YES!! This is a killer fly. I spent over an hour on the Boise without a bite. Tied this on and had a dozen fish in the next 1/2 hour. Including an unbelievable 20” whitefish. Tie this fly and fish it!! It is quickly replacing the zebra midge as my go-to winter nymph.
First of all this is a great pattern and Thank you Lance for sharing it. I noticed you cleaned up the resin with your fingers. I found about a year ago that I had a terrific reaction to resin after I got it on my fingers and somehow touched my face. Man it just blew up with eyes affected etc. So I can't use the uv resin stuff and my fly tying buddy was the recipient of bottles and lights etc as I couldn't have them around. This probably happens to only a small number of folks but I thought I'd just mention it. Nothing wrong with the materials they work fine. So I am just using head cement to coat the body and so far the fish are ok with it. Again thanks a lot and I sent a purchase order in.
I use guinea hen for the tail because I had a half a cape - cheaper than Coq and looks the same. Great tiny fly under an indicator with a tail scud to the bend in scud lakes. Fabulous fly.
I can confirm that minimally dressed flies catch fish, when I was in the UK, I fished reservoirs with "buzzer" hatches, we had a pattern called the bare hook buzzer because thats what is was. At most, it had one run of tying silk down the shank and several turns near the eye to create a mini thorax, it didn't really need it but somehow you never felt right fishing a bare hook. One time I fished about a 20' leader with 3 bare hook buzzers direct to the leader, loch style from a boat.I hooked a trout on the point, as the leader was out of the water, a swallow zoomed in and took the top dropper which made for an interesting time, so the minimal fly fooled both trout and bird. Happy to report that both trout and bird were released ok; I still over dress my flies though.
these things are ninja warrior assassins. deadly on small creeks right now, and the use of the resin really helps the durability they don't get chewed up bang around the rocks of these small creeks. great fly. thx so much. any shot you have any of that sculpin olive wire in stock?
I've switched to tying these without the resin. Perhaps a little less durable. A touch slower sinking. But worth it because they are even faster to tie and even less concern when lost. Olive and purple are go to colors.
Great fly. I've watched this (and others) three or four times. Always learning. A question, p!ease... Would a bright spot, such as a red or gold eye, work as a ''hot spot''? Just curious? Willing to experiment to be more successful. Thank you.
Why no lead on this one if the purpose of the slim body is to sink faster? Wouldn't the addition of lead help it sink faster still? Or is it about keeping a slim profile?
when sinking is the goal, tungsten outperforms lead. so the bead does the job. lets the body stay slimmer. i agree the big beads look goofy, but these flies do catch fish
People have been using thread body frenchy style for years. Not sure what is different or makes this unique. I've used a thread body fly with different blends of guard hare for the thorax. Does that make it mine? Not really it's just another frenchy variation. Probably doesn't matter but I get sick of people making minor variations to flies and claiming them as there own.
@@FlyFishFood By invented the frenchie I assume you mean use modern materials (ice dubbing thorax etc) on a pheasant tail. A very natural development that many decent/curious fly tyers would try. I would say a lot of people took those new materials and used them as a PT variation. I’ve been tying a bunch of wingcaseless pheasant tails with ice dubbing (or any dubbing for that matter) for about 8-10 years. Who was the first to ‘claim and name’. As far as I’m aware it was you (Lance Egan). Who really deserves credit though? I’d give credit to these modernized mayfly patterns to Frank Sawyer as they really are just natural variations/developments with modern materials. I actually have an original pheasant tail (along with his other patterns such as the grey goose and killer bug) tied by Frank sitting pride of place in my living room and it’s simplicity is amazing. I even see people re creating and claiming the Czech teams ‘thread fly’ as there own cause they gone and put a cdc collar instead of partridge on it. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate your contribution to fly fishing and I don’t think you’ve intentionally ripped anything off. But so often I’m just seeing people make variations of other flies and abracadabra we have a new invention. Personaly I think it’s very hard to come up with anything truly original in fly tying these days. The closest I’ve done is my Glo Bomb which you will see on my channel and it’s a bloody disgusting junk fly egg pattern for migratory trout. Just because I wanted a weighted egg pattern I could use to good effect on a euro setup. Though it’s really a development on the glo bug so I’m very hesitant to claim it as my own 100%. I guess my argument is a bit down the old philosophical line of “If you replace all the parts of an old watch, is it still the same watch. If not then at what point does it become a different watch”.
