Post by Nick Pionessa on Jun 29, 2010 9:04:27 GMT -5
AYN (All You Need)
TUBE- ½” COPPER 1/8” DIA.
THREAD- RED 8/0
FLASH- PURPLE HOLO FLASHABOU
BELLY- PURPLE ARCTIC FOX TAIL
WING- WHITE RABBIT STRIP
HOOK- OCTOPUS UP EYE
I make no claim to inventing this fly, I’m sure there are other similar types out there. It works well and eliminates the excuse that swinging type flies for steelhead are expensive and difficult to tie. This thing should take 10 minutes tops and costs under $1 to tie. It tracks well and the ability to have the hook right at the back end of the fly as well as it’s anti-fouling design are what make this fly a winner. Endless color combos are possible with a grey wing and a white belly being my next favorite along with a black wing purple belly. This white wing, purple belly color combo was originated by Tom Cornell and is my favorite color combo for Lake Erie fish. Marabou can also be wrapped for the belly for possibly more motion but a bit less durable. Dumbell eyes can also be added to the bottom, but I find they hang up more so I rarely use them. The fly is rigged to fish with the loop method described here- oakorchardflies.proboards57.com/index.cgi?board=flytyingquestions&action=display&thread=657
STEP 1
Start the thread about the diameter of the tube back from the front edge. Make about 6 turns to secure the thread moving toward the vise. Fold some strands of flashabou under the tube and tie down, pulling the flashabou along the sides of the tube. Make sure to preserve the bare tube at the front.
STEP 2
Cut off and comb out a small bunch of arctic fox tail. Rotate the vise around so that the bottom of the tube is now up. Secure the fox tail with three turns of thread also keeping the bare space up front. Now with your fingertips and nails, spread the fox tail out until it covers about 340deg of the tube circumference, leaving a small bare space the width of the rabbit strip on what will be the top of the tube. Once it is evenly distributed make several more wraps toward the vise to fully secure it, again leaving that bare tube up front.
STEP 3
Take an exacto knife or razor blade and place it on the fox tail buts just slightly in front of the thread and making sure it is over bare tube (I told you!). Now apply pressure to the blade while rotating the vise to trim the butts off of the fox tail neatly. Make a couple more wraps of thread to fully secure the fox tail.
Trimmed butts, ready for the wing. Note the flat spot on top where the wing will go.
STEP 4
Trim a little hair off the front 1/8” of a rabbit strip and round the corners a bit with your scissors. Tie it in directly over the fox tail butts in the space we left. Note how the rabbit strip and the fox tail tough together at the sides so there is no bare tube showing between the rabbit and the fox.
Put a drop or two of head cement on the rabbit strip and the fox tail butts to secure them before wrapping over with the thread.
STEP 5
Wrap a neat head keeping it as small as possible while moving back toward the vise a bit to fully secure the foxtail and rabbit strip.
Whip finish off the thread and coat with head cement.
Now put it to good use!
TUBE- ½” COPPER 1/8” DIA.
THREAD- RED 8/0
FLASH- PURPLE HOLO FLASHABOU
BELLY- PURPLE ARCTIC FOX TAIL
WING- WHITE RABBIT STRIP
HOOK- OCTOPUS UP EYE
I make no claim to inventing this fly, I’m sure there are other similar types out there. It works well and eliminates the excuse that swinging type flies for steelhead are expensive and difficult to tie. This thing should take 10 minutes tops and costs under $1 to tie. It tracks well and the ability to have the hook right at the back end of the fly as well as it’s anti-fouling design are what make this fly a winner. Endless color combos are possible with a grey wing and a white belly being my next favorite along with a black wing purple belly. This white wing, purple belly color combo was originated by Tom Cornell and is my favorite color combo for Lake Erie fish. Marabou can also be wrapped for the belly for possibly more motion but a bit less durable. Dumbell eyes can also be added to the bottom, but I find they hang up more so I rarely use them. The fly is rigged to fish with the loop method described here- oakorchardflies.proboards57.com/index.cgi?board=flytyingquestions&action=display&thread=657
STEP 1
Start the thread about the diameter of the tube back from the front edge. Make about 6 turns to secure the thread moving toward the vise. Fold some strands of flashabou under the tube and tie down, pulling the flashabou along the sides of the tube. Make sure to preserve the bare tube at the front.
STEP 2
Cut off and comb out a small bunch of arctic fox tail. Rotate the vise around so that the bottom of the tube is now up. Secure the fox tail with three turns of thread also keeping the bare space up front. Now with your fingertips and nails, spread the fox tail out until it covers about 340deg of the tube circumference, leaving a small bare space the width of the rabbit strip on what will be the top of the tube. Once it is evenly distributed make several more wraps toward the vise to fully secure it, again leaving that bare tube up front.
STEP 3
Take an exacto knife or razor blade and place it on the fox tail buts just slightly in front of the thread and making sure it is over bare tube (I told you!). Now apply pressure to the blade while rotating the vise to trim the butts off of the fox tail neatly. Make a couple more wraps of thread to fully secure the fox tail.
Trimmed butts, ready for the wing. Note the flat spot on top where the wing will go.
STEP 4
Trim a little hair off the front 1/8” of a rabbit strip and round the corners a bit with your scissors. Tie it in directly over the fox tail butts in the space we left. Note how the rabbit strip and the fox tail tough together at the sides so there is no bare tube showing between the rabbit and the fox.
Put a drop or two of head cement on the rabbit strip and the fox tail butts to secure them before wrapping over with the thread.
STEP 5
Wrap a neat head keeping it as small as possible while moving back toward the vise a bit to fully secure the foxtail and rabbit strip.
Whip finish off the thread and coat with head cement.
Now put it to good use!