Bass finger baby

Late season animals

As the night get cold and the frost comes in, every day these guys are still around is a joy

Well there's your problem

Tying the Beast!

I tie these on short shank barbless Gama hooks in 4/0-9/0. As a marker I divide the shank in half with thread. All materials will be placed to the 1/2 way of the thread and not past. The first layer of bucktail, about the width of a pencil, is the only chunk allowed to wrap around the hook. This makes it easier to secure. Remember that all other layers will be on top of this. If this layer spins in the starting couple of steps,it will only get worse as you add layers.
















Add a chunk of some flashabou style material.
 I prefer a pearl in the white.


 Add another chunk of bucktail. 
















Tie in a small clump of superhair, leave full length

















Tie in your first clump of yak, leave it full length.
 A little larger than diameter of pencil.
 

Tie in the top color of yak.
At this point it is a reverse of the beginning order until the top.
 














Tie in some superhair in the top color.
















 Add your first clump of deer hair
 














Add your flashabou color.
I prefer a lighter/darker color than the deer hair for contrast.
 













 
Add 5 wide tinsel and 5 holographic scale evenly on each side.
 


Then top off with peacock herl.
The herl should be tied in about a half inch longer than hook eye.
  Pull it down to the end of the thread and tie off.















At this point the fly body is done. EDIT: I apply a small amount of super glue to the
tips of the material. This helps to bullet proof them and stops them from being pulled out.
 Either glue eyes to the side and epoxy or add the foam sides and then eyes and epoxy.
Trim the fly at the end to length so the body is 2 times longer than the bucktail.
Then trim from the center of the tail to the top of bucktail to make general fish shape.
I use full length fabric scissors to trim the tail. It is easier to get a straight line.

Interesting how we learn new things.

If you look at the 2 flies below. You will notice the top fly has the head located higher and the bottom is more symmetrical. I have noticed that the flies that are not as symmetrical have a great dead minnow action in the water. Give them a good strip and then pause. They ease of to one side and then the belly tries to float up. Yank it again and it rights itself, but then as it looses momentum in the water it tries to go belly up again. Man, it looks just like an injured minnow that is dying. This has gotten me to try some new ties in order to duplicate this action. If you keep a constant strip..pause then the flies runs vertical like it should. In clear water when the fish are not as aggressive I think the dead minnow action may draw more strikes. I noticed this action when trying to light a cigar in wind. Strip. Try to light the cigar. Strip. Try to light the cigar. Strip. You get it. Testing this fall will ensue
.

What the Hell!

Went out for smallmouth and ended up with this double. These are genuin 15 pound buffalo.

I love hate my favorite spot

I have a local spot ten minutes from my house. This spot has produced the biggest pike in the area. I also get skunked there more than any where else. Last night i hated it. We will see about this weekend.

Foam heads

Between punching some new heads for flies. Got some new reflective foam, watch out pike.

What a great weekend.

My wife and daughter were out of town this weekend so I put in some time on the water Friday, Saturday, Sunday and a little Monday. Easily landed over a 150 fish. The quantities were there, but there was not many of great size. Had a good time and smoked some nice cigars. All in all a good weekend.