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Speed Tying Demos

For every instructional tying demo I publish to YouTube and my blog, I will also be posting a speed demo that is tying only, sped up, and set to music.  Click the button below to see my most recent speed demo covering The Carp Crawler.

Carp Crawler Speed Demo

100 Subscriber Fly Box Giveaway!

7/27/2018

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I reached 100 subscribers on YouTube and I am doing another giveaway! The video is below and will explain how to become eligible. The giveaway runs today 7-27-18 through Monday 7-30-18. The winner will be chosen Tuesday 7-31-18. A big thank you to all my subscribers for your support! 
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The Craw Jig Fly

7/25/2018

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Picture
Recipe

*Fly is tied upside down to create a snag resistant pattern that has a jigging action

Hook - 3XL, 2XH streamer hook-sz. 2 or 4
Thread - clear mono or 210 denier brown or orange
Dumbbell Eyes - 3/16 brass or lead 
Lead Wire - 6-8 wraps 0.025 lead wire
Claws - crawfish orange zonker strips each 1/2 length of body - top with 2 black rubber or silicone legs

Rib - clear mono or copper wire 
Dubbing Loop - Crawfish orange dubbing blend
Rubber legs - 2 orange rubber or silicone legs on each side of fly tied in at the end of the hook point

Hackle - one brown saddle feather

*Follow this tying progression so that your fly turns out correctly
  1. Before you fill the dubbing loop, tie in the orange rubber or silicone legs
  2. Fill dubbing loop, brush out, and wrap up to the dumbbell eyes
  3. Tie in hackle behind the dumbbell eyes and wrap back towards the claws - Once you reach the back of the fly counterwrap and trap the hackle with the rib - The rib is wrapped forward up to the dumbbell eyes

 Dubbing - Get a generous clump of brown dubbing and tie in between the dumbbell eyes and the hook eye covering the top of the fly - make sure it extends to the hook point and you can detail it with a sharpie

Head - coat with either brown fabric paint or brown or orange nail polish

Tying Notes

Once you get the steps down for this fly it can be a quick tie.  Make sure to follow the order closely.  I prefer a mono rib over wire because it bites into the materials and provides better durability.  If you use thin wire, know that it may slip over time and is more easily damaged by fish.  The upturned eye on this fly produces a nice jigging action especially when coupled with a sink tip line.  When coating the head, use fabric paint if you do not need the flies right away and can wait a couple days for the full dry time.  If you need them quickly coat the head with orange or brown nail polish and the head will be fully cured in around twenty minutes.  Multiple coats of finger nail polish is best. 

Fishing Tips

The fly is best fished on a stout, short leader of at least ten pound test tippet.  Depending on water depth I would either use a short sink tip of 5- 10 feet or a full sink fly line for deeper water.  This fly can be retrieved many different ways.  During the spring a slow hop will take lethargic smallmouth bass but during the heat of summer, a quick darting retrieve will produce aggressive strikes.  Experiment and see what retrieve takes fish in your home waters.  Crayfish are preyed upon by many fish species and if you fish this regularly you may connect with bass, catfish, carp, freshwater drum, northern pike, and even trout.  Give this fly a try!  Check out the video below to see this fly in action!
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Marabou Jig Fly

7/6/2018

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Picture
Recipe

Hook - 3XL, 2XH streamer hook-sz. 2 or 4
Thread - Clear mono or 210 denier white 
Dumbbell Eyes - silver, brass 11/64 tied as far forward as possible
Lead wire - 0.015 4-6 wraps directly behind brass eyes 
Tail - white marabou, pearl/silver polar flash
Body - medium pearl estaz and white + white barred rubber or silicone legs
1.) white - 2 on each side
2.) White barred - 2 on each side

Head - Fabric paint coats in order:
1.) solid silver on top
2.) red on bottom
3.) silver glitter top coat over solid silver
4.) pearl flitter top coat over red
*allow adequate dry time before applying top coats
5.) add fabric paint eyes
*If you would like to learn how to make fabric paint eyes on dumbbell eyes click the button below.
Fabric Paint Eyes
Tying Notes

These are easy to tie and catch a variety of fish! 
Less time at the vice equals more time on the water!  
The fabric paint adds durability and permanent color to your fly.  Make sure that the rubber legs are clipped shorter so they are not fouling when you are on the water.  Allow the fabric paint to fully dry before fishing!  If you want to learn how to attach dumbbell eyes to your flies, click the button below. 
Dumbbell Eyes
Fishing Tips

This fly is easy to fish because you can do a lot of different things with it.  Swing it, strip it, hop, twitch, and jig it!  It is meant to be fished like a jig and the marabou is the key player here.  When you jig this fly, the nose points straight down allowing the tail to stick up facing any potential fish.  The marabou moves while the fly sits still which is why this fly is so deadly.  The brass eyes also keep the hook point riding up in the water preventing snags as much as possible.  Get out and target bass with this fly and I know you will catch fish! 
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The Rust Bug Carp Fly

7/6/2018

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This video demonstrates how to tie a quick and easy carp fly.  The Rust Bug will catch you a lot of carp.  The tying recipe, dubbing and hooks for the fly, along with a video of this fly in action are below.  Tight Lines!
Picture
Picture
Picture
Rust Bug Dubbing
Rust Bug Hooks - HCS sz 12
Quantity
Color
Quantity
Recipe

Hook - High Carbon Steel sz. 12 or any other short shank hook of preference
Thread - Clear mono, orange, or tan 6/0
Brass Eyes - Copper 11/64
Tail - Krinkle or Fish Hair (tied just past the bend of the hook), 2 orange rubber or silicone legs, and a small tuft of brown craft fur
*make sure to turn the fly upside down in your vice after tying in the rubber legs!
Body - Craw orange dubbing wrapped forward and around brass eyes (dubbing loop)
Head - Brown dubbing blend tied over top of brass eyes and combed back to tail.  Coat thread head with orange nail polish and top coat with Sally Hansen Hard as Nails.

Tying Notes

These are quick and easy to tie and they work!  The Krinkle or Fish Hair provide a foul guard for the rubber legs.  Craw colors are a must have in your box when targeting carp so make sure to tie at least four to six since you will be fishing on bottom.  The brass eyes are nice because they do not rust but you could use plain lead eyes if you wanted.  Whatever thread you choose to use, just make sure it isn't too thick as you will need space near the eye of the hook

Fishing Notes

This fly works in any environment where carp are present from clear to murky water.  This fly resembles a juvenile crayfish which is at the top of a carps food list.  Just remember to keep it on or near bottom and place your casts.  The brass eyes enable this fly to get down to feeding carp even if you can see only a mud slick.  One small jig, hop, or twitch is all you need to get the attention of a feeding carp!  Click the video below to see this fly in action!
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Fly Talk Episode 1 - The Mighty Minnow Bass Streamer

7/3/2018

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Episode one of Fly Talk covers The Mighty Minnow Bass Streamer. Topics discussed include pattern construction, presentation, and fishing tips. This streamer is very versatile and just flat out catches fish.  Click the button below to get the tying recipe and watch the tying demo video.  I hope this video helps you in constructing some of your streamer flies.  If you liked this video, hit thumbs up and if you haven't already, please subscribe to my channel. Thanks for watching and tight lines!
Tying Demo
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