What Are You Tying Today?

Tups Indispensable wet

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JLB said:
Tups Indispensable wet

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I like those colors together.

When I tie light Hendrickson dries, I sometimes tie the body with a reddish brown thread. When the flies get wet, the darker reddish color shows through the light dubbing in a weird translucent way that - I think - gives it a more organic appearance. This reminded me of that. Very cool pattern.
 
I've been slowly filling up my bugger box over the last few days. All fresh ties in there ready for when I'm able-bodied enough to fish again. One of my 2024 goals was to simplify, so I am gonna try to only carry these streamers while trout fishing.
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For all of you football fans: The Blow Torch.

With Michigan leading Alabama by 7 points last night, and playing in overtime, Alabama had a 4th down at the 3 yard line, and needed a touchdown to tie the score.

Sabin called a play that he expected would TORCH the Michigan defense. Instead, he BLEW the call. A quarterback run straight up the middle. Whodda thought? Michigan’s defense did. They tackled Jalen Milroe on the 2 yard line and won the game, 27-20.

Note: The Jig is Up on these flies, as it is on Alabama’s winning streak. And here’s a few Crimson Tide Blow Torches in memory of last night’s game.

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mt_flyfisher said:
For all of you football fans: The Blow Torch.

With Michigan leading Alabama by 7 points last night, and playing in overtime, Alabama had a 4th down at the 3 yard line, and needed a touchdown to tie the score.

Sabin called a play that he expected would TORCH the Michigan defense. Instead, he BLEW the call. A quarterback run straight up the middle. Whodda thought? Michigan’s defense did, and tackled Jalen Miroe on the 2 yard line and won the game, 27-20.

Note: The Jig is Up on these flies, as it is on Alabama’s winning streak. And here’s a few Crimson Tide Blow Torches in memory of last night’s game.

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Nice play on words through your post, and that was a helluva game to watch. It's about time the Big 10 got a "W" in the bowl games.

I've never fished a blowtorch..I also don't know if they fit into my simplistic approach to flies for 2024 .....
 
hooker-of-men said:
I like those colors together.

When I tie light Hendrickson dries, I sometimes tie the body with a reddish brown thread. When the flies get wet, the darker reddish color shows through the light dubbing in a weird translucent way that - I think - gives it a more organic appearance. This reminded me of that. Very cool pattern.
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Picture when wet
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Interesting all the disdain for foam in caddis and stimis. I use em on both and have had good luck and performance with it. I know one thing is to not pull the foam too tight or you just compress all the air voids. Or just don’t use foam haha.

Tied up some bigger dries and some Baltz paranymphs
 

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falcon said:
The fly is a Ed Shenk pattern. The fly was originally tied with rabbit in a dubbing loop unweighted.
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Yes, that's why it's called Shenks white minnow. ;) Also why asked about the rabbit because I was hoping he had something easier to work with. Haven't tied one in decades but remember the rabbit being a little difficult to spin as software it was. Dubbing loop is a good idea.
 
tomgamber said:
Yes, that's why it's called Shenks white minnow. ;) Also why asked about the rabbit because I was hoping he had something easier to work with. Haven't tied one in decades but remember the rabbit being a little difficult to spin as software it was. Dubbing loop is a good idea.
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The arctic fox is a great material to work with, the pack I have is a Hareline product. Spin it up in a dubbing loop, wrap it on for the body. I then tease it out all around the shank with a dubbing brush (for me that’s a .22 bore cleaning brush). Then just trim it up. Give it a try - I think you’ll like it.
 
Rabbit was used as it absorbs water. The arctic fox has longer hair so it would be easier to insert in a dubbing loop. The fly fishes better without or lightly weighted. Eyes would be a good addition.
 
You're right. The rabbit sank like a stone. Fished the Skuke near Shoemakersville one day and caught no less than 30 decent smallies all on that fly. Felt like cheating.
 
The Shenk's Minnow is such an easy and simple looking fly. I have never fished one, but I'm sure it crushes lots and lots of fish under the right circumstances. The real question, however, is how much better can it work than a white woolly bugger or bugger variation?
 
Many years ago at the Lancaster Flyfishing Show I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Ed Shenk specifically about his White Minnow pattern. He actually recommended that I blend white rabbit fur and arctic fox for the body (rabbit for the sinking factor and the Fox fur for its great dubbing properties). He said the magic behind his fly is that “it’s a fly that the fish just love to chew on”. They just tend to hang on to it and chew on it longer because it has a soft and natural feel to it.
 
dc410 said:
Many years ago at the Lancaster Flyfishing Show I had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Ed Shenk specifically about his White Minnow pattern. He actually recommended that I blend white rabbit fur and arctic fox for the body (rabbit for the sinking factor and the Fox fur for its great dubbing properties). He said the magic behind his fly is that “it’s a fly that the fish just love to chew on”. They just tend to hang on to it and chew on it longer because it has a soft and natural feel to it.
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Makes perfect sense. He may have mentioned this in his book "Fly Rod Trouting" where he discusses the fly. I have the book in my library.
 
His book lists the fly under Chewy Flies.
Hook #10 to #2 3X to 4X long
Tail - white marabou not quite as long as hook
Body - cream or white fox tied as a fur chenille ; trim to shape
Head - thread, black or grey; painted eyes optional

No mention of rabbit. However I have seen it tied with rabbit

Regardless of the fur used, the fly wetted may have to be squeezed to eliminate the trapped air allowing it to sink
The fly being light enters the water quietly but projects a large profile which is important fishing Spring Creeks.

Ed knew his stuff and was considered the best fisherman among the Letort regulars.
 
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As someone who grabs a bugger before almost anything, I gotta say it's a killer. I guess I gotta tie some up during the "snowy winter". It's been a minute so I'm curious to fish em side by side.

Which is where I am these days. I'm not a counter or a picture guy. I like to see what I can MAKE them take see if this works better than that. Basically just a lot of f#$&ing around.
 
I would imagine the fly would work well on the West Branch Delaware when Cannonsville is spilling and many dying pastey colored alewife are washed down river. Dead drift with a ocassional twitch.
 
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