season is now upon us here in Minnesota.  Whimsically, I hit the stream today in below zero temperatures however without my favorite winter flies (those are up North… along with my 5 weight nymphing rod).  But, I gave it a go anyways finding a short 4 weight I had leaning against a bookcase.  For flies, I rummaged up a handful of tiny, but heavy, Copper Johns that were laying around near the fly-tying vise (my non-toxic shot is up North, too).

Arriving at the creek, the water was low and clear like vodka.  The trout insanely spooky.  Each crunch of snow underfoot, even the slightest careful shuffle, sent 10-12 inch browns into a manic state--dashing about pools and runs in disorganized formations like geese flying without their flock leader.  This meant I needed to go stealth and use my best micro winter trout flies.  Unfortunately, I was without them to no fault of my own (my crazy impulses to go fishing today...).  Don't be that guy.  Here are some classic ties every winter angler shouldn't be without.


Point Flies
I like to fish these Size 16; but, depending on conditions and your dropper you may want to go up or down a size.


Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear Nymph from Tightline Productions on Vimeo.


American Pheasant Tail Nymph from Tightline Productions on Vimeo.


Prince Nymph from Tightline Productions on Vimeo.


Simple Scud from Tightline Productions on Vimeo.


Droppers
Sizes 18-22 seems to work just fine.  The same flies noted above work as droppers so long as they're down-sized within range.


Brassie from Tightline Productions on Vimeo.


Serendipity from Tightline Productions on Vimeo.


Needless to say, when I returned home from a good arse kicking on the stream today I poured a double Irish Whiskey, pressed some hot coffee, and hit the tying bench.  It's days like these that serve as wake-up calls.  Like the Eagles getting beat by the lowly Vikings late in the season, I'm now shaken and ready to string some good games together.  The weather will be nicer Saturday and by then I'll have a proper selection of flies tied up.

A good fly selection will limit the damage done here.  Eliminate your demons by tying good flies and making good casts.