>>>What Are You Tying Today? Part V

[WWKimba]

Hill's Floater - This pattern was designed by C. A. Hill from Gross Point, MI. Mr. Hill was a fisher but NOT a fly tyer so his design was first tied by (and sold) by Paul Young from Detroit in the 1930's. This late summer/fall attractor pattern and can be tied as a little yellow stone pattern when tied in smaller sizes. Besides trout, this pattern is effective on bass and panfish as well.

Hook - Mustad 94831, 12-14
Thread - black
Tail - red hackle fibers
Body - bright yellow chenille
Hackle - grizzly. palmered

 

[WWKimba]

Houghton Lake Special - The history of this pattern is a bit confused with several people who have claimed this design as their own but, Bob Jewal is generally the one credited with this pattern. He was a school principal from Pinconning, MI. This fly has been fished in Michigan waters since the 1940's and is a killer brown trout pattern when fished at night as either a wet or dry fly.

Hook - Mustad 79580, 2-4
Thread - black
Tag/Tail - red wool yarn
Rib - medium or wide flat silver tinsel, tied in a close spiral
Boddy - black chenille
Wing - brown bucktail (2 parts) over white bucktail (1 part). tied full
Hackle - brown, tied heavy

 

[JerryC]

Jerry,
The patterns look Great !
Would you mine sharing the submerged pattern recipe. The colors are unreal !

Sure,
Hook- 3/0 Eagle Claw Aberdeen Crappie hook(larger pattern). Same hook, size 2 for the smaller.
Thread- 3/0 olive or orange
Weight- medium plain dumbbell eyes, tied in Clouser style(1/3 the shank length behind the hook eye)
Eyes- bent map pins, black, orange or white colored Olive with a permanent marker
Claws- Zonker strips 1/4" or 1/8"
Body-Variegated chenille, ice chenille/crystal chenille, or Estaz, and two feathers either saddle hackle or Schlappen twisted together and wrapped.
1. Tie in dumbbell eyes on top of the shank. I'm tying them in 1/3 the shank length from the eye. You can tie them in closer to the eye if you want a better jigging action.
2. Tie in the eyes. I bend the pins about halfway down the shaft. I tie them high on the shank. I want the eyes to sit just in front of the bend and about half way up the bend, and a V shape to the spread.
3. Tie in the claws on the side of the shank, you want them to sit below the eyes. I like the leather portion of the Zonker strip to be vertical.
4. Tie in the chenille, I wrap it down to eye then make a wrap or two between the eyes. Wrap down the tag end just behind the eyes
5. Tie in the feathers, by the butt end on either side of the chenille, curved side toward the chenille.
6. Put the tips of the feathers and the chenille and twist them together tightly. I try to separate the barbules so they don't clump as I'm twisting them.
7. Wrap the twisted chenille/feathers toward the hook eye. I try to make sure they're facing toward the hook. Doesn't always work. I'll make a wrap either over or under the eyes, then a couple of more wraps toward the eye. Tie it off and trim. Build a small thread head.
Colors- most of the crayfish in the lake I'll be fishing have a mix of olive, orange and tan. So I use a mix of olives(light/dark) and orange(bright/dull) chenille, and feathers, olive, orange and tan(some are barred)
I also color the leather on the Zonker strips, either orange or olive. You don't have to.
Here's a better look at front of one.

On this one the eyes are orange. I'll admit I've never seen a crayfish with orange eyes. Call them a hot spot. Claws are black-barred crayfish orange zonker strips. I colored the leather orange. The feathers, one is light olive and the other a darker orange, might be black-barred(grizzly)

 

[Flylife]

