Fly Tying the Original Walt's Worm - Simple Flies Series
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- Probably the simplest fly pattern in Morgan Lyle's "Simple Flies," Walt's Worm was created in 1984 by Walt Young of Pennsylvania. This is not a bead head version, or Walt's Sexy Worm... this pattern's beauty is in it's simplicity.
Hook: #8-18 nymph
Thread: Tan
Weight: 0.020-0.025"
Body: Hare's mask and Antron mix
Anything else: nope
** Some of the popular books used here: **
Dave Hughes, "Essential Trout Flies," 2017, amzn.to/3lbCZYX
David Klausmeyer's "Favorite Flies," 2020, amzn.to/3oeSNMa
Morgan Lyle's "Simple Flies," 2015, amzn.to/3qB1zW1
Fly Pattern Encyclopedia: amzn.to/34U0rUe
Mike Valla's "Tying the Founding Flies," 2015, amzn.to/354oSir
Randle Scott Stetzer's "Flies, the Best One Thousand," 1992, amzn.to/34Q15mp
Savage Flies is a project with the mission of encouraging and teaching fly tying to as many people as possible. The channel is named after one of my western Maryland homewaters, the Savage River. I've been uploading at least three new videos a week (usually Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday).
Thanks for stopping by. Please let me know in the comments if you have any tying tips you would like to share or if you have any patterns you would like to see tied here.
***************
Congratulations to Chip Blanton for winning the J. Stockard gift card.
Hello all. I just did the drawing and Chip Blanton is the winner of the J. Stockard gift card. Thank you all for watching and keep tuning in through February as we'll have at least one more giveaway.
The simple bugs seem to work the best! #worm
I read somewhere that 90% of everything a trout eats is brown and about a half inch long, which means this should work. I would think a streamer of some sort for the skunk pelt, but I have no idea lol
That is an amazing fact, and if it's not completely true, it's got to be pretty close! I think I'll borrow that in some of my videos. :-)
🐛 🐛 🐛 keep up the great videos!!!! you've got something great going on here, and i bet I have tied 20 + flies from your channel... Keep 'er going!!!
Wow, thank you!! It's great to hear feedback like this. Let me know if you ever have any requests. I imagine you tie up some of the bigger flies for steelhead or salmon up there in Canada. :-)
Also, I wanted to let you know. I love your style. Between the editing, jumps of camera zoom with edit, as well as the history of the fly each time I greatly appreciate the effort you put into this. It is not just a tie only, which makes you unique. Love it! #worm
I agree, Matt is easily my favorite fly tying channel
Thank you! Comments like these really make me smile and encourage me to keep plugging along!! :-)
I really appreciate that David. And I think if I went back to look at all the old videos, you may be one of my earliest subscribers. All you who have encouraged me and really helped me grow the channel has meant a lot. Have a great weekend my friend. :-)
Finally a fly for my skills! I’ve been wanting to try a damselfly for a while and recently gave it a shot. I surprised myself that it turned out okay, not sure if I will ever fish it but it was fun. The flies I have saved from your channel I think will definitely work much better. Thank again for the new one. #worm.
You bet, and thanks for the kind words! Damsel and Dragonflies are fun ties, but you're right, can be a challenge!
Always keep a few of these on hand! #worm
Tied on a jig hook with a silver bead - the Walt's worm is one of my favorite point flies for rainbows! It seems to imitate all the scuds and other crustaceans that live in the spring creeks around here. Have a great day! #worm
Thanks Justin! And yep, a lot of similarities in the PA and MD streams so I'm sure this is a killer up there too. :-)
Like the Mike in the earlier comment I remember this as the killer bug from years ago. I’ve gotten tons of trout on this fly. We used to tie them in hares ear, white and brown. I still carry it but I tie it now with a strip of burlap from a burlap bag.
MIke- that is really interesting. I've seen a burlap fly in some books but was never sure how you tied a body with. Thanks for the note!
Matt you know sometimes the Simple Flies work the best. That is nice simple fly. Good job Matt. Have nice week end. Getting more snow Sunday. #worm
Yeah Butch, I'm seeing reports of more snow heading our way Sunday night. I was thinking of heading out to the farm and fishing the Savage this weekend but will probably skip it and stay in to tie. Have a great weekend my friend!
I really could see Walt tying 4 dozen of these after one day of fishing brought that many fish. I think the Walt’s worm is by far the simplest fish catcher period
I think you're right! It really has to be. It almost feels like cheating tying something this simple. :-)
Another one as simple as that is the killer bug (found in the same book). I tie mine with wool yarn, twisted. Both patterns excellent for Tenkara or regular fly rods, work great.
