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Fly Tying

Sucker Spawn Egg Fly

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 10, 2012

Sucker Spawn Egg PatternThis fly represents a clump of eggs released from either a walleye or a sucker, where it gets its name. It is easy to tie and looks very realistic when wet. Do know that if you tie it in oranges and in larger sizes to imitate steelhead or salmon eggs, it will tend to be fairly heavy and can easily drag a bit.

The material for the sucker spawn varies; some tiers choose to use angora yarn, small amounts of egg yarn, Aunt Lydia’s Sparkle Yarn to name just a few. Find what looks good to you and have some of these flies in your box. I use Needleloft yarn available at craft shops.

Sucker Spawn Recipe

Sucker Spawn MaterialsHook:      TMC 105 #6-10, Gamakatsu C14S #8 -12, TMC 2457 #8-12
Thread:    Uni 6/0 – Lt. Cahill
Body:       Needleloft in both yellow and light yellow

Tying Instructions

Sucker Spawn - Step 1Step 1.Insert hook into vise and wrap a thread base from the hook eye to above the hook barb.

Sucker Spawn - Step 2Step 2. Take about 5” of each color thread and separate the two strands, using one of each color.

Sucker Spawn - Step 3Step 3. Lay the yarn parallel along the hook shank and wrap back towards the bend in the hook.

Sucker Spawn - Step 4Step 4. Take one strand of yarn and twist in your fingers stopping just before the
material double overs onto itself, then fold over, to make a loop and tie down.

Sucker Spawn - Step 5Step 5. Repeat with both strands/colors and vary it up a little for a realistic look.
(Notice how the different colors are on both sides of the hook shank?)

Sucker Spawn - Step 6Step 6. Whip finish.

Sucker Spawn Egg PatternA complete Sucker Spawn Egg Pattern

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egg cluster pattern, egg pattern, egg pattern for steelhead, recipe, sucker roe, sucker spawn fly pattern

Thing-a-ma-Hex

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 9, 2012

Thing-a-Ma-Hex Fly Pattern

Hex fishing at night can be difficult for some just to know where the fly is, let alone if it’s on target and drifting drag- free to rising fish. Glow-in-the-dark fly lines help with their non-intruding glow characteristics, but that doesn’t show you your fly at the end of the leader, where it’s at and whether or not the fish just ate your hex or a natural bug nearby.

The “Thing-a-ma-Hex” uses a miniature, glow-in-the-dark strike indicator (expensive word for bobber) designed to be the post while helping you to keep track of the fly once its on the water. This glowing post also helps to keep the fly landing upright and floating on the water.

Charge the uni-bobber with a bright flashlight being careful not to shine Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Dry Fly Patternthe light on the water and fish you are targeting – that assuredly will put them down. The amount of glow is very subtle, so it doesn’t spook fish while providing an idea of where the fly is  located on the water.

If you are looking for a bright beacon, this is not it. You will want to dress this hex fly with floatant beforehand, and as with any dry fly, keep it out of the water until you are ready to cast. Have fun tying and good luck hex fishing!
 

Thing-a-ma-Hex Recipe

Hook:           TMC 2313 #6
Thread:        Flymaster Plus – Brown
Tail:              Pheasant Tail
Body:           Deer Hair
Hackle:         Brown & Grizzly Rooster Neck or Saddle
Post:            Uni-Bobber – Glow-In-The-Dark

Tying Instructions

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Step 1Step 1. Put the hook in the vise and wrap a base layer of thread from behind the eye to above the
hook point. Slip the uni-bobber over the eye of the hook about ¼ inch behind the eye and attach to
the hook with figure-8 wraps so it is upright. Make enough wraps and tight enough to keep it there.

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Step 2Step 2. Trim off a 4-5 pheasant tails fibers and tie in behind
the uni-bobber so the tips extend 1½ times the hook shank.

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Step 3Step 3. Select two large hackle feathers. Trim some of the barbs to stubs at the
base of the feather to provide some grip and prevent the feather from slipping out.

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Step 4Step 4. Tie in at the base of the uni-bobber with the underside/convex side of the
feather facing you. After tying in, wrap horizontally up the base of the uni-bobber.

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Step 5Step 5. Select a long clump of deer hair that is at approximately the diameter of a
pencil. Clean the under-fur and short hairs, then use a hair stacker to even it. Pull out by the
base of the hair and remove the short hairs, while trying to get the proper thickness for the
body which should be aprox. 2/3 of a pencil’s diameter. Tie in the deer hair between the
uni-bobber and hook eye so the tips extends beyond the hook half the length of the shank.
The pheasant tail fibers should extend beyond the tips making for a tail.

