Casting Weighted Flies

Bob Clouser fly fishing for smallmouth bass. Photo by Cathy & Barry Beck

Matt left me a comment asking me to post information on how to effectively cast weighted flies and  strike indicators.  Weighted flies, especially clousers can cause all sorts of casting problems including snagged hats and even damaged rods.  I fished with a buddy that actually broke his fancy graphite rod by hitting the shaft with a clouser.  The weight on the clouser slammed into the rod at a very high speed and shattered the blank.  I have read many stories of guys snagging their head/scalps, eyes, ears, legs etc.  When you are casting large weighted flies always wear a hat and glasses.  Safety first!

Bob Clouser is the Granddaddy of weighted flies, so it's only natural we use his techniques here on the Smallmouth Fly Box.  His book Fly Fishing For Smallmouth Bass is a book all smallmouth fisherman should own.  His other book, Clouser's Flies is another one that should be on every fly fisherman's shelf.  Well, Bob recommends an oval cast when casting weighted or large flies.  The oval cast is called many things - Belgium cast, elliptical cast....but we are going with the oval cast in this post.

The concept of the oval cast is detailed in the video below (towards the end).  The oval shape of the cast keeps the fly away from the line and allows it to roll nicely.  The cast is also performed to the side of your body which usually keeps you from getting hooked.

Here is an excerpt from Bob Clouser's book Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass:

"Many of the flies I use for smallmouth bass are either heavy of wind resistant.  When casting these flies, I most often use a special cast designed for weighted flies.  This cast is also useful for sinking-tip lines and shooting tapers.  Often called the Belgium, oval, or elliptical cast, the basic idea behind it is to smoothly pull the fly line, leader, and weighted fly around in an oval with a low but upward-moving backcast and a higher forward cast.  Unlike dry-fly casting, you want to keep your loops relatively wide--though not so wide that the cast is inefficient--and minimize false casting."

In the book Bob has a wonderful pictorial series on pages 107-112 that demonstrates this technique beautifully.  Between the video above and Bob's book you should be a casting pro in no time.

I hope this post has been helpful.  My next post is going to readdress leader construction.  I have tested many leader configurations and have settled on a tapered leader that works great for larger flies.  Best of luck to all of you and if you have additional questions or would like to post a comment please feel free to do so.

Half and Half

This is just a great looking fly! Anything tied by Clouser and Lefty would have to be a killer! I have tried this one with the saddle hackle and had some trouble with the saddle hackle fouling the hook. I think some Yak fibers will add the length and and action in the tail without any hook interference.

In Bob Clouser's book Clouser's Flies Bob writes about this pattern and how he casts it into deep pools, letting it flutter down in the water column. The tail section is quite visible as it falls. Clouser says to watch it drop and soon as it disappears - set the hook! He claims some of his largest smallmouth are taken this way! I think the key to this pattern is the long flash section in the tail.

The gill section on this pattern is just awesome. Nice tip from Bob about leaving the loops loose, letting the red hair follow the thread.

When you stop and think about this pattern it's pretty easy to imaging why it is so effective. Let's face it, this is a large offering! What bass or pike could resist such a large meal, especially if it looked injured? Being the opportunistic jerks they are, bass and pike slam this one!

Both of these guys make it look so easy! Bob Clouser and Lefty Kreh are true icons to the sport of fly fishing and tying....great video!

Yak Hair Clouser

Recipe
Hook: Mustad 33903 (Size 2)
Thread: Gray Dual Duty
Belly: White Yak
Flash: Gray Ghost Krystal Flash
Top: Olive Krystal Flash
Weight: Medium Lead Dumbbell

In preparation for our Ely, MN trip I have been throwing together a series of Clousers. I bought some Yak fur a few months back and decided to use it on a few pike sized Clousers.

I'm sure most of you have seen Yak by now, but many freshwater fisherman don't invest in the material because it is bulky stuff. Yak is fantastic for bass and pike flies! It has significant mass in the water, but also has a nice translucent quality. The Clouser above is a good 4" and truth be told I could tie a 12" streamer if I wanted to. The fibers are literally 12+" long.

Yak comes in a staggering variety of colors, from polar white to bright pink. I went with olive because I know it will be a hot color in Ely.

The Dual Duty thread I use on Cousers is available at most textile/ craft stores. I have received a few emails from Fly Box visitors stating that the Dual Duty thread wasn't very durable. The variety I have is like steel cable. Make sure you get the Dual Duty with a polyester core. The thread is super durable even when something toothy grabs it. The thread soaks up an incredible amount of head cement.

Also, I wanted to comment on the Gray Ghost Krystal Flash used on this pattern. I recently picked up this material and I absolutely love it. The flash material has a fine texture and lifelike quality, so it pulsates beautifully when stripped. If you haven't picked up the Gray Ghost you really should have it! This is just one of those materials that makes a pattern a slayer.

