September Fly of the Month

September 2011 Fly of the Month: Daddy Long Legs

The Daddy Long Leg fly is an ancient fly dating back to the 1400's.  The very historic Fly Fisher Cotton mentions this fly in his book "The Compleat Angler", although the name that he uses in the book is "Harry Long-Legs".  The fly is also mentioned in one of the first fly fishing books ever written in 1496, called The Treatysse of Fysshynge with an Angle" (clearly spelling wasn't a top priority!)  and written by the Abbess of Shropshire, Dame Juliana Berners.  Back in those days, the sporting men would catch the actual natural insect and attach it to their hook.

Today's fly fishermen, however, prefer to use the artificial imitation.  Over 300 different species of crane fly populate all kinds of water throughout North America.  They are more popularly known as "daddy-long-legs" but are properly classified as part of the Tipulidae biological family.  These "daddies" are a very familiar site at water side at the tail end of summer - mainly early August through early October.  It is around this time that they get blown onto the water by the fall breeze, and when they do, they struggle to become airborne once they fall in.  It presents a very appealing snack to a trout, and they respond quickly when they fall in.

To take advantage of this, take your Daddy Long Leg fly to an area where trout activity is obvious on the surface.  It is best to dunk the fly well in floatant.  Then you wait for the fish to find it.  When you do get a take, don't strike right away, as the trout is going to try to drown the fly first before finally taking it in it's mouth.  Wait for the fish to swim out with your line, then lift your rod high to set the hook and bring him in.  

These flies are best for trout, but can also be used for sea trout and salmon.  They are especially good for windy day river fishing, as that is when many are blown into the water, priming the trout for your fly and big catch.  

Now get out their and fish! 

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Daddy Long Legs Reference

September Saltwater Lure of the Month: The Pencil Popper

September Saltwater Lure of the Month: The Pencil Popper

Pencil Poppers date all the way back to the 1940's, when an old time plug maker by the name of Stan Gibbs from Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts was trying to create something that would cast further out than any of the other lures that he had at the time.  The business that Stan created out of his own curiosity and necessity is still running today, though it has changed hands several times since he sold it in 1972.

Stan was known for several different specialties.  He focused on pencil poppers (3 1/8 oz) that he designed to give him an edge in the Cape Cod Canal, his plug testing grounds.  He was also responsible for innovations such as "Cast-A-Lure", Mackerel paint finishes, differently designed bottle poppers, and the California special pencil popper - which at 5+ oz was one of the heaviest pencil poppers created at the time.

While he originally was just creating these plugs for friends and family, the demand quickly grew for these poppers that could "cast for miles".  He gained popularity and respect, and before he knew it his little company was producing hundreds of poppers every month.

Stan's company really took off in 1945 when he visited New Jersey.  The fishermen there had only been used to slinging bucktails, tins, and some very light wooden plugs.  After a few had the chance to try Gibbs' pencil poppers, they raved for days about how the poppers could get out further and cast better in strong winds.  They began to see that the pencil poppers gave them an edge, and the rest, my friends, is plug building history.

Tips:

The pencil popper is perfect for Saltwater top water fishing for any gamefish! Works for BIG stripers, bluefish, Tailor, Queenfish, Giant Trevally, Tuna, and many more.  Fast-taper rods with long butts are advisable for working pencil poppers. Use your wrist more than your arms.  The trick is to brace the rod butt against your thigh and apply motion with a slight wrist action. The wrist action creates a side-to-side splashing motion in the popper that doesn't require as fast a retrieve and can be slowed even further as the plug nears the boat.

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September Freshwater Lure of the Month: Booyah Buzz

September Freshwater Lure of the Month: The Booyah Buzz

WARNING: THIS BAIT IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!

This month's bait is the Booyah Buzz, part of the family of buzzbaits better known as "Heart Attack Lures"!  Why are they called heart attack lures?  The bait is designed to buzz along the water as you slowly trail it behind you.  The bait's gentle hum can lull you into a trance. Everything is so quiet and peaceful.  And then all of the sudden, "WHACK", a big bass has tried to swallow that bait whole.  I guarantee your heat rate will skyrocket! It is truly one of the most exciting baits on the market.

The Booyah Buzz was created by the Booyah Bait Co. Technically, a buzzbait is a metal-headed lure with a rotating propeller on a wire arm, similar to a spinnerbait. This kind of a lure is designed to run along the surface.  When a fisherman casts it out, he then can buzz it over stumps, logs, brush, grass, docks, and other shallow cover.  The sound lures the fish out from underneat.

Professional Angler Bernie Schulz of Gainesville, Florida uses this buzzbait when competing on the Bassmaster tournament trail.  "A buzzbait is good for covering a lot of water in a hurry. I use it when I think bass are feeding on or near the surface. Also, it's good for locating concentrations of bass that may be worked more efficiently with a slower lure like a plastic worm or a Slug-Go."

"And one more thing," Schulz went on. "A buzzbait is a great lure for catching big bass. Tournament fishermen use it for culling smaller fish after they've caught a limit. I don't know why, but a buzzbait definitely produces quality bites."

One final tip on the buzzbait: Rig another rod with a plastic worm or a Slug-Go, and keep it handy. Then, if a bass boils on your buzzbait and misses it, cast back with the buzzbait again. If there's no strike this time, make the next cast with your followup lure, and let it sink. Nine out of 10 times that bass is still there, and he'll inhale a bait that drops by his nose.

Enjoy the Booyah Buzz and Happy Fishing! Let me know what you catch!

David

FishingEnthusiast.com

A Look Behind the Scenes at FishingEnthusiast.com

My Helpers, Louise, Samantha, and Raymond

Boxes getting stickered

Boxes getting stuffed with fluff, getting ready for the lures!

