Recent comments

Awesome pattern

Martin

The Moyerfokker works like a champ on tidewater bass , awesome pattern

thank you

michael

Chris,

So nice to

Chris,

So nice to hear! It's great to know that the article has helped you get a good start.

Thanks for your feedback.

Martin

I have used wifes ol

I have used wifes old 4mm knitting needles. this works well if they are not to bent.or pick the up from a charity shop.

A few years later, a

A few years later, and still a great article. I was an absolute newbie to fly fishing, and as a younger guy in southern California, not a soul I knew, knew a thing about it or was interested. Took these tips, loaded my first reel. I have now used the info to load 4 reels, all different weights and rods. Pulled Golden trout out of the Kern, Cutthroats from North Idaho, Steelies from the lower Sacramento, And huge Rainbows out of the trinity alps/clear creek.

Great info to get you started. You will build your knowledge quickly, ye old' young fly fisherman. HA!

surgical tubing is t

surgical tubing is the way to go, doesnt mess up your tippet or line by sliding since the weight we have now is junk, when u have to use weight it stays where u place it...surgical tubing is one of the best things i have discovered for fly fishing steelies otherthan this last fly pattern i got tipped off on that works great in most water...especially water that WNY has been having in the small tribs...fish are line spooked, and not taking but this fly is the nutz...one reason is its a very small pattern, i found much more success when they r so spooked that using a size 12, 14, or even 16 hook is the remedy...size 14 seems best...surgical tubing :-)...BTW...what is this slinky all about? does it work? whats the purpose otherthan the obvious? any other recommendations on flies that are working in small tribs in WNY, in both very clear water and green...what hot? thanks

james

I alway like to see

I alway like to see a pattern with fishing techniques included. Many times the success of a pattern is made by the tyer fisherman, not just the tyer or fisherman. Thank you, Jim

i like the last sent

i like the last sentence! this gives a very clear meaning - you need to feel and control your fly i mean control with your bloody boddy
. another perfect fly
all the best
roolis

Hello Paul,
 
 Sorry

Hello Paul,

Sorry pal, I have not been on the GGF site for ages and to be honest I have a good reason to do so as long ago I promised another article from Janess and I am sure poor Martin has been sitting on pins and needles since :)
I am glad you liked the article. I am planning to launch a forum dedicated to coarse species on the fly. If I do not forget it i will drop a line here to let the folks know when it is ready. If you are around Peterborough I am happy to introduce some good waters around. Have you tried the www.flyforums.co.uk? There are some very good lads and they know their stuff when it comes to coarse fish on the fly.

Best of luck

Peter

Very helpful article

Very helpful article! Many thanks Martin!

does anyone know the

does anyone know the second song in the trailer? I know the first song was "can't keep running away" by the Pharcyde. What's the one with the chick singing? thanks!!!

While it is easier t

While it is easier to buy flies from distributors, I find that so much more enjoyment is found from catching fish on a fly that I have tied. I just get a greater feeling of accomplishment from catching fish on one of my own creations!

Atlantic Salmon

Hi Martin,
Atlantic Salmon could also be added to the list of target species. Harry Darbee in his book Catskill Flytier,1977, writes that fishing the Margaree river in Nova Scotia, Canada, one year, no one had taken a salmon in seven days. He tried a Big Hole Demon and immediately hooked and eventually landed a salmon of 22lbs.His friend Mac Francis followed suite right after and got himself one of 13 1/2 lbs.
I think this is one of those flies that travels well.
Peter.

I agree with jsholla

I agree with jsholland. I hope every country foreign to these monsters keeps them out of their borders. Not just the US.

one of the best book

one of the best books i`ve ever read an fished with it. from canada over france to switzerland and austria. gary helped me to catch them all - from rainbows to browns, brooks and namaycush. good book, good job!

Nic Ferguson

Fly Guy,

The gaps

Fly Guy,

The gaps probably comes from the fact that the article is more than 10 years old! Many of the hook models are most likely not available any more.

