Fly Tying

Ice Bugger

Posted by Ted Kraimer - December 15, 2015

Ice Bugger – Effective on Steelhead, Salmon and Trout

Yet another variation of the effective wooly bugger, the Ice Bugger is simplified, is easier to tie and offers just a little bit more slink and suave motion than the original. The Ice Bugger isn’t a radical departure from the Steelhead Bugger – which was the influence when I was looking for a way to tie a bunch of effective flies, quickly – and ended up with this design.

While it isn’t the most creative fly or variation of an existing pattern that I have come up with, the Ice Bugger does speak for itself when in the water and what eats it. Originally I tied it for Salmon and Steelhead, I have since found it works well for Trout – typically fished swung with little strips back – especially when you add a black bead head and fish it on a floating line. When using this pattern on Steelhead and Salmon, fish it just about any way you would fish a nymph – dead drift, bottom bounce and/or under a float/strike indicator. To learn more about rigging for Steelhead and Salmon fishing, click here.

Option: Add a Bead Head to the Ice Bugger

The Ice Bugger suggests a number of food sources including leeches, but I think its real effectiveness comes from its profile and motion when wet – especially when fishing in some marginally slow water which really activates the materials. The iridescence of peacock Ice Dub – which the fly was named after – only adds to its appeal.

Tie a bunch of Ice Buggers and fill your box, but don’t over dress the fly – the streamlined and sparse amount of materials is imperative.

Recipe

Hook: TMC 3761 #6
Thread: Uni 6/0 – Black
Tail: Marabou, Blood Quill – Black
Flashabou – Black/Pearl
Body: Ice Dub – Peacock
Hackle: Hen Saddle – Black

Tying Instructions

Step 1. Wrap a thread base from behind the eye to above the hook point.

Step 2. Select a marabou feather and use some of the tip section by cutting just
enough of the tip from the feather. Pinch the fibers together (as it will look when wet)
to determine the proper amount. Use the photo in Step 3 as a reference as to how much.

Step 3. Tie in tail marabou feather so it extends one hook length beyond the tie in position.
Tie down the remainder of the feather on top of the shank to provide a little bulk for the underbody.

Step 4. Tie in a single strand of Flashabou on each side of the hook so it is no longer than the tail.

Step 5. Dub a noticeably tapered body towards the hook eye, but leaving a hook eye’s space bare for the hackle.

Step 6. Select a Hen Saddle feather from the pelt that is sized accordingly. Tie in at the tip.

Step 7. Holding the stem upward with light pressure, “fold” the fibers from both side of the step backwards by pinching them. Now, wrap a collar – one wrap in front of the other – until you get a full collar. Whip finish.

Finished Ice Bugger

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Green Caddis – Steelhead and Salmon

Posted by Ted Kraimer - September 21, 2015

V-Rib or Vinyl Rib Caddis

It seems that each spring and fall when the steelhead are around, I find I didn’t tie enough flies in the off season to keep my boxes well stocked. Thankfully there are a few patterns that are quick and easy to tie, but more importantly, they are effective. The green caddis is one of them.

Caddis insects line the bottom of many rivers and their cases can often be seen clinging to rocks and logs. A gentle squeeze of that casing will bring the little grub-looking larvae out, and you will see the bright green resemblance to these patterns. While the naturals are very small (typically size 12-20), we fish them in larger sizes – serving, I think, more as an attractor or suggestion, rather than a perfect imitation of the natural caddis.

Steelhead Caddis – Dubbed

Fish love chartreuse, and some of you may have heard the expression – “It ain’t no use – unless it’s chartreuse.” We kind of say that as a joke, but when fishing’s tough, chartreuse can turn “fishing” into “catching.” The green caddis is a pattern in that color spectrum we use to bend the rod, and it often leaves us wondering why we didn’t try chartreuse earlier.

Although I feel this is one of the easiest fly patterns to tie, I often get requests to demonstrate in fly tying classes, so I thought I would post it on this website. The green caddis is also a great pattern to get new fly tiers interested in the craft as well as fill their own fly box.

Viagra Caddis

There are so many versions of this pattern I thought I would include a few as they are pretty much tied the same, it’s just that the materials are different. Other names of similar patterns include: PM Caddis, Boogie Woogie Caddis, Steelhead Caddis and more.

Tie a bunch of green caddis for yourself and chuckle at their ease and smile at their effectiveness.

Click to skip to fly tying instructions:

Diamond Braid Green Caddis
Vinyl Rib Caddis (aka V-Rib Caddis)
Steelhead Caddis – Dubbed
Viagra Caddis

Diamond Braid Green Caddis

Recipe

Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Dyed Pearl Diamond Braid –
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black

Fly Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from
behind hook eye to above barb and back again to behind the eye.