Lance, it seems you guys do not use head cement when tying. Is there a reason or just an assumption that we will finish these off with a little cement. Do they even need cement?
Stephen Bennett you are correct. We assume you’ll finish the fly with your favorite head cement. I mostly use Loon water based bead cement. store.flyfishfood.com/Loon-Water-Based-Head-Cement-System-p/lnhdcem.htm
On my #18 and #20 I just use 18/0 pink thread dyed with neon pink Sharpee for the hot spot. It keeps the hot spot small and it works. Less drag sinking too. Just saying...
I tied a few of these, and found that with Ice Dub I have a difficult time making a thin, compact dubbing noodle. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to tame this stuff?
Steve Potischman wet your fingers when you start dubbing. And keep it thin with no more than an inch in length. You should see the thread through the noodle. Practice on some hook and beads before you tie the whole fly. Put your dubbing on and pull more off. When you think it’s good, pull even more off. Less is more.
Like Steve said but really really really squeeze the stuff and put lots of pressure on it until you’ve got a right noodle. Try to make it about as thick as the twice or 3 times the thread thickness. Roll it only in one direction. Use very little and make it long rolls. Keep it very wet. Crazy good fly. Used it yesterday in a lowland Utah reservoir. Fished it shallows into darker water. 15’ leader to 7x. Tigers and rainbows won’t leave it alone. The red dart doesn’t seem to catch tigers but it’s a rainbow killer as well. I have some old Gary LaFontaine dubbing and I use it for under bodies on this style fly. They all work great.
![Digital Circus Episode 4 [TRAILER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/abZtsmMUbJo/mqdefault.jpg)
YES!! This is a killer fly. I spent over an hour on the Boise without a bite. Tied this on and had a dozen fish in the next 1/2 hour. Including an unbelievable 20” whitefish. Tie this fly and fish it!! It is quickly replacing the zebra midge as my go-to winter nymph.
What other thread options can you tie with the sculpin olive wire?
I could watch Lance tie his flies all day. I'd like to see nymph rod reviews by Mr. Egan as well.
Wayne S. watch modern nymphing video for his Euro rod. plus he fishes an ESN. he will outfish most everyone with a walking cane if he had to .
Used this in purple all through the Rockies this summer. My go to fly.
Awesome segmenting the wire.
First of all this is a great pattern and Thank you Lance for sharing it. I noticed you cleaned up the resin with your fingers. I found about a year ago that I had a terrific reaction to resin after I got it on my fingers and somehow touched my face. Man it just blew up with eyes affected etc. So I can't use the uv resin stuff and my fly tying buddy was the recipient of bottles and lights etc as I couldn't have them around. This probably happens to only a small number of folks but I thought I'd just mention it. Nothing wrong with the materials they work fine. So I am just using head cement to coat the body and so far the fish are ok with it. Again thanks a lot and I sent a purchase order in.
I use guinea hen for the tail because I had a half a cape - cheaper than Coq and looks the same. Great tiny fly under an indicator with a tail scud to the bend in scud lakes. Fabulous fly.
I can confirm that minimally dressed flies catch fish, when I was in the UK, I fished reservoirs with "buzzer" hatches, we had a pattern called the bare hook buzzer because thats what is was. At most, it had one run of tying silk down the shank and several turns near the eye to create a mini thorax, it didn't really need it but somehow you never felt right fishing a bare hook. One time I fished about a 20' leader with 3 bare hook buzzers direct to the leader, loch style from a boat.I hooked a trout on the point, as the leader was out of the water, a swallow zoomed in and took the top dropper which made for an interesting time, so the minimal fly fooled both trout and bird. Happy to report that both trout and bird were released ok; I still over dress my flies though.
these things are ninja warrior assassins. deadly on small creeks right now, and the use of the resin really helps the durability they don't get chewed up bang around the rocks of these small creeks. great fly. thx so much. any shot you have any of that sculpin olive wire in stock?
The olive body with the resin reminds me of The Iron Lotus. Do you ever use other colors of thread?
Brown works well, makes it look like a pheasent the tail, sort of...
I've switched to tying these without the resin. Perhaps a little less durable. A touch slower sinking. But worth it because they are even faster to tie and even less concern when lost. Olive and purple are go to colors.
What color purple/ brand of thread thread may I ask? Sounds like a great idea...
nice tie!
Great fly. I've watched this (and others) three or four times. Always learning. A question, p!ease... Would a bright spot, such as a red or gold eye, work as a ''hot spot''? Just curious? Willing to experiment to be more successful. Thank you.
