It has been said that some flies are tied to catch fish and others to catch fishermen. The peculiar-looking Tuscan Bunny fly is most certainly the prior of the two.
If I had to choose just one fly for top water targets that typically take prey higher in the water column then my answer would unequivocally be the Tuscan bunny.
Chicone’s Tuscan Bunny Read More »
What conditions/environment/situation was the fly designed to be fished in?
Being that this fly represents a tasty treat, this fly can be fished in all conditions all year. The best conditions will always be clear calm. I also like it when the waters are a little stirred up.
This shrimp can be fished in many ways, with floating, intermediate or sinking lines. This of course will be based on where you are fishing and for what. You know that the best way to use this fly is to first fish it in shallow waters. This way you can get a better understanding of how to work the fly. Grass and sand flats, pot holes, drop-offs, current and of course structure are my favorite way to fish this fly. I find that fishing with a sinking line in the undercuts of banks with a soft tidal change is great for those fish holding there.
I really like to fish this fly on an intermediate or sinking line in deep cuts and drop-offs during tidal changes when the current is beginning to flow.
This is the fifth installment of Redfish Flies. To read the rest of the interview, and for the complete step-by-step instructions for tying this redfish fly and 7 more, download your copy of Redfish Flies at www.saltyflytying.com $14.99 or order your Signed Paperback version today ! $24.99 + Shipping.
Has the pattern evolved or changed any over time (Materials, Tying Techniques etc.)?
No, not by much. The two changes are the hook (based on species being fished) and the addition of hollow tubing to aid the antennae from fouling (optional). I am always looking for a material to replace the main body of the fly…why? I’d like a little tougher material that has a buoyancy factor. This material also needs to be compatible with the glues used for binding the materials together. This will also keep the fly in business longer….ha-ha!
This 175 page downloadable pdf. is illustrated with ultra-hi resolution step-by-step instructions, click the link, or icon to download your copy today. $14.99 Or order your signed paperback version at saltyflytying.com $24.99. Detailed instructions for tying Drew Chicone’s Kung Fu Blue Crab, Capt. Ron Ratliff’s Fiddle Sticks Crab, Capt. Daniel Andrews’s Pine Island Ice Tea, Drei Stroman’s Budagrassy Shrimp, Chris Kincaid’s Rump Shaker, Capt. Joe Costadura’s Grass Monkey, Bill Laminack’s Gulf Shrimp, and Don Reed’s Batman pattern.
If you have questions or other topics in mind you would like explained, feel free to comment or send me an email.
Keep Your Wraps Tight & Feathers Straight!
-Drew
The Buddagrassy Shrimp – Redfish Flies Read More »
Want to make your own dubbing brush? Here’s how I do it.
How to Make a Dubbing Brush Read More »
The Five-Minute Finger Mullet Fly is a dubbing-brush pattern tied completely with synthetic materials. I created this pattern years ago in an effort to create a flashy yet realistic mullet imitation. The fly needed to be large, castable and at the same time exhibit the correct carrot-shaped profile to move water when stripped. This seems easy now, but at the time dubbing brushes were not popular yet. Very few materials on the market provided the qualities needed to accomplish the size, shape and translucency I was looking for.
Evenly dispersing flash throughout a fly is one of the hallmarks of a well-tied fly. It is relatively simple to tie in flash along with other synthetic materials to achieve a uniform and realistic look throughout the body of the fly. It is far more difficult to do when you are trying to create a cylindrical shape such as a finger mullet and finish the fly’s head with the same material. The fastest and easiest way to accomplish this, in my opinion, is with a dubbing brush. You can blend multiple colors of a material, as heavy or sparsely as you wish, and with a few quick wraps you are done. The same material you created the body of the fly with is now uniformly palmered around the hook and ready to be trimmed to its final shape.
5 Minute Finger Mullet Fly: Great for Snook, Tarpon, Baby Tarpon, Redfish, Seatrout Read More »
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I came up with the fly that is now known as Pine Island Ice Tea in late 2012. I was going through my flies the night before a charter and I was short on seatrout and redfish patterns. It was late, I was tired and I needed a few flies quick. I am a strong believer that redfish, snook, and trout in my area are not very picky about what they eat. I have filleted many fish in my lifetime, and they are full of all sorts of different things. It is crucial however to have a fly that looks natural, doesn’t collect weeds, and can be presented at the correct level in the water column. Being a fishing guide, durability was also a very important factor.
This is the fourth installment of Redfish Flies. To read the rest of the interview, and for the complete step-by-step instructions for tying this redfish fly and 7 more, download your copy of Redfish Flies at www.saltyflytying.com $14.99 or order your Signed Paperback version today ! $24.99 + Shipping.
Has the pattern evolved or changed any over time (Materials, Tying Techniques etc.)?
The fly hasn’t evolved much at all. I’ve tied it in olive and in white, they all seem to be effective colors. Sometimes I use Raccoon tail instead of bucktail, It profiles better in the water.
This 175 page downloadable pdf. is illustrated with ultra-hi resolution step-by-step instructions, click the link, or icon to download your copy today. $14.99 Or order your signed paperback version at saltyflytying.com $24.99. Detailed instructions for tying Drew Chicone’s Kung Fu Blue Crab, Capt. Ron Ratliff’s Fiddle Sticks Crab, Capt. Daniel Andrews’s Pine Island Ice Tea, Drei Stroman’s Budagrassy Shrimp, Chris Kincaid’s Rump Shaker, Capt. Joe Costadura’s Grass Monkey, Bill Laminack’s Gulf Shrimp, and Don Reed’s Batman pattern.
If you have questions or other topics in mind you would like explained, feel free to comment or send me an email.
Keep Your Wraps Tight & Feathers Straight!
-Drew
Pine Island Ice Tea – Redfish Flies Read More »
