For the FLY OF THE MONTH, scroll down...

CLUB ANNOUCEMENTS for FLY TIERS:

1. Looking to learn about fly tying or want to spend time tying with others? Join the "Liars Club" group every Tuesday night from 6:30-9 PM at 2628 Constitution Avenue (near Swift Road). Ask Craig Smothers for more details (contact info below).

2. We're looking for donations of fly tying materials to add to the Club's resources for teaching others about our sport. If you have an old vice, materials or other equipment you aren't using, please consider donating it to the Club. Contact Craig Smothers for more information. Thanks!

TO reach Craig Smothers, send e-mail to: thefishdoc@comcast.net, or call, Mobile phone: 941-266-5209.
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FLY OF THE MONTH:
Courtesy of Craig Smothers
ROPP'S REDFISH BENDBACK

The nature of Bendback Flies makes them weedless. The extra fold of hair in the front of this fly makes it nearly impossible to hook weeds. Fished with
soft 2"-3" strips, it will slide through the toughest weeds down where the Redfish are looking for lunch.

HOOK: Mustard 34011 size# 5/32
EYES: Gold Dazl Eyes/Orvis salt water eyes
THREAD: Brown Flymaster Plus/Uni thread 140
TAIL: Golden Brown Marabou
BODY: RootBeer Krystal Flash
WING: Aunt Lydia's Craft & Rug yarn-brown, Barred Ginger Saddle Feather
Center (Brown) poftion of a orange or yellow dyed bucktail
GLUE: Dave's Fleximent

RECIPE
1. Bend hook approximately 114" behind hook eye
2. Tie eye in just behind bend
3. The tail is a rather full puff of marabou tied on top of the hook, just under the length of the hook. Tie in six strands of Krystal Flash on both sides of the tail.
4. Tie in yarn just forward of the jam knot from the marabou. Over wrap forward to just behind the eyes, then back to the jam knot again. The idea here is to create a uniform diameter of the body. Tie the Saddle feather in atop the rear jam knot, then move your thread in front of the eyes. Soak with glue. I wrap one wrap of the yarn, one wrap (palmer) of the feather, another wrap of the yarn, and so on. This builds strength and durability in the body. Tie the feather down behind the eyes. Wrap eyes with yarn and tie down in front of eyes.
5. The wing should be full. Tie in the hair leaving the excess sticking out in front of the hook eye. Tie in six strands of Kystral Flash. Trim the excess hair to 1/2". Fold it back over and tie it down. Whip finish and glue.
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Grassett’s Grass (Snook) Minnow
Submitted by Capt. Rick Grassett

I developed this fly, also known as Grassett’s Snook Minnow in the spring 2008 Orvis catalog, mainly for snook fishing around lighted docks and bridge fenders at night, but have also used it successfully for false albacore, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, trout and ladyfish. It is sort of ½ shrimp and ½ glass minnow with some weight to get it down in a fast current. It is available locally at
CB’s Saltwater Outfitters.

Materials
- #4 Mustad 34007 hook (can also be tied on size 2 and 6 hooks)
- Medium bead chain eyes (other options are small bead chain eyes for # 6 hook or x-tra small 1/50 oz. lead eyes for # 2 hook)
- Chartreuse thread
- Polar Bear or white EP (Enrico Puglisi) Fiber
- Pearl Flash-a-bou (or night glow)
- White or Pearl Estaz or Ice Chenille (Medium size)
- 20# Hard Mason mono for weed guard, if desired (this fly rides hook down and is usually fished in deeper water but a weed guard will make it easier to get off of docks without snagging them).

Tying Instructions
1) Tie bead chain eyes on top of hook just behind the eye of the hook. Lead eyes should be tied on the bottom. Lead eyes are used in very fast currents or following cold snaps when fish may be deeper. This fly rides hook down and lead eyes tied on top will turn it on its side.