Nice to see simple files have a place in every fly fisherman’s arsenal and are productive to fish. #worm
Good morning Matt and thanks for another great one the learning continues
You bet Marty. And you asked for some simple patterns-- it doesn't get much easier than this guy. :-)
Hey Matt, skunks are from the mustelid family like the weasel and mink. Their fur was used for trimming garments in the past, not so sure how much is used anymore. I would think it wouldn’t be brittle so it would hold up to fishing. The white portion you could try as a wing but I think it would be too soft. The black as a tail maybe. Could try it a mix in dubbing concoction. Be interesting to see if anyone has used one. Would likely have to be a processed one as road kill might be tough to get past the smell. Lol
Great ideas JD. The tail hairs are huge, and could definitely make some streamer wings. Even the body hairs are fairly long and could make some wings, but they appear to be solid and very shiny. I'm not sure if they would make a good dry fly material... maybe as a trude style wing on a caddis pattern. If you ever needed a pure black caddis that is. I'm thinking I'll try some nymphs or streamers with it, but maybe made a dubbing blend with the underfur, which does remind me a little of mink. Thanks for the note!
A short “killer bug” from 100 years ago.Nice one.
I tie these in a few different colors and they definitely catch fish. Thanks Matt for sharing #worm
Yes they do; appreciate it Layton!
Another great pattern a new tyer can do to increase his skills into the art of fly tying. Great idea, Matt, for the simple fly series!
#worm
You bet Matthew; thanks for watching my friend!
Hello good video thought i write once and say thank you
One of the best flies, i tie mine with fox squirrel light olive thread weighted just like yours on a size ten hook
Hi Matt, loved the simplicity of this fly. As you mentioned about the originator of this pattern, this fly can represent a number of aquatic insects from scuds to cranefly larvae. Looking forward to adding some to my box. Here in Utah their version is called the Utah killer bug. Thanks for sharing this.
About the skunk pelt. Many, many years ago the Pennsylvania Angler Magazine featured fly-tying articles. I remember one of their featured patterns using skunk. I believe the fly was either a damsel or dragon fly and the wings were made of skunk tall. In my recollection it was designed for smallmouth bass fishing. The wings were tied with a slight forward sweep so they would undulate when the fly was given slight twitches. I'm not sure how floaty skunk tail hair is but it may be worth a try. I'd be interested to see what your research can come up with.
Enjoy!!!
Walt's worm does well for me as a dropper.
You could tie something like a Green Butt Moose wet fly with the skunk pelt. First time I've seen it was in a Jay Nicholas video.
Excellent, I've heard of a Green Butt Skunk (from a couple of books) as a big steelhead fly. No reason we can't tie it as a trout streamer though. It's going to be a fun pelt to play around with. :-)
Simple flies like this are such a treat. As a tier, they’re easy to crank out so you don’t think twice about fishing them where they might easily get snagged. Plus they present few negative cues to fish: as you mentioned, it looks a little bit like everything, similar to Frank Sawyer’s Killer Bug. #worm
Tim, you are absolutely right! I was just saying the same thing in another comment. I don't mind as much losing a nymph on the bottom that took me two minutes to tie. When I put a Watson's Fancy in a tree, that took me 15 minutes to tie... I'm trying to climb up after it. :-)
I tied up a bunch of these with a very small tuft of white yarn near the head last summer to match a caterpillar hatch. Worked great for a few days.
That's interesting. They do look like what we used to call Catawba worms back in Tennessee.
Re: skunk
I didn’t know that there were skunks without without a fairly wide white streak or at least a thin one along the length of the back. Is it a European variety like the polar raccoon is, especially if you got it from the same dealer? Also surprising to hear that the fur isn’t soft. I’ve had some close up looks at live US skunks & the fur looked soft, plus handling a road killed skunk, whereupon my wife threatened me with divorce if I brought it home. Soft again.
Re: #worm
When you said the last time you tied a simple fly that you would present an even simpler fly, you certainly kept your word. This one is really simple. Well done, sir!
Ha, thanks Bob! The skunk's body fur is actually pretty soft. It's the tail hairs that are long, coarse and crinkly. And same here re the white stripe. I think it's the same animal, but grade 1s had a nice wide stripe, or two nice parallel stripes. Grade 2s had a less distinct stripe, and I think they said the lowest grade may not even have a stripe. Or something like that.