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Step 6Step 6. Even the hair so it is on both sides of the hook shank.

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Step 7Step 7. Gently wrap the thread backwards while holding the extended deer hair
with your opposite hand. Make for even spaced wraps falling ¼” from the tips.

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Step 8Step 8. At the end, make two or three wraps a little more pressure, then advance the thread forward
again with increased pressure, crisscrossing the wraps and ending between the uni-bobber and hook eye.

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Step 9Step 9. Trim the butts of the deer hair and tie down the head covering any deer hair that is exposed.

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Step 10Step 10. Take both the feathers at the same time and wrap them under the bulbous uni-bobber
and make a heavy parachute style hackle. Tie off and whip finish. Be sure to out head cement
on both the head of the fly and the wraps at the end of the extended body.

Thing-a-Ma-Hex Fly PatternThe end result!

Thing-A- Ma-Hex - Thing-a-Ma-BobberThe idea for this fly was borrowed from a fly called a Thing-A-Ma-Bug which uses non-glow in the dark
uni-bobbers as the post to assist with floatation and easy identification on the water.

Thing-A-Ma-Hex Victim

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glow in the dark hex fly, hex dry fly, how to tie a hex pattern, parachute hex, trout on hex

McFly Foam Egg

Posted by Jeanne Kraimer - March 8, 2012

McFly Foam Glo Bug Egg PatternThe typical material for tying Glo Bugs is Glo Bug Yarn or Egg Yarn and many, including myself have found tying nice, round looking egg flies is difficult when using this material. In the mid-1990’s a new material, McFly Foam yarn, hit the market and tying nice, round eggs has been easier ever since.  It’s available in huge array of colors and anglers can mix them up or incorporate dots very easily for a custom combination.

An advantage to tying these flies is most of the material sits above the hook shank without impeding the hook gape allowing you to use a little smaller hook while keeping the egg the focal point hiding the hook.

 

McFly Foam Egg Materials

The primary reason why McFly material works so well is its amount of elasticity.  The texture, however, is very “clingy” so if you have dry hands, dead skin and/or rough edges on your fingers you are about to learn the meaning of frustration. Try using a pumice stone to smooth those fingertips and you’ll find it’s easier to handle this material – especially when tying a couple dozen McFly Foam eggs.

There is pretty much every color variation available in McFly Foam to match the egg pattern you desire. Try mixing a few similar colors to achieve a mottled, but realistic egg imitation to accommodate the classic primary color with a dot.

McFly Foam Egg Recipe

Hook:           TMC 105 #6-10, TMC 2457 #8-12 (Scud Hook) or Gamakatsu C14S
Thread:         Danville Flymaster Plus – color to match main yarn color
Yarn:            McFly Foam – Oregon Cheese and Dark Red

Tying Instructions

McFly Foam Egg - Step 1Step 1. Insert hook into vise and make a thread wrap working from the hook eye
back to the hook point and the midway between the hook point and the hook eye.

McFly Foam Egg - Step 2Step 2. Cut egg yarn about 1 ½ inches long. The primary color should be a little less than the diameter
of a hot dog. If you don’t use enough yarn the fly won’t be as round as it should be. Use too
much and it will look a bit obtuse. The second color should be a little less than the diameter of a pencil.

McFly Foam Egg - Step 3Step 3. Lay the McFly Foam parallel on top of the hook with the secondary color on top and
wrap down with a few loose wraps midway on the yarn. Tighten the wraps and pull firmly with a
few more wraps being sure to wrap on top of one another. This is why we use a strong, flat thread.

McFly Foam Egg - Step 4Step 4. Pull the yarn upward and horizontally wrap the base of the yarn like
you would a post on a parachute dry fly. Make about 4 or five, tight wraps.

McFly Foam Egg - Step 5Step 5. Advance the thread to just in front of the yarn and whip finish.

McFly Foam Egg - Step 6Step 6. Trim the excess foam by pulling up on the yarn (not pictured) and then cut. This step
is crucial to the appearance of the fly and with a little experience you should be able to determine
the proper length. Try cutting the foam no more than half of the distance of the hook gape.

McFly Foam Egg - Step 7Step 7. After cutting, the foam looks domed not round. Take your
fingers and roll the material which will give you a rounded appearance.

McFly Foam Glo Bug Egg PatternStep 8. Your finished McFly Foam egg.

 

 

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egg patterns, gamakatsu, glo bug pattern, how to, Mc Fly foam egg, Mcfly foam, mcfly foam egg, mcfly glo bug
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