Sure,
Hook- 3/0 Eagle Claw Aberdeen Crappie hook(larger pattern). Same hook, size 2 for the smaller.
Thread- 3/0 olive or orange
Weight- medium plain dumbbell eyes, tied in Clouser style(1/3 the shank length behind the hook eye)
Eyes- bent map pins, black, orange or white colored Olive with a permanent marker
Claws- Zonker strips 1/4" or 1/8"
Body-Variegated chenille, ice chenille/crystal chenille, or Estaz, and two feathers either saddle hackle or Schlappen twisted together and wrapped.
1. Tie in dumbbell eyes on top of the shank. I'm tying them in 1/3 the shank length from the eye. You can tie them in closer to the eye if you want a better jigging action.
2. Tie in the eyes. I bend the pins about halfway down the shaft. I tie them high on the shank. I want the eyes to sit just in front of the bend and about half way up the bend, and a V shape to the spread.
3. Tie in the claws on the side of the shank, you want them to sit below the eyes. I like the leather portion of the Zonker strip to be vertical.
4. Tie in the chenille, I wrap it down to eye then make a wrap or two between the eyes. Wrap down the tag end just behind the eyes
5. Tie in the feathers, by the butt end on either side of the chenille, curved side toward the chenille.
6. Put the tips of the feathers and the chenille and twist them together tightly. I try to separate the barbules so they don't clump as I'm twisting them.
7. Wrap the twisted chenille/feathers toward the hook eye. I try to make sure they're facing toward the hook. Doesn't always work. I'll make a wrap either over or under the eyes, then a couple of more wraps toward the eye. Tie it off and trim. Build a small thread head.
Colors- most of the crayfish in the lake I'll be fishing have a mix of olive, orange and tan. So I use a mix of olives(light/dark) and orange(bright/dull) chenille, and feathers, olive, orange and tan(some are barred)
I also color the leather on the Zonker strips, either orange or olive. You don't have to.
Here's a better look at front of one.
View attachment 1641226510
On this one the eyes are orange. I'll admit I've never seen a crayfish with orange eyes. Call them a hot spot. Claws are black-barred crayfish orange zonker strips. I colored the leather orange. The feathers, one is light olive and the other a darker orange, might be black-barred(grizzly)

Jerry,
Thank you so much for sharing !

 

[WWKimba]

Jackson's Parachute Hopper - A pattern from Bob Jackson from Kalamazoo, MI in 1978. Bob started tying in 1947 and taught fly tying classes at Kalamazoo College. This is NOT an easy tie and is quite time consuming to tie and therefore it is not for newer tyers! Keep a lot of head cement handy! It seems to fish best during August when the color of the naturals have faded and is a great fly for a hopper/dropper combo as it is an excellent floating fly.

Hook - Mustad 9672, 10
Thread - tan
Tail - mottled turkey feather fibers
Underbody - natural deer hair, tied parallel to the shank and ends tied as a post
Overbody - light dull yellow or cream colored yarn, 1-2 ties under the tail to act as an egg sack
Rib - grizzly hackle, palmered and trimmed
Underwing - red golden pheasant flank feather fibers
Overwing - mottled turkey, extended to the back of the tail
Hackle - brown, tied parachute then post cut short

 

[WWKimba]

Jeff's Deer Hair Caddis - This pattern is from Jeff Bonnin's vice in 1990. Jeff is from North Muskegon, MI and is owner/operator of, ‘Steelhead Connection
Custom Flies’ and claims that, in his experience, this pattern out fishes any other surface caddis pattern. A good, quickly tied 2X2 pattern.

Hook - Mustad 94840, 10-20
Thread - tan or light olive
Body - brown antron or color to match naturals
Wing - light deer hair
Head - flared and clipped butts from wing hair, muddler style

 

[WWKimba]

Jeff's Para Drake -Designed by Jeff Bonin in 1993 to imitate the Grey Drake spinner. Grey Drake spinners do not fall in the "classic" spent wing fashion but land on the water in odd positions and this pattern imitates this,

Hook - Mustad 94840, 10-14
Thread - black or grey
Tail - 6-8 moose mane fibers
Rib - brown mono-cord
Body - light Hendrickson dubbing
Post - grey antron carpet fibers (grey poly used above)
Hackle - medium dun

 

[WWKimba]

Lacey Stephan - Designed by Au Sable boat builder, guide and fly-tyer Lacey Stephan Sr. this was one of only two patterns he ever fished with. The other was the Bicolored Walker. This pattern can be fished any time of day in any water. When Lacey first tied this fly he called it the "Deer Hair Brown Hackle" but most people now know it under the Lacey Stephan moniker.

Hook - Mustad 38941 (if you can find one!) or Mustad 94840, 10
Thread - black
Tail/Body - natural deer hair tied parallel to and beyond hook shank, tail made from extension of hair that is tied as spun
Wing - separate natural deer hair, tied trude and just extended beyond hook curve (calf tail may be used instead)
Hackle - grizzly and brown mixed

 

[WWKimba]

Lady Bicolor Walker - Originated by Michigan fly tyer Ralph Hanna around the late 1950's to early 1960's to be used during the Brown Drake hatch.

Hook - Mustad 94831, 10-14
Thread - black
Tail - PT fibers, tied in a "V"
Egg Sack - yellow yarn, tied just beyond the curve of the hook
Body - reddish brown yarn
Body Wing - brownish grey deer hair, tied trude and extended beyond curve of the hook
Throat Wing - white hen hackle tips, tied spent
Hackle - brown and grizzly hackle, mixed

 

[WWKimba]

Martin's Deer Hair Hex Fly - This pattern came from a Michigan veterinarian C. R. "Doc" Martin in the late 1970's for the Hex hatch.