Supper easy , thanks Matt
You bet! Appreciate it Dave. :-)
Man that’s simple enough. I think I can handle that one. Kind of neat looking though. Thank you for the video Matt.
Thanks for an easy fly.
You bet Randy; appreciate you watching my friend!
Nice simple and catches fish and lots of them.i love fishing them.thanks matt!
Thanks for watching! Appreciate it Mike.
Thanks for the great video, I like my flies as minimal as possible! I'd never heard of the Simple Flies book but will definitely check it out. Wishing you tight lines from Scotland 👍🎣
# worm. Love the simple flies. They always seem to work. Great video as always. Have a great day.
Appreciate it Rick; thanks for watching my friend!
CONGRATULATIONS CHIP BLANTON....
Thanks for reminding me of this fly, Matt. Now I'll give another chance. I believe it's a very popular pattern here in central PA with direct connections to the waters that I fish.
Yep, I hear of plenty of folks in my Maryland TU chapter use this a lot and our waters are pretty similar. Thanks for the note Daryl!
Walt's Worm: applying the KISS method to fly fishing/tying...and enjoying great success!
Yep, I agree Jim. It seems that we often get away from the basics and tend to think, "If this works, it'll have to work better if I put a bead on it!" Or add some flash. Or put on a tail. But getting crazy IS one of the fun things we do. But on the other hand, keeping it simple is usually how we catch more fish. :-)
I have heard a ton about Walt's #Worm lately....must be an awesome pattern. Thanks for sharing Matt and the history of this fly!!!!!!
Appreciate it Dan. Take a look at Walt's Sexy Worm as well. A lot of people have liked that one too. And that would probably still fit in this "simple flies" series.
@@SavageFlies I'm on it!!
I have been using the underfur from a couple of pembroke Welsh corgis and they do catch fish! The color of the dubbing from my dogs makes them look like a cased caddis
Your collection of pelts behind you looks cool.
Ha! Thanks Jason. You should see the stack of pelts I have on the floor outside of the camera's view. Opossum, raccoon, muskrat and rabbit. And I've got a cat who thinks they make a comfortable bed. :-)
Bet that's one happy cat.
@@SavageFlies Your cat might object to getting shaved to provide additional dubbing, but Jack Gartside often took his cat with him on long fishing trips & often used its under fur for dubbing & guard hair for tails when his supplies of tying materials. I had an Australian Shepard which had 2 shedding speeds - fast & faster. I still have a bag of her fur 20 years later which makes an excellent substitute for hare’s ear dubbing.
Well if a legend like Jack Gartside can do it, I should be able to snip a clump or two from one of my cats. :-)
This is a classic. I've always tied mine with bead instead of the lead. The "Sexy" version is one I really like. That skunk tail makes a great streamer wing. Cheers
Thanks Darren- and good call on skunk tail. I just noticed how long the tail hairs are... as long as most bucktail, maybe 4+ inches. And the black body fur is actually shiny. It really looks cool and makes me wonder why it isn't used more often. The only thing I can think of is that nobody wants to pick up a roadkill skunk, and if you were a trapper and found one in one of your traps, well that might be a situation you'd want to avoid too. :-)
I love #worm stuff. Great fly! I will definitely be twisting up some Walt's Worms to add to my box.
Appreciate it Jeffrey! Good luck my friend. :-)
I have tied the killer bug with wool yarn before, I think I like this bug better.
Yep, the killer bug is also another simple fly in this book. And I'd say they both fish pretty much the same, especially if you're fishing them heavy and drifting them along the bottom. Any fish that would eat one of them, would probably eat the other. :-)
Skunk can be used for a Black Nosed Dace -- both the black middle stripe and the bottom white part (at least if you had any white on the pelt.) The white is probably the closest sub for polar bear there is.
Excellent tip; thank you! I actually learned this last week when researching Art Flick's original Black Nose Dace, that he recommended bear or skunk for the middle black stripe. As for polar bear, I've also heard people use calf tail as a substitute. That seems to have worked for one pattern I tie-- the Golden Girl from Roderick Haig-Brown which called for polar bear. Thanks for the note!
@@SavageFlies Polar bear was considered a "magic" ingredient because it's somewhat translucent. Calf tail isn't, but skunk is.
