Cahill Quill

School bus Snake Fly

I am on a roll making one snake fly after the other. Although the white or black pattern works great, you can make them in any color. Here is a School bus Snake Fly.

Snake Fly

I've been tying trout flies now for almost 2 months straight and will pick it up again in the winter. Now I have to turn my attention to the surf and make some snake flies for stripers. Catching a striper on a fly in the surf is one of my favorite things to do. Watching one explode on this fly in the wash is awesome. It works really well during the mullet run that occurs in my area around mid September but we have caught fish on this fly anytime of year. I think what makes it so effective is the "V" it makes on the water and the deadly action from the orstrich herl and marabou. A smaller version of this would surely work on big browns at night.

Snake fly.

Hook 2/0 stainless long shank
Head Deer body hair clipped
Tail Marabou and ostrich herl with crystal flash

Atherton Inspiration

Similar to the Atherton #6, I liked the darker colors and the mix of dubbing.

Hook size 12
Body Beaver and red fox mixed
Ribbing Gold wire fine
Wing Olive Mallard
Hackle Dark Barred Dun and Brown
Tail Brown Spade Hackle Fibers

Conover

Been tying quite a few flies lately. Mostly traditional Catskill flies. I've also been reading a lot on the subject regarding the old famous and not so famous tiers. One fly that had my interest since I first started fly fishing and tying 38 years ago was the Conover. As many of you know, it was created by Scotty Conover and tied for him by the Dette's many years ago.

I caught my first trout on it while fishing the Beaver Kill decades ago and it still is one of my favorite. I've been trying to tie the perfect one since I have aquired a nice Golden Badger cape. Here are a few I tied today.

Leif

Hook : size 14
Hackle : Golden Badger
Body : Red Wool and Muskrat with Seal
Tail :  Cream/Lt Ginger
Thread: 6/0 tan

Catskill Quill

Given my renewed interest in tying, particularly in the traditional Catskill flies, I decided to try a few with quill bodies. I wanted to tie a Quill Gordon but lacked the stiff dun tail fibers. Instead I used brown hackle and created a "brown quill." This is a size 12. I found it interesting how certain quills from a larger peacock eye can give that segmented look. I varnished the body to give it a little more durability.

Leif

Stimulator

I am not used to tying different types of flies other than the Catskill flies and a few emergers. I guess the reason is, I have had success with the basics but this one caught my eye a while back. Since I really have a non-existent caddis fly collection, I decided to tie a few of these since they are general attractors and imitate the caddis. They can be tied in different sizes and colors. Here are a couple in size 12 and 14.

Leif

Hook 12-14
Tail Elk Hair
Body Yellow fur
Palmer Brown Hackle
Wing Elk Hair
Thorax Yellow fur/dubbing
Thorax Palmer Grizzly
Thread Orange 6/0