Muskie Flies

[jay348]

More of the same from my vise. Two-toned...

(sorry for the crappy pic)

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

For bucktail and feathers ya gotta be super selective if your not dying your own. The bucktails you want the longest ya can get. That's 1 problem. The other is the tailing feathers. The Other problem. This means ya have to sort thought everything to find the right material. A couple ftiends and I collect bucks and dye em ourselves.

 

[Phish_On]

Thanks paco

 

[jay348]

On the small side around 5" or 6" but I kinda like how this guy turned out.

Baby bass for the local lake:

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

Nice color sceme & tye there Jay. Kinda a loose interpretation of a slippery Pete.

 

[jay348]

Thank ya sir.

Yeah it's pretty similar. I just used what I had, and didn't feel like dealing w/ stacking hair yesterday.

Have you (or anyone else) fished anything like these? Seems like it might lack the movement of the longer "hackled" patterns; but as long as it has some twitch to it, I'll be happy.

 

[Fishidiot]

No doubt - neat looking fly Jay. Is it a single or double hook rig?

 

[jay348]

Just one hook in there - 2/0 stinger

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I never used synthetics too much. Well not st all. A couple of musky tyers on Facebook tye specifically or blend the well. I might be missing something.

 

[jay348]

Give 'em a try paco...ya never know. I've tied some that I like and some that I don't. It's a tough balance to find...a fly could look great but If it swims goofy or fouls up, I'll probably recycle the hook.

I've even seen some of the bohen patterns on online shops where they use a synthetic for the tail instead of feathers. Sure it doesn't look nearly as cool, but I'm sure it still works (I'm sure its cheaper too).

Paco, you get my PM?

 

[Fishidiot]

For what it's worth.....
I can remember back in the 90s virtually all muskie "bucktails" (I'm talking about in-line spinner lures here) were tied with actual bucktail. The consensus was that natural bucktail was unmatched for this application in that it had the best combination of movement in the water etc. All my old bucktails I built/tied from those days were deer hair.
In the last several years, however, the trend among gear guys is definitely toward flashy synthetics in bucktail spinners. There are still a lot of deer hair in spinners but many of the most popular blade baits now are entirely synthetic. They cast well, shed water, push water, and really have a nice flashy aspect.
Not sure how much of this is relevant to actual muskie flies.....but some food for thought.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I totally agree natural material can't be matched for musky applications. Bucktail is readily available and can be collected if your willing to do some work. Plus bucktail is pretty durable and if tyed right look alive in the current.

 

[TD55]

A couple of new ties. I love both of them. Both were tied with custom dyed bucktails by myself paco and bilg25.

 

[Fishidiot]

Nice ties TD. What's that black material up front - rabbit fur strip?

Today was a nice day for fishing and I was able to get out during the afternoon to one of my favorite feeder creeks. I was pretty jazzed. Three hours; blistered hands and cold feet.......Didn't even see a muskie. Not even a follow. I know it's a good spot. Just gotta keep trying.

 

[jay348]

TD I was thinking to myself, man that kinda looks like a tandem I tied once...then I realized yours is the size of that magazine page.

That's a whole new ballpark of big compared to what I've tied...even doubles.

Well done as always.

 

[TD55]

Ha jay that's pretty much how big all my doubles are typically 9-10". I tie some triples too that are 14-15".

Fishidiot that is crosscut rabbit. I use that alot for my heads. I have also been itching to get out but haven't had the chance. I'm hoping to maybe get out this weekend.

 

[TD55]

Those are tied on 8/0 universal predator x partridge hooks.

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

Heres 1 I turned out last night.

 

[bilg25]

I tied these up the other day. One was at a fly shop TD, Paco, and myself tie at. The other two were done at my place. Bucktail for sure is the way to go.

 

[plombardo]

popovics "Bob's Banger" at a larger scale.