Anyone Tie Flies?

[Wallike]

just a shot in the dark, tie one to look like a frog.

I was into fly fishing heavy and everything that goes with it when I lived in Wyoming. Moved to SD and the bass ponds are plentiful so I bought a 7 wt. and started tying for the local offering. It's a blast casting into cat tails and watching the water boil when a big bass swallowed it. I have tons of variations of frogs, streamers and frog imitations. The talk of big muskies on a fly has me interested.

 

[Lando]

I really like those Decivers and Bunny leeches. How bad are those leeches to toss? I have heard that they get heavy due to the bunny soaking up a lot of water. I tie mostly with bucktail and flash, but have found some synthetics like SF fiber that really are nice to work with and shed water like a dream. I also have started using some snowrunner (Nayat) hair an that stuff is super sexy. Here are a few I tied up last night on that 2/0 swimbait hook using Nayat and bucktail.





I have a long way to go with this pattern.

As for the size of a rod, I fish everything from a 7 wt. to a 12 wt. I know I should throw smaller flies a lot of the time, but those big ones are so addicting. The line I mostly use is the SA Sonar Intermediate line. I do have floating line along with a some full-sink line when I need to get down deep or fish very fast. I picked up the new Sonar Musky line for the lady, but we haven't had a chance to fish it just yet.

Anyway, thanks for the kind words. It is always nice to talk/dream about pike......even in the dead of winter.

 

[fireone]

Many years back I would cast small white streamers for spawning perch. The pike would come in to the creek to feed on them. The biggest pike I landed was 7 lbs. The one that got away was a biggy and I doubt if it even knew it was hooked. I had it gently up to the surface twice and then it slowly swam back into the river. No hurry. When it got to the end of the backing the 2 lb leader went plink. Like watching a slow moving car accident. It is fun to hear that reel sing.

 

[njsimonson]

I'm also using an 8 wt. It's a good all-purpose for both bass and pike and has enough oomph to toss bigger patterns.

 

[KDM]

When you are done fishing with those monster streamers, how do you clean and dry them?? When I was into fly fishing pike back in the day, I'd first spray each fly with silicone, brush it out, and then store them flat in tackle trays. It helped keep them clean and light and they shed water very well when casting. After fishing, I'd blow dry each one before storing. Rusty flies with stained hackle and feathers REALLY suck. Have you guys come up with a better way??

 

[njsimonson]

Typically, I stick my flies in the plastic console tray of my dash on a fabric "dry bag" filled with silicone and carbon that my wife buys for the house and let the defrost vent do its thing on the ride back from fishing. Seems to have worked pretty well, and I can just grab the last flies that worked the next time I go out.

 

[Lando]

I have a bucket for tools and trash in the boat....I have been hanging my flies on that, or just stick them in the dash to dry out.



I did order one of these-I think I will like it.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q1DL4HB/?tag=nodakangler10-20

I saw this fly/lure box called Just Encase.
https://justencase.com/fly-box/
. .....it was cool, but expensive.

So I made my own to store flies over the winter. I would trust these in the boat. If I found a harder plastic box that would withstand the colder days, I would consider making a better system, but for now, this works.

 

[Mr. Stevenson]

I believe I could throw your streamers on a spinning rig.

 

[CatDaddy]

Great flies Lando! On a side note, you've contributed more to this site in the short time you've been a member than many who have been here for years. Thanks for joining us crazies!

 

[fireone]

So for guys after northern pike, what are you using for leader material and what line? Weight forward or what?

 

[dblkluk]

When you are done fishing with those monster streamers, how do you clean and dry them?? When I was into fly fishing pike back in the day, I'd first spray each fly with silicone, brush it out, and then store them flat in tackle trays. It helped keep them clean and light and they shed water very well when casting. After fishing, I'd blow dry each one before storing. Rusty flies with stained hackle and feathers REALLY suck. Have you guys come up with a better way??

Just stick them on the foam panels on the outside of my streamer boxes until they are dry.

- - - Updated - - -

So for guys after northern pike, what are you using for leader material and what line? Weight forward or what?

I make my own wire leaders and usually fish with a WF floating or an intermediate sink tip depending on conditions.

 

[Lando]

I believe I could throw your streamers on a spinning rig.

They are big, but there is no real weight to them.....I could add some weight to make them more fishable with a spinning rod.

So for guys after northern pike, what are you using for leader material and what line? Weight forward or what?

I have been playing with leaders and clips to see what I like. Currently I run 60# of floro to a swivel, 40# floro to a 18" of AFW 7x7 or Vision Wireline. The wireline is spendy, but you just heat and it shrinks together. I don't trust that, so I add a bit of shrink tube over the top of the connection. I use a duolock snap in a size 2. I tried those Rio Fly Clips, but I found those hard to use when my hands got cold, so I am duolock 100% of the time.

The Lady has been reading a lot of guys using 100# floro for bite guards on leaders.....I told her we would try some of those this year.

 

[frozen4sioux]

Mason hard mono is my go to, its all I use actually. checking and retying as needed, and its never failed me.
Fairly inexpensive, cast well, and ties easily.

Wire is a waste of time and hassle after landing a few pike.

 

[Lando]

How thick and what knot are you using to tie on your fly? I have found that anything over 40#, a loop knot doesn't stick all that well.