SWEET FLY
Hello Matt. My brother does not fly fish, but he saw how well I was doing with the Walt's worm that he asked me to tie the same pattern on his crappie jigs... I just scaled it up a few sizes and they are a real producer of fish... Hmm, wonder how big I can go and they still work? Walt's Muskie Worms... 🤣😂🤣😂
Heck yeah! Just make it a saltwater worm. :-) You know, your comment makes me wonder if anybody has ever targeted alligator gar with a fly rod. That would be something!
@@SavageFlies Yes, there are several vids on youtube about alligator gar fly fishing...
Yes I agree with Michael not too unlike the sawyers killer bug a bit heavier and definitely more buggy looking nice tho thanks for sharing it with us Matt I think it’s a fly that would work anywhere
Agree Tom, I could see the bluegill in the farm ponds around here tearing this thing up!
Nice simple pattern. Sometimes simple is always better. #worm
You got that right! Thanks for watching Richard. :-)
Skunk makes a good bucktail substitute and good tails for woolly #worms.
awesome tie thanks matt
Some times the simplest patterns are the most productive. Great video as always.#worm
Appreciate it Steven and I agree 100%. Cheers. -Matt
Thanks for the "Simple Flies" series. Looking for more!! Subscribing now! #worm
Thank you Rollin! Really appreciate it my friend. Let me know if you ever have any requests. Cheers. -Matt
Never fished it but have heard great things about it. Now I have no excuse not too. Thank Matt. #worm
Definitely Bernie; give it a shot!
More proof that simple works! This is one I can tie, lol! Thanks Matt. Just subscribed a couple days ago and looks like this channel is gonna become a habit! #worm
Thank you my friend! I'm glad to have you around. Let me know if you ever have any requests. Cheers. -Matt
Now this is my type of fly!!🤪🤪
I knew you'd like it Clyde so this one was for you! :-)
If you have a ground hog they tell me the under fur is like seal. I don’t have one so I don’t know.
The underfur is kind of unique Gary, but I've never used real seal so am not sure. I use some simulated "Euro" seal dubbing which is also kind of strange and a bit hard to work with. Hence, I don't use it too often!
Another cool easy fly ... #worm
GOING TO HAVE TO FIND YOU SOME HARDER FLYS MATT....LOL.. #W0RM...VERY EASY ONE THERE BUT I LIKE IT...THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO...AND AS ALWAYS I WILL BE WATCHING....SEE YA JOE. HAVE A AWESOME DAY.
Ha! You got that right Joe. I seriously sat down to tie a big old stonefly dry last night which would have taken me at least an hour to practice, then research and film, then edit. But it was already about 10pm so I said screw it and tied another simple one. I'll get you a harder one for Monday. :-)
@@SavageFlies LOL...ALL GOOD MATT...YOU KNOW I ENJOY WATCHING THEM ALL...ALWAYS CAN'T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE...
#worm Matt, this looks like the precursor to the mop fly or maybe the mop fly came first I don't know. In any case it's simple and looks amazingly like the grubs I dig up in my yard which I'm sure get washed into rivers in great numbers. Keep the good stuff coming.
Thanks Johnny. I'm betting this thing came before the mop fly. And it does look pretty much like a standard grub that any fish would eat. :-)
Very interesting fly nice one matt.👍
Thanks 👍 Appreciate it Hugh!
I tied a few Matt to try this week
Another variation of the Killer Bug. :-)
Exactly right Terry! In fact, I think the Killer Bug is also in this book. :-)
I'll be sure to add a few of these to my box... Thanks Matt!!! #worm
Appreciate it Richard!
nice Matt
#worm. The Walt's and sexy Walt's fish really well for all trout!.
I bet that skink that would make a nice articulated fly
I love the simple patterns that work. #worm. Have you done a video on dubbing? It looks simple but mine never seems to look like yours.
Thanks Danny. I did a DIY dubbing video not too long ago. Watch the first few minutes of this one, and you'll get the gist of how I do it: ruclips.net/video/U_vp9bO0sSg/видео.html
The walt's worm is 2nd favorite nymph next to the pink squirrel in the driftless #worm
I love that one too Xavier! I've had some killer days here in Maryland nymphing with a pink squirrel on point. :-)
The body hair might work for tail material. Any place you could use moose body hair you could try this it might add some lifelike movement
I actually stumbled across a pattern that called for white bucktail and black skunk tail. I tried it but it was kind of a disaster, so no video of that one! But I think you're right that skunk could substitute for a lot of other stuff.
That's just a hare and copper but without a bead. Best fly in NZ.
