First sculpin helmet attempt

[mike_richardson]

Just got my hareline order last night so I was anxious to get cracking on the sculpin. I wanted to wait to try the paterns listed on the fish skullz websit so decided to make my own. These are a wooly bugger/ sculpin hybrid. I made the tail a little sparse on the marabou tail sculping but they really dont have a big tail anyway. The chennille was a new type that was olive with brown bars in it. I will keep playing witht this but i am happy with the way they turned out so far.


Things i may change:
longer shank hook
less deer hair on the bottom or elimintate-tough to keep out of hook eye area
Add marabou wrap behind head.


Let me know what you guys think.

 

[Ramcatt]

skip the longer shank hook and tie them on a tube so you can go with a short shank

those look good
but i hate fish skulls/helmets

 

[mike_richardson]

Never heard of tying on a tube. I did see a youtube video where a guy did that but didn't know why. I thought it was so he coulds show customers and not have them impale themselves. LOL

 

[sandfly]

since you are still a novice, keep tying the way you are now. they look good.....long shank hook keeps the body shape nice and the tail is the only part that (swims) like a real fish...the body taper looks real nice...

 

[Ramcatt]

the tube will allow you to have a short shank = better leverage on fish and you won't junk a fly when removing it from a fish

since you can cut tube to whatever length, you can relly dial in the size of the fly

just get some of the HMH micro tube and vise adapter (its cheap and Hareline sells them) a short shank hook like an octopus hook will do you well or a straight eye bait style hook (which are now being repackaged as "tube hooks")

back to the helmets
i hate them
but with a tube, the concentrated weight is good for offseting the boyancy of the plastic tube... a the hole will fit a tube nicely with a quick burn and a bit of super glue or Clear Cure Goo to lock it in

 

[eunanhendron]

Hard to know from your description whether you used this or not, its kinda confusing, you said you wanted to wait to use the website patterns, and in the same sentence said you tied your own.

Anyways
here is the skulpin bugger from Fy men
http://flymenfishingcompany.org/flytying/patterns/skulpin-bugger/

Try a 3 xl hook. Not too long, but good for buggers

 

[ryguyfi]

Tubes are more commonly used in spey casting for salmon. Check them out, they're pretty interesting. Basically the tube fly is threaded on the line, then a small hook is attached. When a fly is taken, the fish is hooked by the hook, but the fly can freely move up and down the line so it doesn't get destroyed. I've thought about it for great lakes steel, but I don't do much of that type of fishing up there (swinging).

Check out some pictures online of sculpins. Try to match their body shape and colors. They're typically a brown olive, but can change depending on where you are.

They are a HUGE source of food for trout. Fish those with confidence!

 

[mike_richardson]

Yeah i checked out the fish skullz bugger but did a little improv. I used pine squirrel strips for the fins. I did not like the look of the rubber legs.

The biggest brown trout i have ever caught was on a live sculpin back in my bait fishing days. I think these should work decently. I liked my version a little better than the fish skullz but i will be making a better tail. These were tied at 11 oclock after a long day and sneaking in a few minutes of tying time to play with the helmets.

Will post a few hero shots when i catch something.

 

[mike_richardson]

I like that idea. So you just string the fly like a minnow. LOL Good idea.does the material stay on to the tube just as good as a hook. might look into thin in the future

 

[mike_richardson]

A few different angles. and colored head. Will be ordering more olive and brown heads as well as barred rabbit strips in olive and brown colors.

 

[lv2nymph]

I've never tried the helmets, sure do like the look of them. Nice looking ties you've got there. I'd be interested in what you think of them once you've had a chance to take them for a swim or two. You can really have a good time with the right streamer pattern, gonna give them a go on smallmouths?