If you are tying for tooth critters or hog bass, grab some Yak and get tying!

They always look better with eyes and a few coats of heat cement!
Get your holographic dome eyes at Bustin Bass Baits - the best deal on the internet!

The Pink Lady

Recipe

Hook: Mustad 3366 (Size 6)
Thread: 6/0 Pink Uni
Tail: Pearl Spirit River Bodi Braid
Body: Pearl Spirit River Bodi Braid
Flash: Gray Ghost Krystal Flash
Over Wing: Tan Craft Fur
Eyes: Medium Bead Chain

I was messing around in the shop trying to come up with a new crappie pattern. Well you have seen this one a million times, another Clouser rip off.

I like this one because of the Bodi Braid and Gray Ghost Krystal Flash combo. The sparkle of this fly is really neat. Craft Fur is great because it is so light and is less coarse than deer hair. Don't get me wrong, I love deer hair too, but for smaller patterns Craft Fur is easier to handle (in my opinion).

3 colors - The Pink Lady, Silver Surfer and Gold Fingerling (Yes...a James Bond reference!)

I finally found use for that pink thread in the thread rack. I remember as a kid catching a mess of crappies on pink Mister Twisters. I thought this little lady would look nice with a touch of pink!

Update on this pattern:

I have been told by many people in the past few days that this is a "bonefish pattern." Well.....I put it together for crappies and field tested it last night. The water is still cold here in Minnesota, but I caught a gob of perch. This pattern seems pretty universal to me - time will tell.

For all of you die hard bonefish guys....relax, it's ok to use saltwater patterns in freshwater! Minnesota is far away from the ocean.... As Mike Alwin always says to me "Douglas, there are no rules in fly tying!"

Fishy's Smallmouth Fly

 

Recipe

Hook:  Mustad 3366 (Size 4)

Thread:  6/0 Orange Uni

Body:  Brown/Green Variegated Chenille

Wing:  Spirit River Mottlebou

Wing 2:  Orange Span-Flex

Eyes:  Black Medium Bead Chain (4 beads)

This is my smallmouth bass version of Fly Fish Ohio's - Fishy's Bonefish Fly.  This is such a simple, but very cool pattern to tie.  In hindsight I probably should have left the Span-Flex longer, but this still has great action in the water.

Sometimes the simplest details escape us.  The bead chain eyes on this pattern (4 instead of 2) is just great.  No matter how this thing hits the water it lands facing up on the bottom.  The materials have great action in the water!

I may also use a different hook in the future, but I fish mainly in rocky sections of the Mississippi.  The Mustad 3366 is cheap and I have thousands to burn...

Thanks again for posting the original pattern Joe (Cornwall)!

The Silver Bullet

Recipe

Hook: Daiichi 1730 Stonefly Nymph Hook (Size 8)

Thread: White Flat Waxed Nylon

Tail: Gray Marabou

Body: Hareline Silver Holographic Ice Dubbing

Eyes: Large Bead Chain

This little fly is outstanding crappie and big bluegills. Since we are right around the corner from crappies, I thought I should post the pattern. You can certainly add sili-legs, wings, fancier eyes.....I've experimented with all of that stuff and this simple version seems to be the best.

The whole pattern hinges on the Diiachi hook. The 1730 Stonefly Nymph hook has a hump in the shank that gives the fly a little dancing motion when it is stripped. This hook can be purchased at the Canadian Llama Company for a good price.

I fish this fly on a light rig, typically a 4/5 weight in spring. Cast The Bullet out and let it sink, most times I let it hit bottom and then start stripping it in with sharp strips. Periodically stop stripping and let the streamer drop. This is when the hits usually occur.

I know this hook is pretty specialized, but it is worth the grief of mail ordering. This is my go to pattern for early season panfish. In fact, I ordered a size 4 version of this hook to tie up a bassified version for later this summer!

The Yak Pile

Recipe
Hook: Mustad 34185D (Size 1/0)
Tail: White and Olive Yak
Body: Palmered Yak
Collar: Olive Deer Hair
Head: Spun Deer Hair (Olive)
Weight: Small Dumbbell
Eyes: Red Dome Eye

I have been experimenting with jig hooks and came up with this oddball. I'm not even sure I like this one yet.... Fun to tie though!

What do you guys (and gals) think?

A few days after I was done messing with this design I picked up the May issue of In-Fisherman and found the article called "Spring Hair Days For Smallies". Here is a snippet from the article:

"...that big body of hollow deer hair holds up. It's got so much buoyancy, it tries to maintain a horizontal profile, and its slightly head-down attitude suggests a distracted minnow or leech."

This is not the sexiest pattern, but based on the In-Fisherman article it should be deadly for early season smallies if it is fished slowly and kept toward the bottom. Twitching or any jigging motion is a real no-no with this pattern. Slow and steady is the key to success.