Step 2. Tie in Diamond Braid on top of the hook – a hook eye’s distance behind the eye
(leaving room for the head). Wrap over the braid to above the hook barb and back again.

Step 3. Tightly wrap the Diamond Braid forward and tie off leaving room for the head. Tie off and whip finish.

Step 4. Using black thread, restart behind the hook eye. Take the tip of the feather
and pull back majority of the fibers and tie in between the body material and hook eye.
Select a feather so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the body.

Step 5. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.

Step 6. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.

Optional – You can tie this pattern and omit the collar.

Vinyl Rib Green Caddis

Recipe

Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Vinyl Rib – FL Chartreuse – Medium
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black

Fly Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from behind
hook eye to above barb and back again to behind the eye.

Step 2. Concave side up, tie Vinyl Rib on top of the hook – a hook eye’s distance behind the eye
(leaving room for the head). Wrap over the v-rib to above the hook barb and back again.

Step 3. Tightly wrap the V-Rib forward, snugly in front of the previous wrap.
Finish where V-rib was tied in. Tie off and whip finish thread and cut.

Step 4. Using black thread, restart behind the hook eye. Take the tip of the feather and
pull back majority of the fibers and tie in between the body materia and hook eye.
Select a feather so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the body.

Step 5. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.

Step 6. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.

Optional – You can tie this pattern and omit the collar.

Dubbed Green Caddis

Recipe

Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Super Bright Dubbing – FL Chartreuse
Rib: Vinyl Rib – FL Chartreuse – Nymph
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black

Fly Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from behind
hook eye to above barb and back again to behind the eye.

Step 2. Concave side up, tie Vinyl Rib on top of the hook – a hook eye’s distance behind the eye
(leaving room for the head). Wrap over the v-rib to above the hook barb and back again.

Step 3. Apply dubbing to thread and build a body to behind the hook eye.

Step 4. Wind rib through the dubbed body and tie off.

Step 5. Using black thread, restart behind the hook eye. Take the tip of the feather
and pull back majority of the fibers and tie in between the body material and hook eye.
Select a feather so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the body.

Step 6. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.

Step 7. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.

Optional – You can tie this pattern and omit the collar.

Viagra Caddis

Recipe

Hook: TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread: Uni 6/O – Chartreuse and Black
Body: Ultra Chenille – FL Chartreuse – Standard
Collar: Hen Saddle – Speckled Brown
Head: Super Bright Dubbing – Black

Fly Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Place hook into vise and wrap a thread base from behind hook eye to above hook point.

Step 2. Use a lighter and heat up – not directly – the end of the chenille to singe and form a tapered end.

Step 3. Tie in the ultra chenille with the tapered end pointing
towards the bend of the hook. Advance the thread towards the hook eye.

Step 4. Wrap the ultra chenille 2/3rds towards the hook eye. Tie off.

Step 5. Take the tip of the hen saddle feather and pull back majority of the
fibers and tie in between the body material and hook eye. Select a feather
so the lengths of the feather barbs don’t extend beyond the bend of the hook.

Step 6. Wrap the feather forward, one wrap in front of the other covering the hook and tie off.

Step 7. Apply dubbing to the thread and wrap a snug head that is the same diameter as the body material. Tie off.

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Bobble Head Baitfish

Posted by Ted Kraimer - June 19, 2015

Gray and White Bobble Head

This multi-species fly pattern is a variation of Jimmy Nix’s Shinabou, with the biggest difference being the head material. Rather than deer hair, the Bobble Head uses sheep hair and is trimmed somewhat bulbous, this – combined with its tendency to hold air, causes it to swim erratically during and after the strip. When stopped, the fly rises slightly in the column while the current imparts movement on the long tail. The result is an alive, but wounded, baitfish look that predatory fish have a hard time resisting. The name of the fly comes from the action the pattern shares with bobble head dolls, often found on the dashboard of a car. Even at the stop light, the bobble head still moves.

Fishing the Bobble Head

Baitfish Eating Salmon

There are a number of lines fly fishers can choose when using this pattern, but much of it depends on the type of water and species they are fishing. In rivers with decent current, I like to use 30′ sink-tips with noticeably long pauses between strips.

When fishing lakes in depths 5-12′ deep, consider a clear sink-tip line and slow strip for a unique neutral suspension as you work weed lines, drop-offs and other forms of structure; this presentation can be deadly, but is more finesse fishing than most anglers accustomed to fishing large streamer patterns are comfortable doing.

If fishing deeper water in lakes, use bigger sink-tips and strip it back a little faster than the clear intermediate lines once you count the cast down to the depth you desire.

Smallmouth Bass

In shallow water / flats, a floating line can be deadly, but you will want to massage water into the fly first to keep it from floating on the surface.

