Crafty Deceiver

Recipe
Hook: Mustad 3366 (Size 4)
Thread: 6/0 Black Uni
Tail: White Maribou
Flash: Silver Krystal Flash
Body: White Craft Fur
Gill: Red Rabbit Zonker
Eye: 5/32" Holographic Dome Eye/Epoxy
Weight: None

Initially tied with buck tail, I switched to calf tail and now craft fur. The craft fur tends to look a bit bulky and sloppy, but once wet the profile slims down. The result is a well blended, tapered body that looks exactly like a small minnow---right down to the red gills.

The epoxy is optional, but this year I'm trying some large holographic eyes. The epoxy really keeps the eyes on the streamer and makes it more durable.

This is a really fun pattern to tie and works on all fish from smallies to trout. Try this one in a size 6 for spring crappies!

Gartside's Soft Hackle Streamer

Recipe
Hook: Mustad 3407 (Size 4)
Thread: 6/0 Red Uni
Body: Cream Maribou
Skirt: Mallard Flank Feather
Weight: None

Jack Gartside would probably throw me out of his cab if he saw this version. Looks like a rat chewed on the head of this bad boy. That o.k...the fish don't care. I'll work on this one some more and update the picture later (maybe).

Palmering maribou was new to me and mallard feathers don't behave very well. Just two materials here...typical for Gartside. Simple and relatively easy to tie after you do a few. I had great luck with this one last year and have big expectations for it in 2010.

33903 Clouser

I know what you're thinking....big deal a Clouser Minnow, seen it a thousand times. We all know this pattern is dynamite, blah, blah, blah. What more can be said.

Well...This one is tied on a Mustad 33903 Kink Shank Popper Hook. What's the big deal? First, the kink really helps keep the eyes locked in, but most of all the proportions are nice. No more guessing where to put the dumbbell eyes or crowding the head. (All common problems for a caveman like me!)

Also, look at the gap of the hook. Tons of room to hook the pig that decides this is dinner!

So....in the end you were right, no big revelation...the bass don't know the difference, but you will.

Swimming Nymph

Recipe
Hook: Daiichi 1270 (Size 6)
Thread: 6/0 Orange Uni
Tail: Orange Rabbit Fur
Swimmers: Pumpkin Flare Sili-Legs
Body: Orange Rabbit Dubbing
Shellback: Peacock Herl
Legs: Hungarian Partridge

This pattern can be many things, crayfish, nymph, minnow... This was a very good pattern for me in 2009. Not a very large offering, but the smallies preferred it when I incorporated an upstream mend.

Red Faced Krystal Hackle Wobbler

Recipe
Hook: Mustad 9674 (Size 6)
Thread: 6/0 Red Uni
Weight: .025 Lead Wire (10 wraps)
Body: Hareline Krystal Hackle (or Pearl Estaz)
Tail: White Maribou
Face: Red Hen Neck Feather

This is my version of Ward Bean's Red Faced Wobbler. Ward is one of my heroes, the guy is a great fly tyer. My version is very unkept compared to his, but it works. It just looks so sloppy compared to Ward's. His have a nice taper and the "red face" is just the right size. Mine is kind of messy and the face is too long.

The big difference is in the swimming action. Wards is a compact dart that swims beautifully and smallies go out of their way to slam on it. I need all the help I can get you see... More swimming action means I can be lazier with my line and still tempt fish!

It doesn't matter if you tie yours perfect (like Ward's) and overgrown and ugly (like mine), they both catch fish!

By the way, this is the user friendly version of Shenk's Streamer. If you have read Holschlag's book and want to try to tie a Shenk's Streamer---STOP! Trust me and just tie Ward's Red Faced Wobbler. No rabbit fur, dubbing loops, and trimming. In fly tying you sometimes have to pick your battles! This streamer is a winner and it is easy to tie.

Mustad 33903...A Really Fantastic Hook!

The Mustad 33903 Kink Shank hook is a fantastic hook that many people pass up. Trust me, this is NOT just a popper hook. I feel (along with Joe Cornwall) this hook is a fantastic Clouser Minnor hook. You can see by the patterns posted so far on this blog that this is one of my hooks of choice (along with the Mustad 3366).

The kink is a great place to attach dumbbell eyes. They are locked in place and as Joe says "The kink keeps the proportions consistent from fly to fly."

Look....another great thing about this fly is the price. Check this out - $5.40 for 100 hooks at Captain Hooks Discount Warehouse. These hooks have so much going for them and they are cheap!

Next time you tie a gob of Clouser (or any weight forward pattern for that matter) give this hook a shot. Just make sure to crimp the barb.

The Whitetail Hare

Recipe
Hook: Mustad 33903 (Size 2)
Thread: 6/0 Black Flat Waxed Nylon
Tail/Body: Black Rabbit Zonker
Head: Black Deer Hair
Eyes: X-Small Plated Hourglass (1/50 oz.)

A pretty straight forward streamer, but this guy is deadly. This one is also tied in white which is surprisingly effective in the summer months. Another one you can often see get vacuumed in the fishes mouth. Now you see it, now you don't!

This is a good one to tie if you have the itch to spin deer hair. One color and kind of small....a great combination. If you are anything like me you love the idea of spinning hair, but tire of it rather quickly. These streamers tie fast and work extremely well.