Bucktails and Streamers for Central PA

[UncleShorty]

What bucktails, (hair wings), and/or streamers, (feather wings), do you use in Central PA?

I'm particularly interested Lycoming, Bedford, Blair and Huntingdon Counties.

I'm reading "Streamer Fly Tying and Fishing" by Joseph D. Bates, Jr. I'll see about hookin' fish later this spring. But he's got me hooked right now...

 

[GenCon]

I still fish some of the old classics. Micky Fin, black nosed dace.
There is always the good ole wholly bugger. But I especially like these. This is my version of a Moto minnow. Very effective. Has a sculpin type profile in the water. These would work anywhere.

GenCon

 

[McSneek]

I tied up some moto minnows but haven't had any success with them - granted haven't given them much of a chance. I do like how they look, especially if you mix the hackle colors i.e. black and olive like pic #2.

Uncle Shorty - hate to state the obvious but if I was going to throw a streamer in a stream like Yellow Creek or the Little Juniata I would start with old reliable - the woolly bugger.

 

[jifigz]

I only carry a small assortment of flies with me most of the time, and generally for 99% of applications a wooly bugger or a clouser minnow gets the job done. I also like how cheap the materials are for both and how easy they are to tie quickly.

 

[RLeep2]

I do most of my trout streamer fishing with downsized bass patterns. For example, size 8-10 (3XL) Murray Marauders in pearl/white or all black, small craft fur or ostrich herl Clousers marked up with Sharpies and this fly from Ward Bean's WW site: http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns6.asp?page=7 again in #8-10's. I use wooly buggers as well, but prefer the above.

The Bates book has a lot of good information and is a mainstay of the literature that every fly angler should read at some point. There isn't a single pattern in it though that is day in and day out any better or more effective than any of those in the paragraph above.

 

[UncleShorty]

Thanks to all for the informative replies.

I've tied a lot of hair wings, mostly Black Nosed Dace and Mickey Finns. But I've not tied many streamers, with the exception of wooly buggers.

I'm thinking about tying up some of the "classic" hair wings and streamer patterns. That should be fun.

It's 87 degs in TX today. Sweatin and wine drinkin' weather ain't far off. Nor is the bluegill spawn.

I'll be in PA the first week of Apr. Lookin' forward to those frosty mornings on some beautiful PA waters...

 

[NJTroutbum]

Check out the streamer section in my video's. All are PA patterns.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEYzctOgRqj-kIqwVC7kMxnzlVrJjneV7

 

[UncleShorty]

Thanks, Bum

 

[barrybarry]

Been fighting with these for years. If I was a smart I'd be tying more Woolly Buggers.

These are untested. Eye's are a little too large. I had a great success using micro jigs on spinning gear a decade or two ago.

Every year about this time I stock my box with buggers and then start playing around with streamers that I think should work. They never do. They never outfish a bugger. Always the same. Marabou and Beadheads/clousers. Various colors.

You'd think that learn.

 

[Dave_W]

UncleShorty wrote:
I've tied a lot of hair wings, mostly Black Nosed Dace and Mickey Finns.
I'm thinking about tying up some of the "classic" hair wings and streamer patterns. That should be fun.

They will indeed be fun. . . and will nail trout in PA as well today as they did fifty years ago.

 

[franklin]

A simple streamer pattern that I've had a lot of success in Pa with is by **** Taulleur. I don't remember the name (I'll have to look it up) but it is simply a long streamer hook with India hen hackle tied in as a tail (two feathers tied at butt) and feathers from same India neck hackled up hook shank as body. Tied in brown or olive. These are quick and cheap to tie and I use them especially around debris where their loss is no big deal. I have a couple other variants in mind to test this year.

Another effective pattern I have, also from Taulleur, is a maribou and hair streamer that has a lot of olive and yellow in it. (I'll have to dig out details tonight as I don't have the recipe here at work.) Including the yellow seems to be a turn on for central PA browns. it works well on Penns and the LJ. Also an easy tie and low cost so no worry is lost to snags.

I'm a big fan of Taulleur as he has a lot of simple flies that are easy to tie and very effective.