I have used the Bobble Head Baitfish pattern for a number of species including trout, pike, musky, salmon, steelhead and bass. By changing up the color scheme you can alter this pattern to look like other baitfish found in the water you fish, i.e. chub, perch, rainbow, brook or brown trout. If those don’t work, there are attractor colors/schemes such as chartreuse/white, firetiger, or yellow variations (for river smallmouth bass).

Recipe

Hook: Mustad S74SNP #1
Thread: Fly Master + – White
Tail: Chinese Rooster Saddle
Flash: Angel Hair – Polar Ice
Foul Guard: Bucktail – White
Body: Marabou – White
Wing: Marabou – Gray
Collar: Mallard Flank
Topping:              Peacock Herl
Head:                   Sheep Hair – White, Gray
Eyes:                   Holographic Silver – 1/4″
Lead:                   .035 Lead Wire

Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Using 2 -1/2″ of lead wire, wrap just off of center favoring the hook eye.

Step 2. Match four saddle hackles so they are the same size and shape. Select long, wispy feathers
to provide maximum action and movement when fishing. Tie in two feathers on each side of the
hook – convex side facing out, extending beyond the hook bend 1-1/2 to 2 hook shank lengths.

Step 3. Tie in a few strands of Angel Hair on each side and
trim so they don’t extend beyond the tail feathers. See note.

Step 4. Tie in a small clump of bucktail to help prevent the tail feathers
from fouling the hook. I happened to use white on the bottom and gray on top.

Step 5. Select a full and long white marabou blood quill feather and tie in by the tip.
Wrap/Palmer through the body, stopping about a hook gape’s distance behind the eye.
Tie in a few strands of Angel Hair on each side of the hook.

Step 6. Select a full and long gray marabou blood quill feather and tie
in on top of the hook extending approximately to half of the tail’s length.

Step 7. Tie in a mallard flank feather by the tip and wrap a collar by folding the fibers backwards.

Step 8. Tie in 6-8 strands of peacock herl extending just beyond the gray marabou.

Step 9. Tie in a clump of white sheep hair on the bottom side of the hook, then, repeat on top with gray sheep hair.
After tying in, pull the butts backwards towards the bend of the hook and place a few wraps to encourage
the hair to stay there. You want the head to be tied in full because after trimming this will help provide
the shape and ultimately the movement of the fly – hence the name of the fly. Whip finish.

Step 10. Trim the sheep hair top and bottom so the butt ends of the hair transition to the natural tips.

Step 11. Trim the sides of the sheep hair head so they are relatively flat – this serves as
a keel helping the fly to track while providing the preferred profile. (Photo is a top view)

Step 12. Apply a generous blob of Super Fabric Textile Adhesive where the sheep hair tie down section is.
Apply a 3-D Eye to each side of the fly and squeeze the adhesive into the sheep, head not only to
secure the eyes but also to stiffen and shape the head to help with profile and fly tracking.

Finished Bobble Head Baitfish Pattern – 4-1/2 inches long

Notes:

– When varying the pattern’s color, consider using natural or dyed grizzly feathers offering natural barring to the pattern.

– You can tie additional flash/Angel Hair into this pattern for dirty water or low light conditions but trim it away while on the water if need be.

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Egg Sucking Leech Pattern

Posted by Ted Kraimer - March 24, 2015

Egg Sucking Leech

Egg Sucking Leech patterns are well known by steelhead and salmon anglers and this pattern is just a little more realistic looking than many of the patterns found in fly shops today.

The typical “egg” on ESL patterns is made of bright chenille or even ice dub and really serves as a large attractor/focal point to get aggressive fish to take it. While aggressive fish of these species do exist, I feel there tends to be more fish that aren’t aggressive on an everyday basis, therefore increasing the probability of fish eating this less obtrusive pattern. The larger, gaudy and obnoxious looking patterns – I have witnessed – can turn fish aside where this “kinder, gentler” pattern tends to move into the fish’s view and often garners a feeding response.

Vincenzo with a Spring Steelhead

While leeches exist in many rivers, I don’t think they ever attach themselves to free drifting eggs. I think the idea of the Egg Sucking Leech fly pattern is that of a big and bright attractor (egg) attached to large black or purple body (leech) – this pattern is a tamer version of that idea. Do I fish patterns both big, gaudy and attention grabbing as well as the smaller, “natural looking” patterns like this one? Yes, but if I had to choose just one of the two, it would be this one – especially for steelhead fishing. The plastic bead specified is a very realistic imitation of natural steelhead eggs in regards to color and size.

The pattern itself is really quick and easy to tie which is important to Steelhead and Salmon anglers in the Great Lake Tributaries since we tend to go through a lot of flies.