The Lures as they arrive. I open each one and individually place in boxes to the delight of every fisherman out there!

FE Freshwater August Fly of the Month: Glo Bubble Caddis Pupa

August Fly of the Month: Glo Bubble Caddis Pupa

One of my favorite parts about this business is researching lure makers and fly tiers from around the world.  The August Fly of the Month served as no exception, and I found myself reading all about Mike Mercer, the creator of the Glo Bubble Caddis Pupa, and one of the West's leading fly designers.  Over the years, Mike has created over 60 first rate flies, many of which are being used in streams throughout the world!  He currently is an Umpqua Feather Merchant and also works with the Fly Shop (www.theflyshop.com), where he has worked for nearly 30 years - working his way up from a stock boy to a top fly tier.

In 2010, Mike wrote a book entitled Creative Fly Tying that details his creations and expertise in the fly trying world.  Mercer has developed many of his flies in the tradition of Gary LaFontaine - with thorough research, much trial and error,  and then practical application of contemporary materials available to him.  And then he goes and tries them out! Not a bad gig if you ask me. His book includes a "How to" portion on how to tie some of his flies but, judging by many of my failures at tying my own, that won't be of much use to me.

Check out his book Creative Fly Tying by Mike Mercer to see if you have any better luck than I do!

Mike Mercer's Glo-Bubble Caddis - Olive
Hook:		TFS 3769, sizes 12-18
Thread:		8/0 Tying Thread, olive
Bead:		Copper Bead, match to size
Body "Bubble":		Z Yarn, light olive
Body:		Midge Tubing, olive
Legs:		Hen Back
Wingcase:		Thin Skin, brown
Thorax:		Peacock Herl

FishingEnthusiast.com's July Fly of the Month: Emergent Sparkle Pupa

July 2011

FishingEnthusiast.com’s

Fly of the Month

Emergent Sparkle Pupa

Excerpted from the book: Trout Flies, Proven Patterns. By Gary LaFontaine

What is my most original creation? On four points, the Emergent Sparkle Pupa. Some sharp historian might find precedents for three of the points, the the fourth one, the most important, can safely be called an innovation (for obvious reasons). The technique of dubbing the underbody, the Touch Method, creates a sparser, fuzzier covering than any other method of dubbing. The trick of a 'loose' overbody is unusual even now. The Emergent, half in and half out of the water, is the first caddis pupa designed to mimic the hesitation of the escaping natural at the surface film.

The underbody has to be "touch" dubbed. The dubbing mix of half sparkle yarn and half fur is hand-cut in 1/8-inch lengths, and then blended together in a mixer. The tier holds a puff of this specially prepared dubbing and pats the waxed thread lightly. He wraps the thread on the hook shank. No other method of dubbing, - not noodle dubbing and not loop dubbing - creates such a sparse, fuzzy body.

The overbody, plies of sparkle yarn pulled forward to envelope the underbody, has to be loose and sparse. A size 10 hook uses a full ply of yarn on top and a full ply of yarn on the bottom on the shank. On smaller sizes the tier pulls more and more fibers off of the plies. Each ply is combed completely out and spread over the top or bottom half of the hook shank. The tier loosens the overbody with a scissors point or a dubbing needle (the puffed out "ball" fills half of the hook gap). For the final test the tier holds the finished fly up to the light. He should be able to see the underbody through the overbody; he shouldn't be able to see any light or solid bands of yarn.

^{Materials: Emergent Sparkle Pupa}

^{Hook:  6-20 (standard dry fly, TMC 100).}

^{Thread:  To match underbody.}

^{Overbody:  Sparkle yarn.}

^{Underbody:   Half sparkle yarn and half fur (a finely chopped dubbing blend).}

^{Wing:  Deer hair.}

^{Head:  Dubbed fur or wrapped marabou fibers.}

Happy Fishing!

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July Saltwater Lure of the Month: Johnson Silver Minnow

July 2011

Johnson Silver Minnow

FishingEnthusiast.com’s

Saltwater Lure of the Month

The ingeniuous and deceivingly simple Johnson Silver Minno was born of necessity in 1920 by Louis Jackson. Frustrated by the thick late-summer weed beds in his local lake, Johnson began to tinker in his spare time in search of a solution. The eventual result was the very first Silver Minnow, designed by Johnson to feel right at home in thick vegetation where other lures simply failed to perform.  Starting with the business end of a tablespoon, Johnson added a hook and a simple weed guard to complete his early prototype. Yet even with these rather clever modifications to the spoon, the lure was still not quite what Johnson was looking for.

Eventually, Johnson began to forge an oblong spoon-shaped lure from a copper/zinc alloy. He designed the prototype to be thicker in the middle than at the edges and a bit more elongated than his original tablespoon creation. Johnson’s reengineered design put the weight along the center of the lure.  This kept the single hook ridding upright and giving the lure a side-to-side wobbling action. The vertical position of the hook actually enhanced the weedless characteristics of the spoon and the wobbling action added tantalizing fish-attraction. Still the choice of fisherman– in saltwater and freshwater alike– around the world for over 75 years after its introduction, the silver minnow has earned its “classic” status the old fashioned way. Johnson’s spoon as caught fish after fish in all types of conditions for decades.

Featured lure: Johnson’s Silver Minnow

Created by: Louis Johnson

Created: 1920

Manufacturer: Johnson Outdoors, Inc.

Technique:

Cast the Silver Minnow directly into or around weed beds and other forms of natural cover. Often a slow, steady retrieve will produce the most consistent results. But don’t hesitate to experiement with the rate and pattern of your retrieve. 

And lastly, enjoy the beautiful water around you!

Happy Fishing!

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