2) Wrap thread back to bend of the hook and tie on tail, kind of sparse. Tail should be about 1” long (total length of fly will be 2”). Put 6 or 8 strands of flash-a-bou, either pearl or night glow in tail

3) Tie on Estaz or Ice Chenille at base of tail and wrap forward to just behind eyes and tie off.

4) Add weed guard of 20# Hard Mason mono (if desired). Cut about 2” long, flatten ends and twist ½ turn before tying each end on sides of head. Then cut to the proper length so it extends just past the point of the hook.

5) Finish fly by making the head of the fly and coat with Flexament.

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From Ron Whiteley - To see how to tie the Estaz Marabou fly, visit: www.fishbuzz.tv
and then select "Fly fishing"..."Flys"...then "Estaz marabou." It's a fly that works great in our local waters.

Previous Month's FLY OF THE MONTH:
Unknown Origin Tarpon Crab
Submitted by Craig Smothers

PHOTOS: 2 different flys by 2 different tyers-neither of them me...CS

I have had no less than three local guides give me copies of variations of this unique spun-hair tarpon crab. I’ve even come up with my own variation, which has caught fish for me. Although I would never want to produce a bunch of these, they are at least a challenge to those of us who enjoy spinning some deer hair. They are also something to include in your arsenal of tarpon flies for “one of those days.”

Spinning deer hair is not that difficult. I find the difficulty in consistency. Perhaps this is why I’ve received so many different variations. It can be a great deal of fun.

Materials:
Thread: Flymaster + (this is important)
Hook: Gamakatsu SC15 2H or Owner 5170 AKI in #3/0 or #4/0 (I know this sounds large)
Tail: 6-8 Large Matched Grizzly(?) Neck hackles, a bit of calftail or bucktail
Body: Some decent quality (and length) deer body (back, not belly) hair
Eyes: #50 burnt mono (Stiff), build the eyeball with epoxy

Necessary Equipment:
A Vice that will hold a 3/0 hook securely.
Magnum hair stacker
Poodle wire brush of Mustache comb
Double edge razor blades
Curved scissors

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Last Month's FLY OF THE MONTH:

Tarpon Fly
Ingredients:
Hook:Gamakatsu SC15 Wide Gap 1/0-4/0
Rabbit Zonker strip natural
Crystal Flash:Pearl blue
Whitting Saddle hackle: Blue
Thread:Black

Step 1.
Start the thread about mid-way down the hook shank and tie in a mono loop to keep the tail from foiling around the hook.

Step 2
Tie in the rabbit strip.

Step 3
Tie in 4-strands of crystal flash.

Step 4
Tie in two saddle hackles and palmer forward and tie off.

Fly Tied by Capt. Justin Rea
tarponfishingkeywest.com

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Past Month's FLY OF THE MONTH:
Watch It Wiggle by Craig Smothers

Hook: Mustad 34011 #2
Tail: Arctic fox body hair dyed olive
Body: New Age chenille in olive
Legs: Round rubber leg in olive with sparkles
Eyes: 5/32 Brass barbell
Wing: Arctic fox in olive
Flash: olive or peacock Krystal Flash

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JANUARY'S FLY OF THE MONTH: Saltwater Bunny

Hook – Mustad #34011 or similar hook, assorted sizes.
Thread – Clear monofilament or color to match fly.
Tail: Saddle feathers tied deceiver style or rabbit zonker strip. If a zonker strip is used for the tail, I suggest tying a mono loop off the bend of the hook to prevent entangling on hook bend.
Body – Cross cut rabbit strip wound up and to the eye of the hook.
Eyes – Dumb bell eyes are optional or reflective on a deceiver style head.
Head - (Optional) Chenille.
This pattern is one of the “classics” for striped bass. The rabbit presents life like movement in the water. It also compresses making the fly resemble many types of bait fish, shrimp, and small squid. As with all the classic patterns, there are times when this fly will out produce all others. Tie it with dumb bell eyes for increased action, and for times when you “have to get the fly down.” Tied in all white, not only is it an excellent bass pattern, but one of the best to use for false albacore. I caught my first “from shore” albacore with an all white bunny. Tied with a pink body it’s an excellent small squid pattern. Make sure you carry some in chartreuse, yellow, and black. It’s very easy and an inexpensive tie.

