>>>What Are You Tying Today? Part III

[Dave_W]

Getting ready for winter - a big ole mess of scuds and cress bugs!

 

[GenCon]

Dave_W wrote:
Getting ready for winter - a big ole mess of scuds and cress bugs!

Dave, those cress bugs are great.

GenCon

 

[mooney4]

Wow Dave!! They look great!! Whats the shell made out of?

 

[bigjohn58]

Any possibility we can get a recipe for those cress bugs? Those are some of the best looking ones I have seen!

 

[dc410]

I echo the above posts. Awesome looking cress bugs, Dave.

 

[dc410]

Real nice Green Drake soft hackle, Mike.

Here's a size 10 Green Rockworm. 5/32" black nickel tungsten bead and 12 wraps of .015 lead wire. This fly will get down in the water column in a hurry.

 

[Dave_W]

Thanks fellas.

My cress bugs and scuds are custom made with individual bodies I've designed, cut to size and shape. They're made with paint, cloth, and foam. One of these days I'll write up or videotape the techique.

The legs on the cress bugs are just light gray hackle, palmered, and trimmed. Leave some longer tips at the front of the fly to simulate antennae. Note that cress bug naturals are ligher colored on their undersides and their legs are much lighter than the shell, which tends to be dark gray or dark olive.


One of the most common problem with conventional scuds (esp. those tied on curved hooks) is they tend to flip upside down when fished. I fish my scuds with a retrieve and I want them to swim upright so I build a foam/weight counter balance inside to get the scuds to swim upright. Their movement in the water is much more natural this way. Note also that scuds should be slender and have swept back hackle to match a legs, which are swept backward when swimming.

 

[bigjohn58]

Dave_W wrote:
Thanks fellas.

My cress bugs and scuds are custom made with individual bodies I've designed, cut to size and shape. They're made with paint, cloth, and foam. One of these days I'll write up or videotape the techique.

The legs on the cress bugs are just light gray hackle, palmered, and trimmed. Leave some longer tips at the front of the fly to simulate antennae. Note that cress bug naturals are ligher colored on their undersides and their legs are much lighter than the shell, which tends to be dark gray or dark olive.


One of the most common problem with conventional scuds (esp. those tied on curved hooks) is they tend to flip upside down when fished. I fish my scuds with a retrieve and I want them to swim upright so I build a foam/weight counter balance inside to get the scuds to swim upright. Their movement in the water is much more natural this way. Note also that scuds should be slender and have swept back hackle to match a legs, which are swept backward when swimming.

Definitely looking forward to it!

 

[Dave_W]

Some generic nymphs.. .

 

[NewSal]

Dave_W wrote:
Some generic nymphs.. .

I dig em!!
I really like the black / nickel beads, been utilizing them a lot lately, very nice buggy pattern dave!

 

[nomad_archer]

Midges, midges and some more midges. Now to ties something bigger because the small hooks and giant jaws on this junk vise are making me crazy.

 

[just_jon]

Dave_W - I note you tie both grey and olive cress bugs. Do you find one more productive than the other or are they ties to mimic the natural in different waters. I ask because I have better success with olive on Big Spring and grey on the LeTort.

 

[Dave_W]

just_jon wrote:
Dave_W - I note you tie both grey and olive cress bugs. Do you find one more productive than the other or are they ties to mimic the natural in different waters. I ask because I have better success with olive on Big Spring and grey on the LeTort.

Interesting!

I can't say I've had more success with cress bugs of different colors but it would be an interesting experiment over a season. As you know, the popular Shenk cress bug is usually tied more in the grayish spectrum. In my experience, cress bugs tend to be darker (at least over the top) than most folks tie 'em.

I've spent a lot of time gazing at cress bugs (and scuds swimming in water) and I have found that it is difficult for me to get a good color match for cress bugs.

 

[afishinado]

Big Spring Cress bug color with pic here from a past thread.

 

[nfrechet]

 

[nfrechet]

 

[GenCon]

Norm, nice BND. That was the first streamer I ever tied. Also caught my first trout.

GenCon

 

[nomad_archer]

My first attempt at lefty's deceiver in #6 6xl. I am really liking the way the feather wing or tail streamers look.

 

[Volksnurse]

Little black stonefly nymph...Sz 18. I'm either getting lazy or just don't have the patience for biots 'cause the rest I'm going to do with rubber legs. But the biots DO look better. Let's hope the trout's don't care.

 

[NewSal]

some productive nymphs I like to fish on the j