Hook - Mustad 9672, 4-8
Thread - orange
Tail - a small clump of moose body hair
Body - natural deer hair, tied parallel to the shank
Rib - crisscrossed thread
Wing - matched pair of ringneck pheasant wing cover or shoulder feathers, tied upright and divided
Hackle - variegated ginger

NOTE: Variations include using white deer body hair for the body, wings can be tied spent, and/or you can substitute white hackle for the ginger.

 

[dc410]

Snakehead popper tied on a size 2 Gamakatsu B10S stinger hook.

 

[tomgamber]

I grt my popper paint at the junk jewelry store at the mall. Claire's? Lots of colors. $1 a bottle.

 

[hooker-of-men]

Would like the head smaller, but I'm happy with it as first time adding elk hair and a bunch of legs to a foam body. I have no doubt it will draw strikes on the small streams that are the only trout game in town right now.

 

[WWKimba]

Michigamme - Originated by Len Halliday as an all-season, all-around general pattern.

Hook - standard dry, 8-14
Thread - black
Tail - 2 grizzly hackle tips
Body - grey wool
Wing - natural deer hair, tied spent
Hackle - 2 brown plus 1 grizzly hackle, mixed

 

[WWKimba]

Michigan Caddis - Created and tied by the owner and tyer of Bill’s Fly Shop, Bill Koernke of Grayling, Michigan. Bill owned the store in the 1980's through the 1990's. This nice floating tie was designed for the Hex hatch.

Hook - Mustad 94831, 6
Thread - black
Tail - 2 moose mane hairs tied at a 45-degree angle
Under Body - yellow dyed deer hair, tied extended to ~ 1/3rd tail
Overbody - natural deer hair, tied extended to ~ 1/3rd tail
Post - white deer hair
Hackle - grizzly and brown, mixed

 

[hooker-of-men]

Would like the head smaller, but I'm happy with it as first time adding elk hair and a bunch of legs to a foam body. I have no doubt it will draw strikes on the small streams that are the only trout game in town right now.
View attachment 1641226575


View attachment 1641226576

Always nice when a plan comes together

 

[WWKimba]

Michigan Caddis - NOTE: This is how the fly is fished MINUS the vise, of course! Originated by Frank Cupp of Redford, MI and estimated first tied in the 1950's. It is rare for a dry pattern to be tied on an inverted, down-eyed hook.

Hook - Mustad 94840, 6-10
Thread - black
Tail - several moose body hairs
Body -natural deer hair, tied parallel to the shank and flaired at the tail
Rib - thread tied as a figure 8
Wing - grizzly hackle tips, tied tent style over the body
Hackle - grizzly and ginger, mixed and trimmed on the bottom

 

[WWKimba]

Michigan Grey Drake - This is a newer fly, first designed in the 1990's, but the originator is currently unknown. Even though it does have a following in Michigan.

Hook - dry, 10-12
Thread - black or brown
Tail - 2 moose mane fibers, tied long
Wing - calf tail, tied spent and sparse
Body - fine grey dubbing

 

[WWKimba]

Michigan Hillbilly - Credit for this design goes to 3 brothers - Harry, Leon, and George - Martuck who were avid fly fishers in the '30's and '40's on the East Branch of the Au Grey River. Of the 3 brothers, Leon probably is the best remembered as the founder of the Scientific Angler's in Midland, MI. The fly got its name for a stretch of the river that ran through a local farmer's land - the farmer was respectfully referred to as the hillbilly by the brothers.

Hook - Mustad 39840 (if you can find some!) or 94844, 8-14
Thread - black or brown
Tail - brown hackle fibers
Egg Sac - peacock herl
Body - red chenille
Wing - woodchuck hair, tied down and just beyond bend of the hook
Hackle - brown

NOTE: You will need to treat with a lot of floatant if fished dry or may be fished as a wet fly. May be tied with a yellow egg sac or yellow body and you may substitute fur or synthetic for chenille.

 

[WWKimba]

Michigan Night Caddis - Designed by Art Winnie in the 1920's. It was named "caddis" and the name has stuck over the years even though this is a pattern for the nighttime Hexagenia limbata mayfly hatch.

Hook - long shank dry, 8 or larger (above tied on a Daiichi 2220, 😎
Thread - black
Tail - grey turkey primary quill, about 1/2" long and tied in a "V" (as grey turkey is rare to find, you may use grey goose as I did in the above)
Egg Sac - yellow wool yarn
Body -yellow wool yarn
Rib - brown and grizzly hackle, palmered together from in front of the egg sac to the throat and trimmed short
Wing - 4 grizzly hackle tips, tied spent
Hackle - brown and grizzly, mixed