Zonker and cross-cut rabbit can be purchased already cut, but I prefer to purchase the entire rabbit pelt and custom cut what I need.

Paul Denice supplied the fly from the Housatonic Fly Fishers Fly of the Month.
If you have any questions about this fly Paul can be reached at 203 734-7879 or e-mail me at pdinice@snet.net.

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LAST MONTH'S FLY OF THE MONTH: Furry Foam Crab
Fall and winter fishing sees many of the forage fish leaving town. Shrimp and crabs dominate the resident predators diets in the cooler months. Though most may think of the furry foam crab as a bonefish fly, it makes a great sight fishing fly on the clear cool flats. It lands softly. The legs add a great deal of movement with very short strips. The eyes are a functional weedgaurd. The palmered feather makes the fly stand hook point up in the back. Lastly, the squishy nature of the material keeps it in the fishes mouth the extra moment in which to set the hook.

Materials:
Hook: Mustad 34007 #2 or #4
Thread: Flymaster 6/0 Color to match.
Tail: Calftail in black, brown or olive, 2 Grizzly neck feathers, 4-8 strands
Krystal Flash
Body: Furry Foam in tan, brown or light olive, Grizzly silicone legs, saddle
Feather in grizzly or black
Eyes/Weight: 5/32 (xsmall) lead eyes, eyes stalks burnt from #12 Mason

RECIPE:
1) Put the hook in the vice point down. Tye the lead eyes on about one-eighth inch back. Thread back one quarter of the way past the hook shank’s bend. Tye in a small bundle of calf tail with the tips pointing down at 45* to the hook shank. On either side of this, tye in the two neck feathers splayed out. Top that with krystal flash. Tye in the base of the saddle feather right at the hook bend.

2) Flip the hook in the vice, point up. Cut a small ½” square of furry foam. Tye in a corner of the furry foam right over the saddle feather. This crab has three sets of legs. “X” on three strands of silicone legs spaced evenly between the lead eyes and the foam’s tye in point. Palmer two wraps of the saddle feather behind the foam. Pull the foam upward and impale it on the hook point. Now, palmer the majority of the feather towards the rear of the hook, between the legs. Tye the feather down just behind the lead eyes, trim, then wrap the thread forward to the hook eye.

3) Fold the foam down to the hook and tye in. Place one burnt mono eye stalk on either side of the hook eye and tye in. These should curve upward and forward protecting the hook’s point. Whip finish and glue with fleximent.

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FLY OF THE MONTH: Craig’s Nite Deceiver
This has to be one of my favorite summer-time flies for both inshore and offshore action. With a few variations in color and size it will cover everything from a pinfish to a sardine. It lands softly around spooky fish, is easy to cast. Being the generic baitfish, I’ve caught almost every type of fish on it including many baby tarpon and most of my largest snook.
Feather work intimidates a great number of tyers. With some practice, tying a razor-sharp tail section is not all that difficult. Craig Smothers

Hook: Gamakatsu Stinger in 1/0 or 2/0
Thread: Flymaster 6/0 white
Eyes: Silver Prismatic 5/16 eyes
Tail: 4-8 Matched white or bleached grizzly neck feathers
Throat: red rabbit hair
Cheek: 2 Mallard flank feathers
Body: fine white and light dun (gray) bucktail
Flash: Pearl and Gray Fire Fly Tye, Black and Lavender Crystal Flash, Opal Mirage Accent Flashabou
Misc: Dave’s Fleximent, 2-Hour epoxy (rod building), Ultra Fine Blue Violet glitter

Begin with the hook point down in the vice. Thread back to the bend of the hook and tye in the matched neck feathers on top[ of the hook. On either side of these tye in about 8 strands of opal flashabou. Glue.