I use squirrel hair dubbing for my waltz worms and they look great! I hunt squirrels a lot and get tons of dubbing 👍
Oh yeah, squirrels are an amazing fur for dubbing! Have you ever dyed the pelts? I never have and to get colors I usually make a mix of squirrel body fur and acrylic yarn. It keeps a lot of the squirrel properties and gives you the different colors.
@@SavageFlies Thanks for the tip! Is it a 50-50 ratio? I don’t have the pelts because I don’t know how to tan them. When I’m done skinning a squirrel I cut a bunch of hair and under fur off with scissors and make it into dubbing by putting it through dog brushes, since I don’t have a coffee grinder
@@SCYCOFISHINGHUNTING Not always a 50/50, but sometimes. And I do the same and just shave the fur right off the squirrel and put in Ziploc bags. But I'm thinking, even without tanning (I'm not going to do that either), we could just skin the squirrel and let it dry. It would be stiff, but we could still put it in some dye. I just haven't tried that yet. But check out this video, it shows exactly how I make my fur/synthetic dubbing mixes: ruclips.net/video/U_vp9bO0sSg/видео.html
@@SavageFlies I literally just watched that video! 😂 Would the acrylic and the squirrel still mix well if I put it through brushes because I don’t have a coffee grinder, and I guess you could just let it dry, that’s what I do with my squirrel tails, because you can also make some cool stuff with the tails. My dad shot 2 fox squirrels the other day and I am super excited to see how the red tails and reddish fur make flies look
@@SCYCOFISHINGHUNTING Fox squirrels are amazing! You can make some awesome patterns (look up Dave Whitlock I think). And sure, you could mix squirrel and yarn with brushes. It might just take a little longer but it'll come out fine. :-)
great fly you are the man Matt #worm
Ha! Thanks John. 😁
CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT EVERYONE COMES UP WITH FOR THE SKUNK......#WORM
Oh yeah, I'm getting some good ideas for skunk flies already!
@@SavageFlies AWESOME
I see a new pattern in the making... Matt’s Skunk, but until then we’ll fish the #worm.
Ha! I'm definitely going to invent some crazy skunk pattern, but hopefully can come up with a clever name. :-)
This looks like a pretty effective pattern, I'll have to add a dozen of these #worm to my fly box ;)
Yep, good call David. I think Walt Young had the right idea with a simple fly that gets deep quickly.
#worm
Wow! You know I like simple lol.
Have a safe and amazing day thanks 👍
Thanks Jim! I'll try to do something a little trickier for Monday. :-)
Skunk tail makes an excellent black center stripe on a Blacknose Dace bucktail and similar flies that imitate stream fishes with strong black lateral stripes! It lays very flat and straight between the brown bucktail above and white below. I have not found any real good use for it otherwise - .
Good call on the Blacknose Dace Pete; I love that fly! Probably my standard go-to streamer, with the Mickey Finn as number two when I want to get a little more bold. :-)
Sweet, some breakfeast entertainment!
#worm
Awesome video Matt #worm
Thanks Josh! Do you ever do any warmwater fishing up there in NY? I'm hoping to do some bass bugs and panfish poppers this spring. :-)
@@SavageFlies yes I do and I’m thoroughly convinced that a bass bug with two rubber legs on each side will catch any bass. I’ve used this in creeks rivers ponds and lakes and always catch bass. Absolutely the best bait I’ve ever used for bass fly and conventional
Funny you put this one up, and unweighted. I need to start fishing one jig/weighted fly and one unweighted. A walts worm is one I already tie with a bead, so now I have some clear advice on what to use without. Thanks for sharing! #worm (Feel free to only count one of my comments lol. I didn't notice the give away until I posted twice anyway)
Ha! Thanks Mike. I think the oversized weighted wraps that Walt Young put on it are probably the single biggest factor for this being a successful fly. Which makes me think, and as a tight-liner you would know this better than me, how important is fly selection vs. getting the fly in the zone? When nymphing, how often do you see a fish leave it's feeding lane to come eat your fly? I'd think they are much more likely to eat anything that doesn't look like detritus, as long is it drifts through where they are eating. So my guess is that the right placement and drift if FAR more important than the fly you are using. Would love to hear your thoughts. Cheers. -Matt
@@SavageFlies Nail on the head. It definitely matters much more for the drift than the fly. I am not the big of a purist when it comes to perfectly tied flies, or specifically only this fly works in this stream. Sure they key on to certain things, but I think that is more important for dries than nymphs in my personal opinion. If I can get a fly to the right depth and put it right near their face, it should be a win more times than not for me.
