Scud Tails?

[flyfishermanj]

Guys and Girls,

As I just finished up a dozen scuds, I can't help feel that the tail is more for the fisherman than the fish. Anyone have any experience with tail-less scuds or does it actually make a difference. I'm going tie a few without as a little experiment, but was just wonder what everyone else thinks.

JH

 

[The_Sasquatch]

One area where the tail might make a difference is on the strip. If you dead drift your scud, it may not make that huge of a difference, but scuds swim. I often times strip my scud in at the end of a drift. I can see how the tail might add some motion and reality to the strip.

 

[surveyor06]

I think most of the finer details in flys are for the fisherman. I use the walts worm for a scud imitation, and its just dubbing. I catch plenty of fish with it.

 

[dubthethorax]

I was fishing a size 16 scud yesterday that was just palmered tan ostrich herl, thin skin back, and wire rib. No tail or antennae. Fish were taking it just fine.

 

[flyfishermanj]

dub,

the pattern I've been tying is just a little dubbing to cover the lead, ostrich herl palmered with a swiss straw back. also reinforced with a fine wire rib.

JH

 

[dubthethorax]

Unless I'm czech nymphing, I usually tie my scuds unweighted. I feel like they break free from vegetation and flow freely in the water, which would be the natural presentation to a fish, vs. bouncing off rocks. I think the wire rib is just enough weight to get them down in the column if you arent fishing ripping fast water. I might add a shot a foot up or so, but I like to keep them up off the bottom. I've always had better luck this way. maybe its just me

 

[afishinado]

dubthethorax wrote:
Unless I'm czech nymphing, I usually tie my scuds unweighted. I feel like they break free from vegetation and flow freely in the water, which would be the natural presentation to a fish, vs. bouncing off rocks. I think the wire rib is just enough weight to get them down in the column if you arent fishing ripping fast water. I might add a shot a foot up or so, but I like to keep them up off the bottom. I've always had better luck this way. maybe its just me

Me too. In addition to above, adding weight to the shank of a curved scud hook flips it upside down. Another good reason not to add weight to your scud patterns.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Scud hooks are weighted as it is anyway, right? I never felt the need to add EXTRA weight.

 

[dubthethorax]

The_Sasquatch wrote:
Scud hooks are weighted as it is anyway, right? I never felt the need to add EXTRA weight.

When you get down to tying them on a 20 or smaller, I dont think there's weight difference between a scud hook and an emerger hook. Maybe I'm wrong. :-?

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I think you're right there, but I don't think I ever tied a size 20 scud, so I have no first hand experience. I likes my scuds bigger.

 

[surveyor06]

I like big scuds as well. Not to say little ones done work, but I've had better luck, and bigger fish, with good size scuds. I like a size 14