Yeah man that would work, you can do whatever you want buy some stuff and experiment and figure what the fish near you like!
Is there any other top producing color combos?
What color is the bead?
Can I use uni thread instead of utc?
nope, fish won't eat it
Why no lead on this one if the purpose of the slim body is to sink faster? Wouldn't the addition of lead help it sink faster still? Or is it about keeping a slim profile?
when sinking is the goal, tungsten outperforms lead. so the bead does the job. lets the body stay slimmer. i agree the big beads look goofy, but these flies do catch fish
People have been using thread body frenchy style for years. Not sure what is different or makes this unique. I've used a thread body fly with different blends of guard hare for the thorax. Does that make it mine? Not really it's just another frenchy variation. Probably doesn't matter but I get sick of people making minor variations to flies and claiming them as there own.
How long do you think we have been fishing this fly? Also, who invented the Frenchie?
@@FlyFishFood By invented the frenchie I assume you mean use modern materials (ice dubbing thorax etc) on a pheasant tail. A very natural development that many decent/curious fly tyers would try. I would say a lot of people took those new materials and used them as a PT variation. I’ve been tying a bunch of wingcaseless pheasant tails with ice dubbing (or any dubbing for that matter) for about 8-10 years. Who was the first to ‘claim and name’. As far as I’m aware it was you (Lance Egan). Who really deserves credit though? I’d give credit to these modernized mayfly patterns to Frank Sawyer as they really are just natural variations/developments with modern materials. I actually have an original pheasant tail (along with his other patterns such as the grey goose and killer bug) tied by Frank sitting pride of place in my living room and it’s simplicity is amazing.
I even see people re creating and claiming the Czech teams ‘thread fly’ as there own cause they gone and put a cdc collar instead of partridge on it.
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate your contribution to fly fishing and I don’t think you’ve intentionally ripped anything off. But so often I’m just seeing people make variations of other flies and abracadabra we have a new invention.
Personaly I think it’s very hard to come up with anything truly original in fly tying these days. The closest I’ve done is my Glo Bomb which you will see on my channel and it’s a bloody disgusting junk fly egg pattern for migratory trout. Just because I wanted a weighted egg pattern I could use to good effect on a euro setup. Though it’s really a development on the glo bug so I’m very hesitant to claim it as my own 100%.
I guess my argument is a bit down the old philosophical line of “If you replace all the parts of an old watch, is it still the same watch. If not then at what point does it become a different watch”.
I cant get sculpin olive in my country do you think standard copper brassie would be fine as well?I can also get olive though
Tie it in gold. But hit the gold with a marker in the color you want.
Lance, it seems you guys do not use head cement when tying. Is there a reason or just an assumption that we will finish these off with a little cement. Do they even need cement?
Stephen Bennett you are correct. We assume you’ll finish the fly with your favorite head cement. I mostly use Loon water based bead cement. store.flyfishfood.com/Loon-Water-Based-Head-Cement-System-p/lnhdcem.htm
I'm glad I read this. I'm new to tying and had no idea I was supposed to use head cement. Time to go back on what I've already tied haha.
Gold bead?
Brooktrout Angler yes, gold bead.
Why not just use a florescent bead instead of adding a hotspot? Too bright then?
On my #18 and #20 I just use 18/0 pink thread dyed with neon pink Sharpee for the hot spot. It keeps the hot spot small and it works. Less drag sinking too. Just saying...
I tied a few of these, and found that with Ice Dub I have a difficult time making a thin, compact dubbing noodle. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to tame this stuff?
Steve Potischman wet your fingers when you start dubbing. And keep it thin with no more than an inch in length. You should see the thread through the noodle. Practice on some hook and beads before you tie the whole fly. Put your dubbing on and pull more off. When you think it’s good, pull even more off. Less is more.
Like Steve said but really really really squeeze the stuff and put lots of pressure on it until you’ve got a right noodle. Try to make it about as thick as the twice or 3 times the thread thickness. Roll it only in one direction. Use very little and make it long rolls. Keep it very wet.
Crazy good fly. Used it yesterday in a lowland Utah reservoir. Fished it shallows into darker water. 15’ leader to 7x. Tigers and rainbows won’t leave it alone. The red dart doesn’t seem to catch tigers but it’s a rainbow killer as well.
I have some old Gary LaFontaine dubbing and I use it for under bodies on this style fly. They all work great.