Trophy Fishing TN Forum - Caney Fork Trout Fly Fishing - Caney Fork Trout Guide
Cold Water Fishing Reports => Miscellaneous Cold Water Rivers Streams and Springs => Topic started by: MikeA on January 22, 2010, 10:05:48 AM
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I'll be spending alot of time chasing them this year from the looks of it. That really doesn't suck at all. ;D
Anyone want to share some fly patterns?
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Murray's Mad Tom in black does well for me when clousers aren't cutting it and they aren't on top.
http://www.flyrodreel.com/files/flyfish/Fly-Rod-and-Reel-Online/April-2008/Six-Big-Smallie-Streamers/2.jpg
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there's a new fly out of CA that's killer for smallies when tied in appropriate sizes; Charlies Airhead, developed by Charlie Bisharat a couple of years back. Umpqua is marketing this fly now, if you google it you can track down some pics. I think it's derived off of a Popovic Siliclone -- using loosely spun wool that's trimmed to shape for a base for the head, but coated with shoe goo rather than silicone, so it's MUCH more durable and lighter, as you can use a thinner coat of goo than you can silicone. The goo traps air in the wool, so if you fish them on a fast shooting head (like T14) and a loop knot they'll twitch and dart and dive like nobody's business, a very Zara Spook-ish action, then slowly suspend when you stop your retrieve... Chuck them on a floater or intermediate and they're great on the surface. Throw a mono loop weedguard on them and you can fish them through just about anything. I started using these last fall and have been VERY impressed, smallies, lmb, stripers, and even got some nice redfish off Apalachicola on them, too! I've been whipping up some muskie-sized variants using yak/Icelandic sheep hair and flashabou for a tail. Will post pics of these soon. As soon as the river levels drop they're going to get field-tested...
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gaspergou, that is exactly the fly I'm looking for. It could be made to look like a Tube jig too. The tube Jig is an absolute killer on the Smallies in the creeks I fish. Do you know what to use to thin goo or goop?
Pic of Charlies Airhead
(http://www.umpqua.com/images/PRODUCT/medium/1591.jpg)
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Some cut and past infom from Fly Fisherman forum about this fly. Looks like he is using wood in the head??
60.Charlie’s Airhead, Bisharat’s…3 colors in 2, 1/0, 3/0
Near Sacramento, in Charlie’s backyard is a 1,300 sq ft wood shop, where, for years, Charlie crafted world famous traditional long bows. So when the
bug hit him, especially a maniacal quest for HUGE bass, it seems fitting that Charlie turned to using wood. Thus began his quest for big flies that weighed little and could be cast relatively easily. And Charlie began crafting woodplugs to shape his flies. He first coated them with silicone (ala Popovics), then tried Softex (ala Ryzanich), but discovered that ‘ol Shoe Goop yielded the
perfect and quickest finished flies. After several years of tinkering…and fishing, the Airhead was born.
Essentially, it’s a body of Slinky Fibre, “gooped” over a carefully shaped wooden plug.
The result is a relatively light fly that can still represent large baitfish bodies…it
is practically indestructible (try stepping on one), can be cast fairly easily, is tied on a big-gaped Gamakatsu Siwash hook. The final result however, and
what truly makes this fly is…THE ACTION. While this fly will swim and track on
long pulls, it is best fished with short, aggressive but intermittent 6-12” strips,
with definite pauses. On the slack, it will dart and veer either right or left.
On floating or intermediate lines the Airhead can be fished very
shallow. It will ride topwater until the airpocket is pushed from the hollow head. Then it will dart and veer (short strips and pauses)
erratically, only a few inches under the surface.
· This slow sink rate makes it a deadly fly for shallow sight fishing…
· When fished on heavier sinking lines, deeper in the water column, the Airhead performs just as crazily, neutrally buoyant, veering (short strips and pauses) left, left, right, left.
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I like the fly.
I have been researching SMB and LMB flies for a few days and plotting my Spring, given the Caney circumstances.
So, what about the Collins and Rocky rivers above Rock Island? If you run back up the rivers? Anybody had any luck there? Not asking for specific spots or honey holes, just wondering how productive these rivers can be.
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Thanks for the post Mike.
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Another photo I found.
(http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4295794030_147957d643_o.jpg)
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Those rivers can be very productive. You can put in at Kings Landing and run up from there. Just keep in mind those rivers are also known for handing you your ass in a paper sack to.
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Hmm, I guess it's not as close to the siliclone as I thought. So you'd pull the plug out of the back end after the shoe goo dries?
