I used to be a wiz with plastic worms, grubs, tubes. I still can use them but don't get the chance often. I flyfish every chance I get now and have tried many zonker leeches, worms, longer buggers. I've tried to mimic the success of plastics with these. I have failed miserably. I can count on 2 hands the numbers of bass on these flies. For some reason, I have not been able to transition my success with plastics to a fly.

But I catch plenty of bass on crayfish patterns and smaller 1.5 inch to 2.5 inch minnows, or on top with hoppers and titanics, mouse and plugs. Even a few on the larger Murdich minnow. What has always puzzled me most is the leech patterns never work for me. Maybe its I'm not in same waters as when I was young. There I said it. I am no longer young.
Rickerd

 

if you like to cast light fly's longer distance make casting harnes,with that you can cast any distance fly,jig,spoon.
#1 make loop 2" with beed inside the loop on mono line,the beed is stoper for slip sinker.
you can use 1/8,1/4,3/8 or any size,depend on the dept off water you like to reach.
tie on main line swivel and quick snap ,this way you can ad or take off slip sinker with out tying,
i tie to second end harnes quick snap,you can make that from 12" to 6'.

 

What has always puzzled me most is the leech patterns never work for me.

I have always had the best luck with plastic baits for bass in heavy weeds and snaggy cover and these conditions don't really lend themselves to fly rodding.

 

Has anyone tried tying like big streamers on heavier jig hooks or bass hooks for like a T rig, to be cast with spinning or conventional gear?

I tie a double bunny streamer for trout. A couple years ago I tied this pattern on a bigger hook with heavy dumbbell eyes so I could cast it with a light-weight spinning rod. It cast fine and caught fish.

 

There's some flies out there, carp candy being a personal favorite that use heavy dumbell eyes that work great for springtime largemouth when they're near shore. Use them like flipping jigs. I used to pull 5 lbers out of a small lake east of Cleveland doing this.

 

A lot of fly guys up North in Lake Trout country tie up traditional streamer/bucktail patterns on heavy jig heads +/- 1 oz. to get down to the depths needed to catch them....

Mike