Thread forward and flip the hook over in the vice. Tye in a decent amount of white bucktail on the bottom of the hook extending back to half of the tail feather length. Add 12 strand of pearl fire fly tye. Glue.

Flip the hook back over. Tye in 2 strands of black crystal flash the full length of the fly (lateral line). Tye in half as much gray bucktail on top of the hook. Glue. Add 10 strands of lavender crystal flash and 8 strands of gray fire fly tye.


The cheek feathers should be about the length of the hook. Tye one in on either side. Starch these feathers with some fleximent (maintains the large profile of the fly in the water). Once dry, stick on the eyes. Flip the hook back over and tye in a sparse amount of red rabbit on the throat. Glue again throughly.

The epoxy can be substituted with clear Loon Hard Head. The main reason to finish the fly with it is it helps keeps the eyes on the fly. Too often they pop off the flank feather. Overcoating the eyes and thread put a final professional look on the fly. Mixing in a bit of glitter adds even more appeal...

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REVIOUS FLY OF THE MONTH - The D.T. Special

The D.T. Special is one of the most versatile flies ever and should be an integral part of every fly fisher's arsenal. It's easy to tie and, most importantly very productive. I've caught a variety of fish on it: spotted seatrout, redfish, snook, jack crevalle ladyfish, tarpon, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, little tunny and dolphin. Just tie it on a hook to match the rod you're using.

Hook: Mustad 34007 or hook of choice
Thread: white monochord
Tail: Four white neck hackles (not splayed)
Flash: A few stands of pearl Flashabout
Collar: One palmered white neck hackle
Eyes: 3D Prismatic Stick-on eyes covered with Devcon Two-Ton Epoxy.

Steps:
1. Tie four white neck hackles at rear of hook and add sparse flash.

2. Palmer one white neck hackle and lay back.

3. Attach 3D Prismatic Stick-on eyes.

4. Coat with Devcon Two-Ton Epoxy and rotate until dry.

5. Hold on to rod.

This month's fly recipe was submitted by Steve Gibson
www.kayakfishingsarasota.com

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Last Month's Fly of the Month - Ropp’s Redfish Magic

After my recent trip to the Bahamas, I thought this should be the fly of the month. John Ropp is responsible for teaching me more about fly tying than any other one person. Despite his typically horrible disposition, he taught me this fly. It’s damn effective for redfish, and bonefish. It can be best described as a bent-back wooly-bugger with a functional (weedless) wing.

PHOTO: Here is the original Ropp's Refish in Brown.

Hook: Mustad 34011 size #4 or #6 (presharpen-it’s tough later)
Tail: Tan or Tobacco Brown Marabou
Body: Tan or Brown Aunt Lydia’s (Sparkle) Rug Yarn, Barred Ginger Saddle Feather
Eyes: 5/32 (small) Brass Barbell Eye
Wing: Fine Tan, Crawfish Orange, or Natural Brown Buck tail.
Flash: Rootbeer Crystal Flash
Glue: Fleximent (lots of it)

The first step is bending the hook. Start the bend about ¼ “ back from the hook eye. Don’t over bend the hook! The flat portion should point directly back into the gape of the hook. Tye in the brass eye at the bend. Tye in one decent feathers worth of marabou with 6-8 strands of crystal flash on either side. Glue the jam knot and barbell eye.
Notice the large jam knot where you tyed in the marabou? The next step will fill in the hook shank to match the diameter of that jam knot.

Tie in the rug yarn just in front of the jam knot. Wrap the thread foreword toward the barbell over the top of the yard. Leave a bit space behind the barbell, then double the yarn back and over wrap it all the way back over the jam knot. As I’ve said, this is to even out the diameter of the fly’s body. Next, tie in the saddle feather at the back.