Keeping charts like this up to date is almost impossible.

Martin

I have been fly fish

I have been fly fishing for mullet for 3 years will good results. In the uk they will appear all year though in the summer they will be a lot more plentifull. Especially in the south of england.
Rod weight i alwyas use 8wt rods with a 6lb flurocarbon tippet. Flies wise a top surface pattern like a small dry or booby work very well, especially when teamed with a red tag or small sinking wet fly on a dropper below.
The tactic i use it to cast 2ft infront of showing fish and they take the lower fly on the drop. Once hooked hold on for dear life. Play the fish dont bully it else you will lose...

I'll have to "burn m

I'll have to "burn money" on this book it sounds like; the info on dubbing will be beneficial.

I started fishing #20 or smaller in 2001; starting with dries (that's only the last 20% of the insect's life). After that discovery, backed with Fishing Results in spread sheets starting in 2001; rarely do I use a Dry even if a hatch is in progress.

The book "Midge Magic" co-authored by Holbrook/Koch really opened my eyes & got me "on track". The book is worth the price alone to learn "The Knot", both minimal as it is strong. Bulky knots w/8-6X tippet will warn the fish "things aren't right".

In addition to a great purchase of a VHS: "Tying Tiny Dries" by A.K. Best; I almost wore it out.

More solutions & problems await....

Eureaka!!! ...anothe

Eureaka!!! ...another Hook Comparision Chart (with noticable gaps). My favorite hook Gamakatsu S13S-M isn't listed; that hook is great for Flash Back Nymphs. -Remember to move the hook often in the vise, it will break as you apply the whip finish, - but I think it's worth the bother.

Go to kilroys.com for more in-depth Hook Chart confusion.

Yours is the first chart I've seen that includes Gamakatsu Hooks for comparison, many thanks!.

i love this site

i love this site

To all who want

To all who want to buy Steve's flies, I can recommend a quick Google search for Steve Thornton. That will give you a link to Steve's site Virtual Nymph where you can find materials, books and much more from Steve and where you can contact him regarding flies.

We don't sell flies, we have no prices and we cannot help much when it comes to buying stuff that we mention on the Global FlyFisher. We provide links where we can, but when we don't, try searching through Google or your preferred search engine.

It's not that difficult...

Martin

hi do you know any w

hi do you know any were i can buy one of these or the price of one thnx

Rolandas:

I enjoy

Rolandas:

I enjoyed your stories immensely. You indeed sound a bit crazy, but in a good way. The world of fly fishing needs more craziness like yours to make sure the truly great spots are still available to folks with a greater sense of adventure than wallet.

I am a New Zealand guide presently in Patagonia, and I'm bumming around on a shoestring budget and would appreciate any phone numbers that could help make Lake Strobel a possibility. Please feel free to contact me if I can ever help you with a New Zealand trip, too.

This reminds me of t

This reminds me of the little Vermont brook that runs through my friend's family farm that we fished while we were growing up. Maybe two to three feet wide at it's widest point, it had a good supply of brook trout of the 5 to 8 inch class. Just dap a dry fly across the surface of the water or drift a nymph and let it be pulled by the current under the undercut bank. Then pull it out with one of these little gems attached. They were small and colorful and perfect, just like all trout should be.

I've caught and have seen much bigger specimens, but some of these trophy trout with their distended bellies are kind of ugly when compared to these jewels of nature you can only find in these tiny brooks that come down from the mountains to feed larger bodies of water.

It's important to always remember that both ends of the size spectrum are trophies, they just have different criteria.

That's a very neat f

That's a very neat fly. We have small sand-hoppers that live in the intertidal region of sandy beaches here in New Zealand that look exactly the same. I've been looking for a fly to tempt the very selective Sea Trout near my home in the lower Waikato river and I have tied a few of these with great hope (because nothing else has worked so far!! -These are the most difficult Trout to catch I've ever come across anywhere in the world).