@@tightliningmd Yep, that's what I figured too. If you can get a fly in the fish's face, make it easy for them to eat it, you've increased your odds of a take immeasurably! (Though I did have one big wild Hawaiian rainbow swim three feet laterally to take my Prince nymph one time. :-) )
@@SavageFlies Trout fishing in Hawaii, do tell :)
@@tightliningmd Not many people know about the wild rainbow trout in Hawaii. They were brought in in the 1920s but only a handful are still reproducing today. One island, Kauai, four tiny streams, above 3,500 feet, and they take a lot of bushwhacking to get to. I fished a couple of these streams several times a year for several years and never saw another fisherman. A few wild pig hunters, but mostly all alone. I was there for work as this is definitely not a trout fishing destination!
I was talking to my friend about this fly
Whether it's Sawyer's Killer bug or Walt's worm, both are simple and effective. #worm
Agree Lou! I was debating on doing this one or the Killer Bug first. I may end up tying that one later...
Nice job as usual . #worm
Chip- congrats! I just did the drawing and you're the winner of the gift card. Send me an email and I'll get it on the way to you. (matt@savageflies.com)
@@SavageFlies thanks
this is a fish slayer i have a few in the box #worm
#worm good video. Would a dubbing loop make the fly any stronger?
Thanks Curtis. I'm sure a dubbing loop would make it a bit more durable of a fly. Which is probably overkill in my fishing situation because I usually lose a fly on the bottom or the trees long before it gets worn out from catching too many fish.
Good Morning Sir Matt, very interesting pattern today. It almost even looks like a scud without the curve. How much antron did you use? I bet you can catch more than Trout with that #worm Sir. Thank again for all you do, faithfully watching you GREAT channel always. Have a great weekend and be safe in all that bad weather your getting.
Thanks Edward! I'm guessing, but I'd say it was maybe 50/50 mix of Antron to hare's ear/mask.
🔥
Hi Matt - any tips for dubbing with hares ear? Mine often tries to separate itself from the thread when wrapping. If I win the voucher, I'll need to spend it on tying material 😆 #worm
Neil- the main tip I can think of is lots of wax, and just dub it a little at a time. But what I usually do with a mask is pluck a pinch or two from the base of the ear (that won't get you a lot of hairs, but they're short and coarse), then mix it with a pinch of the softer fur from down around the cheek. These longer, finer hairs from the cheek, which are almost like a rabbit's body fur, help hold the ear hairs in a nice mix. And just practice until you get the right mix that's a good balance.
@@SavageFlies thanks Matt. Looks as though I have a project for this evening
What is your favorite color to tie the #worm? Or do you just stick to this particular hair is your combo?
Travis- I've only tied this one in natural, but the similar Killer Bug I've tied in a few other natural colors. But now that you mention it, I should probably give this a try in a darker brown and olive as well. I'm sure it would do great in some other colors.
Reminds me of Frank Sawer.#worm
Yep, Frank's Killer Bug is another pattern in this book! Appreciate you watching Kenneth. :-)
It’s so simple and so effective!
Would you use manufactured tapered leader or would you make your own leaders? :)
Thanks Niwel. I'd fish this in tandem with any other nymph on a tight line. I usually start with a 9-ft 5x tapered leader, cut it back a couple of feet to where it gets to about 4x, then tie on a tippet ring. Below the ring I'll usually add a couple feet of a sighter, then use a 5-6x tippet to both flies, fluorocarbon if I've got it. So short answer-- a combination of a manufactured tapered leader, then put together my own below that. (Check out George Daniel and how he builds his nymphing rig. I try to do something similar to that.)
Thank you so much! I will check it out
Where do you get the pelts at
Justin- several sources. Search "fur pelts for sale" and you'll see several suppliers. Sunrise Trading Post has scrap bags for around $20 for a pound of fur pieces. And a one pound bag of anything is quite a bit of fur! Glacier wear has some good cheap pieces as well. If you go this route, I'd recommend getting their low grade pelts. We're fly tiers, not coat makers! :-)
#worm
I would think anything with squirrel you could do with skunk, I think never felt what skunk feels like
Probably so with the skunk's underfur as it's pretty grayish and soft, but the tail hairs are seriously long (like 4+ inches). The most interesting characteristic is how shiny the black guard hairs are. It's going to be fun to play around with!
#worm