I need to do a step by step or video on this mouse with the popper head. It's actually pretty fast to tie the way I do them. The deer hair portion is essentially like tying 3-4 big caddis style wings back-to back-to-back. The belly is zonker, so there's zero trimming on a (mostly) deer hair mouse.
What have you been tying?
Inspired by a similar thread on another forum (its a sticky there... thoughts, mods?). Good place to share your recent work, inventions, experiments, etc. I know we have some great tiers here so I think this can get interesting.
I'll start with some random things from my vise in the last couple days.
Here is an experimental craw pattern using my cat's shed fur for dubbing:
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Here are some Pigtails that I tied with the intent of being fished with a sinking leader for hybrids:
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Hope to see some good patterns from everyone!
I'll start with some random things from my vise in the last couple days.
Here is an experimental craw pattern using my cat's shed fur for dubbing:
Here are some Pigtails that I tied with the intent of being fished with a sinking leader for hybrids:
Hope to see some good patterns from everyone!
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I used to have a tweed wearing friend from central PA. He had long since passed away RIP Hap, but anyhow. He invited me out there to fish one of his childhood streams. The avg the creek was 2 to 3 feet deep. The spring fed creek had a few honey holes over 4 to 5 foot deep.People may frown on such things, but this casts easily on a 4wt and the fish loved it on Friday.
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I tied 2" shad deceiver patterns that has amazing profiles. After watching him put on a dry fly clinic I swapped out for the meat wagon. Third cast I caught an 12" brookie and he looked me dead in the eye and said lol " we don't fish like that around here".
We remained friends for years and he would try to convert me to drys and I tried to convert him to streamers.
When he passed I was at his funeral and his wife jokingly said " your the only person that he ever fished with who fishes streamers".
Betty, she was a great wife. Back on point if it will cast on a fly rod well why not!
So I’ll say right up front I don’t and probably never will fly fish, however FlyTyer1 got me into tying. I only do crappie jigs and we kinda started tying them together after we met. Here’s a few I’ve done up in the last couple months with his teachings. I have a whole box full now and it’s very satisfying catching crappie on them. Maybe some small mouth jigs are gonna happen next winter.
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We have a family trip coming up to Maine, first time ever for us in that state. We have a house rented on the banks of the Saco River, which is supposed to have stripers in June (schoolies, mostly, but I don't care about size). I've started tying a few flies for the trip. This is a local pattern called the "guitar minnow," basically a spiffied up Clouser.
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I airbrushed some popper heads...then realized I needed some bigger hooks. So those are ordered and should be here in a few days.
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One thing I like about tying for new species or areas is learning about something new to bring back to what I fish for here in Ohio. I took the guitar minnow recipe and basically inverted it, made it weightless, and added some streamer dubbing at the head. In a size 4 this should be a killer on river crappies and small stream bass.
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Wet profile.
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I airbrushed some popper heads...then realized I needed some bigger hooks. So those are ordered and should be here in a few days.
One thing I like about tying for new species or areas is learning about something new to bring back to what I fish for here in Ohio. I took the guitar minnow recipe and basically inverted it, made it weightless, and added some streamer dubbing at the head. In a size 4 this should be a killer on river crappies and small stream bass.
Wet profile.
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Nice, I have been fishing up there since the early 2000's. Have you looked at the tide charts yet? Have you thought about fishing high tide vs low tide? The size of the bait if present in your location will be small 2" to 4" long. I hope you got some 4/0 and 5/0 hooks. The guitar minnow is my fave and the color scheme is simple. The profile is key of that fly. The other thing is crab patterns simple green n light brown. If you wish you are more welcome to contact me. I have several friends who live there and fish it every day. What's your line set up? Not saying you won't but I would not waste my time with floating flies. Remember also hurricane season starts in early June n peaks in October. June will be hot and I normally go mid september or early October.We have a family trip coming up to Maine, first time ever for us in that state. We have a house rented on the banks of the Saco River, which is supposed to have stripers in June (schoolies, mostly, but I don't care about size). I've started tying a few flies for the trip. This is a local pattern called the "guitar minnow," basically a spiffied up Clouser.
![]()
I airbrushed some popper heads...then realized I needed some bigger hooks. So those are ordered and should be here in a few days.
![]()
One thing I like about tying for new species or areas is learning about something new to bring back to what I fish for here in Ohio. I took the guitar minnow recipe and basically inverted it, made it weightless, and added some streamer dubbing at the head. In a size 4 this should be a killer on river crappies and small stream bass.
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Wet profile.
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Tide chart for your area
I don't know how your used to fishing tides, but IMHO you need to be there 2 to 3 hours before the time of the tide. IE if it's a 12pm tide you need to be there between 9am and 10 am. Fishing the ebb or slack tide is almost pointless. You can do it and you could catch a rat " size smaller than a schoolie".
Yesterday I had excellent success with Barry's carp fly. I lost 3 flies though and I had to tie up some more. I tied up 8 of them. It takes me about 25 minutes each. This tie is on a size 6 Tiemco 200R curved nymph hook. The left 4 are from the top or actually what the fish sees from below. The right 4 is looking down on the fly in the water. I'm not that good so they lack consistency. I use medium dumbbell eyes. This fly has saved many days for me. I usually put this on after the Barely Legals or other streamers don't work. I like to soft hackle these flies up so I use a hen coq de Leon from Whiting. The shiny stuff is thin skin and a rabbit fur tail.
I started using this fly in 2016. I bought two from Mad River Outfitters. They are 6$ each. I bought them for Carp! Well duh what would you expect. Accept I have never caught a carp using one. The first time I used one back in 2016 I caught a 17" SMB. I lost those first two flies within a week. They are usually wrapped in lead wire along with the dumbbell eyes. Well I decided to start tying up my own. I don't wrap my hook with lead wire. In the water I fish, the dumbbell eyes are enough to get it down. Everything in the river will eat them(except carp). The Rock bass tore them up yesterday.
I watched a video on Barry's carp fly From In the Riffle on how to tie it. He wraps in lead wire though. It is really easy to get this fly hung up in the rocks.
I might get out this weekend for small stream bass, so I switched gears back to local stuff. I don't know what fish think these little "creature" flies are, all I know if they love them.
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I added a half dozen bendbacks to the creek box, also. The white saddle hackles are from a Whiting American cape, so webby and very straight. The barred olive were from an MFC package, not as webby and most of the feathers aren't straight. They'll straighten up once they are wet.
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I added a half dozen bendbacks to the creek box, also. The white saddle hackles are from a Whiting American cape, so webby and very straight. The barred olive were from an MFC package, not as webby and most of the feathers aren't straight. They'll straighten up once they are wet.
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