What Are You Tying Today?

Cranked about a few San Juan Worms for the donation box.
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Came across some glass rattles for cheap, so tried one here for the first time. I wanted it under the shank so the fly rides upright, but it crowded the gap too much. It's on top; seems like it could break if it's actually enough weight to invert the fly, despite the materials padding it.

Any suggestions for placement?
 
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Not sure where I was going with this but this is what I ended up with.
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Articulated Murdich minnow/meal ticket hybrid?

Hook - B10S size 10 stinger hook

Thread - black 140 UTC/White 70 UTC

Tail - white zonker strip

Hook - Mustad R74AP size 4 streamer.

Articulation - 30Lb Power Pro braided line with 5 red glass beads

Body - Hareline large pearl cactus chenille

Flash - UV minnow belly

Head - Chocklletts body wrap UV white, trimmed

Eyes - 3/16 Orvis Mirage
 
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Came across some glass rattles for cheap, so tried one here for the first time. I wanted it under the shank so the fly rides upright, but it crowded the gap too much. It's on top; seems like it could break if it's actually enough weight to invert the fly, despite the materials padding it.

Any suggestions for placement?
Try taking a heavy piece of 80-100lb mono and tying the rattle to that with some glue (I like E6000), then just tie the mono right off of the bend of the hook so that the rattle makes noise, is easily hidden by the fly's tail, and it doesn't interfere with the shank of the hook.
 
I hate to go against the general spirit of this thread - which I think clearly trends towards creativity - but I'm posting some variation of this fly for at least the third time.

I'm tying 2 or 3 GFA Hoppers in various colors every couple days right now just to keep up with feeding the occasional tree. I haven't shown a trout a fly other than this or a stimmy in weeks. No dropper. This is my favorite kind of trout fishing.

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Still haven't stumbled across foam cylinders, so playing with some little foam ant variants
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looking good, but I promise you that the parachute ant with two dubbing balls of superfine is where it is at. It is, without a doubt, a favorite dry fly of mine, and it has been for well over a decade.

PM me your address, and I will even mail you some just for the heck of it.
 
Still haven't stumbled across foam cylinders, so playing with some little foam ant variants
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Dear hooker-of-men,

I'm old and I don't see so well anymore. I ditch the white post, run a grizzly hackle through the middle, and put a dab of scarlet red or neon orange nail polish on the head of the fly.

I'm a hothead so I like my flies to match my personality!

I did buy about 6 feet of black 1/16-inch hard foam cylinders years ago. Tying 14 and 16's I still have enough left for someone to inherit it.

Nice fly though!

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂
 
looking good, but I promise you that the parachute ant with two dubbing balls of superfine is where it is at. It is, without a doubt, a favorite dry fly of mine, and it has been for well over a decade.

PM me your address, and I will even mail you some just for the heck of it.
Give me a pic, and I'll tie some!

I'm guessing the benefit is that the dubbing body / parachute rides a bit lower than the foam body?
 
Give me a pic, and I'll tie some!

I'm guessing the benefit is that the dubbing body / parachute rides a bit lower than the foam body?
I've tried every ant I could ever possibly find, and they all sucked compared to the parachute. I generally tie them with yellow, orange, and white posts. In different conditions, certain colors show up much better.

The pros to the parachute ant are, in my opinion, as follows: 1) They are easy to see. 2) They float really well. 3) They are quick and easy to tie. 4) They land a heck of a lot softer than foam flies, and yes, I think that matters sometimes. I am not always looking for that beetle type of "plop." 5) Fish seem to freaking love the parachute ant. When the fish are looking up, and they are wanting ants, the parachute gets em every time.

I don't have a pic of one right now, but I will tie one up tomorrow and post the pic. I am going trout fishing tomorrow anyways, so I might as well cram another ant in the box.
 
Imagining a little doggie like this? (Hackle's a bit long, but that's the only size I could find in black right now)
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Looks good. The only thing I like to do is put more separation between the two dubbing bumps with just some of the hook shank covered in black thread. I think it makes it look more "anty," even though ants actually have three humps.

If I could only have a handful of dry fly varieties for the rest of my life, that fly would make the cut.
 
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