Recipe

Hook: TMC 3761 #6
Thread: Uni 6/0 Black or Olive Dun
Tail: Wooly Bugger Marabou – Black
Body:                    Peacock Herl and Peacock Herl Dubbing
Hackle:                 Indian Saddle – Black
Collar:                   Dubbing – Arizona Synthetic – Peacock
Bead:                    Pucci 5mm Orange Pearl

Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Place the bead onto hook. Sometimes the hole is too small and
either the barb needs to be slightly flattened or you can use a 1/2″ countersink
drill bit by hand to slightly increase the hole’s size on back side.

Step 2. Wrap a thread base from behind the plastic bead to above the hook barb.

Step 3. Tie in the marabou tail so it extends one hook shank’s length.

Step 4. Tie in a hackle feather by the tip. Make sure that the hackle barbs won’t
extend perpendicular to the hook shank more than 1-1/2 times the hook gape.

Step 5. Tie in 4 or 5 peacock herl by the tip.

Step 6. Wind the peacock forward to just behind the bead forming a nice, slightly tapered body.

Step 7. Palmer the hackle feather to just behind the bead.

Step 8. Place a little dubbing between the hackle and
bead to bridge the gap between the body, hackle and bead.

Whip finish and you have an Egg Sucking Leech.

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Twenty Pounder Stonefly Nymph

Posted by Ted Kraimer - December 15, 2014

Twenty Pounder Stonefly Nymph

The Twenty Pounder is a variation of a somewhat common stonefly nymph pattern called the Twenty Incher. Since I like to use this fly for Steelhead and Salmon, I made some changes to the pattern to accommodate fish that are typically measured in pounds rather than inches, therefore the play on the name.

The scud hook is stronger than the original TMC 200R hook and also represents a curved stonefly getting washed downstream, providing a nice, natural profile. Copper ribbing is used rather than gold tinsel because, well, copper and peacock is a really nice combination that tends to work well on Michigan rivers and out west.

Twenty Pounder Stonefly Nymph Spring Steelhead

Fish a Twenty Pounder for Steelhead

The iridescence of peacock is very natural and offers a bit of fish appeal. Borrowing elements from another pattern called the Half-Back, it just has a way of enticing fish to eat when the standard patterns aren’t working. Proportions are important, so pay close attention to where the different parts of the fly are tied. It’s pretty easy to tie and worth having in your box. And of course, if you are a trout angler, tie some up on lighter wire hooks and fish where stoneflies are present, including rivers out west.

I fish this pattern either in a dead-drift nymphing approach or with Duck-and-Chuck. Since stoneflies can be found in gravel/rocky areas as well as sandy areas (with wood) this fly is effective in various water types. If fishing in stained or dirty water, try tyingsome of these with a thorax material that offers some flash like Krystal Dub, Ice Dub or even Estaz.

Recipe

Hook:               TMC 2457 #6 – #8
Thread:            Uni 6/0 – Olive Dun
Tail:                 Brown Goose Biots
Tail Splitter:    Arizona Synthetic Peacock Dubbing
Body:               Peacock Herl
Thorax:            Hare’s Ear Dubbing
Rib:                  Copper Wire, Medium
Wingcase:       Treated Turkey Tail
Hackle: Grouse or Hungarian Partridge

Tying Instructions:

Step 1. Wrap a base layer from the eye backwards to just past above the hook barb.

Step 2. Dub a very small ball of dubbing into the bend of the hook to help separate the biots/tail

Step 3. Tie the biots in so they curve away from the hook and are even in length. I prefer to cut
two biots at once from the strip, trimming the base, and sliding them against the ball of dubbing to help split them. After tying down, trim the excess biot and advance the thread to the thorax section.

Step 4. Tie in copper ribbing on top of the hook so it extends from the thorax area backwards to the tails.

Step 5. Tie in 5 – 7 strands of peacock herl from the thorax area
backwards to the tails.Twist herl around the thread to strengthen.

Step 6. Wind peacock herl forward making a slightly tapered body
approximately 2/3rds of the way towards the hook eye. Trim excess.

Step 7. Wind copper rib through peacock body and tie off.

Step 8. Tie in the wingcase upside down (shiny side up) and facing backwards. I like to coat the backside of my cinnamon tip turkey tail feathers with a generous coat of Flex Seal to keep the fibers from separating when I pull it over to form the wingcase. Treat your feather(s) prior to tying as the adhesive needs time to cure. Some tyers prefer Krylon Crystal Clear spray.

Step 9. Tie in hackle, curved side up and by the tips of the feather and on top/over the wingcase.

Step 10. Dub the thorax a little over the peacock and wingcase then forward
to just behind the hook eye keeping the diameter slightly larger than the body.