Now it time to build the body. Attach hackle pliers to the tip of the feather. Glue the jam knot and the base yarn thoroughly (durability). Palmer the feather two wraps right at the back of the jam knot. Now wrap the yarn one wrap forward. Then the feather, then the yarn, etc. By doing it this way you’re tucking the feather between the yarn rather than palmering it over the yarn. This dramatically increases the durability of the (feather) fly. Once the glue dries, it won’t come apart. Tie off the feather behind the barbell and trim. Next is to figure-eight the yarn over the barbell and tie it down in front of the eye. Glue it in front.

The body is finished. Now, on to the wing. Flip the fly over in the vice.

Notice that the buck tail is tied over the hook eye about 1/4”. Tie in three or four strands of crystal flash.

To finish, fold the buck tail back and tie it down. Whip finish and glue it the last time. Folding back the buck tail will really increase the fly’s weedless quality.

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Fly of the Month from May - 2006
It’s Tarpon Time!!!

I was asked to write about my favorite Tarpon fly. Since most of us fish in the eerily morning, dark profile flies are best. Black, black and red, purple, all fit the bill. Despite all of the magazines showing bright, showy flies in the keys, our environment calls for flies which sink well in the deeper water.

Likely the easiest fit-the-requirement fly for around here would be the Death-By-Rabbit. A black zonker tied on the back of the hook, then collared with red and black crosscut rabbit strips. The other easy option is a black and purple Puglisi baitfish fly. Both of these flies sink well and provide a decent profile for early mornings.

FLIES ABOVE: Black Death, Purple People Eater, and the Ginger Roach fly.

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THE TOAD FLY
After reviewing the article in Flyfishing In Salt Water, I sat down and tied a few of the Toad flies. After speaking to Bobby Hillbruner at the following meeting, I realized I was tying the Toad incorrectly. In order to enlighten those of you who are curious about this fly, a bit of advice on the nuances of both tyign and fishing this fly.

My initial mistake in tying the Toad was just wrapping in a gob of marabou at the back of the hook. The proper selection of marabou and how it is tied in is what this fly is all about. One to two plumes of marabou are tied in perpendicular to the hook point. Be sure and under wrap those plumes to prevent the tail from fouling the hook. Choose shorter (length) marabou with a softer main shaft.

The article states that mono eyes are used to tie the frog. I’ve used both mono eyes and small bead chain. Anything heavier completely changes the characteristics of the fly.

Fishing the fly is simple. Cast the fly in front of the fish (it lands quite softly), and let the fly do the work. If you have to move it, a VERY slow draw, a rod tip twitch, or a Short quick strip. Let the fly do the bulk of the work.

Craig Smothers

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FLY of the Month - Ron's Estaz Marabou
This fly was developed by Ron Whiteley as a simple fly that anyone can tie. It takes five minutes or less to tie and at that rate you don't mind losing a few. The marabou has great action in the water and when you shake the rod tip it makes the fly come alive. Numerous size and color variations can be applied to imitate many different forage species, but plain white works just fine in most circumstances.

MATERIALS:
Hook: Size 1/0 Eagle Claw 254SS (Heavy Hook to provide sink rate.)
Tail: Two White Marabou Feathers
Body: White Estaz (crystal chenille), Large
Thread: Black, Flat Waxed
Flash: Crystal Flash

DIRECTIONS:
Step 1. Wrap the hook with a complete wrap of thread.

Step 2. Select two matching whole marabou feathers. Trim to the desired length, about two to three inches is good. Wrap the two feathers to the hook with the curved side in so that they fit together.

Step 3. Tie about 10 strands of crystal flash, the same length as the feathers, or slightly longer, on each side if the marabou.

Step 4. Wrap in the end of the estaz to the rear of the shaft. Use your fingers to fold it back as you wrap it

Step 5. Wrap the shaft solid so that no flash or feathers are showing.

Step 6. At this point soak the thread wrapped shaft with head cement, or if you want a fly that stands up to bluefish, use super glue.

Step 7. Start at the rear of the shaft to ensure all the black thread is covered and wrap the estaz close and very tightly into the wet cement. With each turn use your finger to fold the material toward the rear of the fly as you pull the next wrap. Use care with super glue. Wrap the estaz in this manner all the way to the eye of the hook.