I think you can use toluene to thin goo, though I'm not sure you want to; if you smear from the front to the back you can get a pretty good layer as it comes out of the tube. Several places (including Bisharat) suggest using Photo Flo to get a smooth finish on the head. I haven't found anyplace locally to get it, but haven't looked all that hard...
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The last two years have been really tough on the Collins and other Caney tributaries I have fished. Mike called it right and I seem to catch a few fish or get completely skunked....
Best times for me on these rivers are June and July.
I will let you all know when I am going to do some wet wading this summer.
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Mike and Brady, thanks for the replies on the rivers. I don't mind getting my ass handed to me if I am learning and on the water.
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You can look at these babies here in NashVegas, as FlySouth has a full line up. I am afraid at 9.00 each, they will be slow to take off. I like the fly, alot!
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I found them online while searching for pattern info for cheaper but after shipping they would cost about the same. :-\
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I was admiring these flies just the other day at FlySouth (as Jarrod mentioned earlier) ... Spent a few minutes trying to figure out how they were tied ... Looked like the material was tied to the hook, forward facing ... Then wrapped back over a dowel ... gooped/glued in place ... great profile ... without a lot of weight ... Not sure how well they'll hold up to fish teeth ... but a good looking fly nonetheless ...
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Funny you should ask...I was just sorting out my smallie boxes
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h173/Fred_Mertz/DSC03068.jpg)
If you're looking for an alternative to the fly posted above for about half the cost,
people I trust tell me the Murdich Minnow is catching anything big that swims, including
smallies.
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h173/Fred_Mertz/DSC03066.jpg)
And you can get them here...http://www.michiganstreamside.com/flies_streamers.htm
(Mod, please yank this link, if not appropriate)
And, here's one I made and called the Silly Crayfish.
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h173/Fred_Mertz/DSC03070.jpg)
It's silly because of the silly legs, how easy it is to tie, and how many smallies it catches. The 1 1/4 inch holographic copper isn't cheap, but it sure grabs their attention.
Can't wait to get after 'em again!
Mike, thanks for starting this thread. I'd love to see other's "go to" flies for smallies.
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These are a few examples that worked wonders for me last season:
(http://i574.photobucket.com/albums/ss184/samuellooper/100_1108-1.jpg)
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Sam,
Those look good!
What hook are you tying them on?
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Fred, take a look at this thread with the complete instructions and recipe.
http://trophyfishingtn.com/smf/index.php?topic=3661.0
Great fly!
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Thanks Steve. I'll give it a shot.
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Well I hope you all realize ther are no smallmouth in Middle Tennessee at all. That coupled with the cost of travel and fuel I suggest everyone who is thinking about smallies just forget it and go catch some skip jack.... we have plenty of those ;D
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Here is some tying info I found on a pattern called Surf Candy. Check it out.
http://www.stripersurf.com/FG_RubberCandy.htm
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Thanks to whoever pointed out that Charlie's Airheads are hollow (Duh!). I built up a new test batch using the blunt end of a Sharpie as a base, everting the hair backwards over the pen and goo-ing the heck out of the head. More Shamu-looking than CAs, but also more gizzard shad-like. Hmm... Length on that is about 4". On a quick test below Nickajack this past Saturday they had excellent action and accounted for several nice white bass and a big drum (boy, that was a hoot!). I'm not sure the little bit of extra flotation over wool-based versions is worth the additional effort during tying, but I'll keep at it...
The second pic is one of the aforementioned muskie-sized wool-based/goo-covered versions. I tossed one for a bit hoping for a wayward striper, to no avail. Looks like it's going to be a while before the rivers drop enough to test them on toothy critters...
[attachment deleted by admin]
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Fred Mertz, Our smallie boxes look very similiar. I see a lot of the same patterns in yours that I carry. red/white hackles, zoo cougars, T&A bows, clouser floating minnows,wigle minnows, etc.
I've been tying more articulated lately. Good for bass and trout
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l114/gltroutman/SD531874.jpg)
(http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l114/gltroutman/SD531883.jpg)
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Nice flies.
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Nice flies Gary we need to get together and fish this season if it every quits raining
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GT,
Those are some nice ties you have there.
Looks like you do fine work. I love to fish the crayfish patterns, too.
Sam,
Tried to tie one of your yellow and chartruese flies. Used a red hook.
(http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h173/Fred_Mertz/th_DSC03101.jpg) (http://s64.photobucket.com/albums/h173/Fred_Mertz/?action=view¤t=DSC03101.jpg)
I've got some work to do to make them look as good as yours, but it looks like it may fish.
How are you presenting them to the fish? Just on the quarter swing?
Thanks for sharing the pattern.
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strip, strip, pause...
kinda like them workin' wemmens..... ;) i support single mommas
don't tell my wife