Fly tying other than Bluegill

[paul sach]

Count me in Rick ... My interest is in deer hair bass bugs ....

Paul

[Kenneth Atkins]

For largemouth bass I have tied a couple of deer hair frogs, a cross between a Messinger's Frog and a Whitlock's Frog. It is tied on a 2/0 stinger hook and two size 6 hooks.  On each of the smaller hooks tie bucktail in a open/ ballooned out thunder creek style (green on one side and white on the other). Tie off at the bend of the hook to make the frogs thigh, and continue part of the way around the bend of the hook (this makes a bent knee joint) you want about a 90 degree angle.  Tie the green/white combo on alternating sides so the you will have a right and left leg.  Cut off the rest of the hooks just past the "joint" if you want.  You now have the rear legs of the frog.  Place the large hook in the vise and tie in a hard mono weed gaurd (if you want one).  Spin a clump of green deer body at the bend of the hook and tie off your thread.  trim the hair into a cone shape to be the frog's butt (point at the rear of the hook).  Re-start your thread and tie in two lenghts of wire or mono (one on each side of the hook shank) to attatch the legs.  Tie all the way back to the butt of the frog leaving a long tag end hanging off the back on each side.  Slip a hook eye from the rear legs through the wire (make sure the green side is facing up) and tie the tag end of the wire/mono back up the hook shank leaving a small loop at the back. Repeat for the other leg.  The small loop will be a hinge allowing the legs to pivot forward and back;  you tied the hinge all the way back to the butt so that the "butt" will keep the legs in the forward position.  From here on up to the hook eye "stack" white deer belly hair on the bottom of the shank and green deer body hair along the top, "packing" the hair tightly as you go.  You may stack in spot or stripes as you go if you wish.  About a third to a quarter back from the hook eye, tie in a bunch (three or four) green rubber legs (knotted at each end).   Once you stack and pack up to the eye of the hook tie off leaving enough room to tie in the front of your weed gaurd (if you chose to have one).  Whip finish and clip your thread.  Trim the bottom of the fly (frog) flat (don't cut your thread wraps holding on all that deer hair-  it REALLY sucks to have made it this far and do that- trust me). Trim the top and sides in a teardrop shape, tapering back to the cone shaped butt.  Trim in some eye sockets and glue in some googley doll eyes.  If you are using a weed gaurd, restart your thread and tie in the front of your weed gaurd.  Whip finish and trim your thread.

 

If the rear legs were tied in right they will be in a position roughly parallel to the hook shank and will "kick" backwards on every line-strip.  Fish on an 8 wt. floating line around lilley pads or farm pond shorelines where frogs jump in when you walk past.  I've even had a 1 1/2 lb green sunfish hit this fly (I don't know how it fit it in it's mouth as the frog's body was the same size as the fish's mouth, plus the whole bend of the hook and point).

[paul sach]

Lee, when you get ready to come south for peacocks let me know...I give you a couple of excellent canals and ponds down here in Palm Beach county to catch Peacocks .... Re tying materials ..your going to find out that peacocks are most vicious hitting fish you have experienced ..they just tear up everything, especially when you miss a strike and they get piece if it ...they just have tendencey to shred everything ..I gotta look for a balsa wood popper I saved that they destroyed and show you, looks like they took a buzz saw to it ..they are a great game fish, where I live is just about the cut off point for them,they dont survive cold water conditions ..but for surface action ..nothing like em ...
Paul

[Rick King]

Heres one Paul - called a Zoo Cougar