December 2013

The original gold Crystal D was designed in 2005 as a saltwater utility fly, appealing to Snook Sea trout, Redfish, Snapper, Jacks, and myriad other species.  The idea behind the pattern was to develop a fly that would provide the same flashy appearance as a gold spoon without the wobble. For clear water situation this pattern has been modified with white and translucent materials.  One of the keys to the fly’s effectiveness is its larger profile yet light presentation. This fly was designed to imitate small baitfish and can be fished effectively in both shallow and deep water conditions.

This is the forth installment of  Snook Flies. To read the rest of the interview, and for the complete step-by-step instructions for tying this snook fly and 7 more,  download your copy of Snook Flies at www.saltyflytying.com. Read More

Because the waters along the beaches were so churned up and dirty, my normal light and bright patterns just didn’t seem to stand out. I was picking up snook occasionally, so I knew the snook were still in close to the beaches, but it seemed like they just weren’t able to pick the flies out in those water conditions. Using the Squibbster as a base, I began experimenting with various color combinations and materials to produce a fly that was more visible in ” muddy ” water.

My experience with spring steelhead fishing has shown gold/ yellow/ copper colors to be more productive. After a couple weeks of experimenting, I settled on tan as the contrasting color that appears to be visually stimulating to the fish in dirty water. Read More