Step 8. Use the black thread to tie off the estaz and trim it close. Continue wrapping the tread while holding the estaz to the rear. Use the thread wraps to make a black spot on the front of the fly to simulate an eye.

Step 9. Cement the head with head cement or super glue. Let dry and coat the head with clear nail polish

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March's "Fly of the Month"

MIRROLURE SLIDER

Hook: Gamakatsu 1/0 B10S Stinger
Thread: White Flymaster + 3/0
Tail: 4-6 large White Cape Feathers, matched deceiver style, Opal Mirage Flashabou
Rear Collar: White Arctic Fox Body Hair or White Marabou, Mirage Accent
Body: White Mule Deer Body Hair, Red White-tail Deer Body Hair
Eyes: 3-D, Silver and Black.
Glue: Dave’s Fleximent, Flech-Tite

Tying Instructions:

Step 1) Tye in 4-6 large matched neck hackles deceiver style. Tye in 8-10 strands of Opal Mirage Flashabou on either side.

Step 2) Tye in a large gob of either White arctic fox body hair of marabou on top of your jam knot. Tye 10 doubled strands of Mirage Accent down the sides of the fox hair.

Step 3) Stack the first of the spun white body hair. Extend it over the top of the fox hair about one inch.

Step 4) Continue to spin white hair forward, leaving room for one to two clumps of red hair.

Step 5) Carefully trim the bottom (hook side) flat down to the hook. Glue with Fleximent all along the hook shank (soak it down to the hook) along the flat side.

Step 6) Grab it by the hook point and shave it either in a conical or muddler shape.

Step 7) Glue on the 3-D eyes on the white hair using Fletch-Tite

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February's"Fly of the Month"
BILL’S GOTCHA

MATERIALS:

Hook: Gamagatsu SC-15 #2

Thread: Gotcha Pink Danville flat-waxed nylon

Eyes: 1/8” or 5/32” Bead chain or silver med Lead eyes or no eyes


Tail: Medium pearlescent Mylar tubing.

Body: Pearlescent Diamond Braid.
Underwing: Pearl Flashabou.

Wing: Rabbit strip, calf tail, or marabou. All in Honey
Blonde color.


Step 1:Tie in eyes, allowing enough room for an over
sized pink nose.

Step 2:Attach tail by tying in pearlescent Mylar tubing
behind the eyes and binding down onto shank as
an underbody. Mylar tubing should extend be
yond bend to form a tail that is one full shanklength
long. Brush out ends of the Mylar tail.

Step 3:Tie in pearlescent Diamond Braid behind eyes,
binding it down to the shank all the way to the
base of tail. Return thread forward to eyes, wind
ing as a pink hued underbody.

Step 4:Wind Diamond braid forward to eyes to form
body. Criscross into figure of eight at eyes if
used. Trim.

Step 5:Invert fly and tie in underwing to extend beyond
the end of the tail.

Step 6:Tie in wing of rabbit strip, calf tail, or marabou
to match length of underwing. Build up head
with pink thread and whip finish.

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January's "Fly of the Month" - The Greenan Redfish Fly

The fly was designed to sink fast and ride hook up so as to not get stuck in the grass. The color is representative of the crabs and shrimp in our local waters. I fish it with short strips allowing it to return to the bottom after each stroke. It is especially good in deep pot holes in the grass flats.

Materials:
Hook - #2 long shank ( bent slightly back)
Thread - flymaster - red
Body - medium olive chenille
Wing - dark live bucktail flash - red or pearl
crystal flash
Eyes - ex-small non-lead black

Cheeks - pheasant body feather head - olive chenille

Procedure:
Bend hook back slightly, de-barb and sharpen
Tie eyes on flat top of hook.
Wind chenille from back to hook bend (you may wrap lead for weight)
Tie in wing to cover hook
Add flash
Add cheeks to cover hook
Wind chenille through eyes and cover head
Whip finish
Designed and donated by Capt Pete Greenan