I've got to tell you that I am so pleased to see you using your fingers for your whip finish instead of a tool. I used to give Frank Matarelli crap about converting so many people to using his two tools. He made a normal one for whipping the head and a long-throat one for placing a whip finish back on the body of the fly. He would just smile at me and say he was glad he could make it easier for people to whip finish. When you use your fingers, you can whip it anywhere on the fly head, tail, or body, and you never have to worry about misplacing or losing your fingers.
Another great video! This fly works lots of places and you can make a number of variations to it to fit the water you are fishing. I tied this up back in 1990 for my trip to Alaska and put plastic dumbbell eyes on it. Used for Dolly Varden in AK when we fished a river that did not currently have a salmon run in progress. Dolly's just slammed it. Friend of mine, Rusty Vorous showed me a few flies he used when he was a bush-pilot and guide in Alaska. I caught both Dolly Varden, and Northern Pike on it. You can play with the way your weight this a LOT and still use a floating line to fish it. Put dumbbell lead eyes on it and it will nose down and sink pretty quickly until you start retrieving it. Once you get it to the depth you want and start retrieving it, it will stay at that depth pretty well because of all of the hackle. Fishing it with a floating line also gives it a bit of up and down action which has always proven to be more productive for me than a straight retrieving without any kind of jigging motion. Retrieve speed also gives you good control over how it sinks. The faster the retrieve, the less it sinks and the jerkier (is that a word?) it will move, the slower the retrieve, the more it will undulate and settle as you retrieve. If you fish this with a sinking or intermediate line be sure you get a line that is density compensated so it sinks tip-first, not belly first. That tip-first sinking or intermediate line will keep you in touch with the fly and gives you much better sensitivity. You won't get the undulation you get with a floating line that pulls it up a bit every time you make a strip and lets it sink (hopefully head first if you weighted it correctly) when you pause in between strips, but it will let you fish it at deeper depths that you can with a floating line.
Howdy from Texas! My friend caught and sent pictures of a really nice largemouth yesterday. When I asked what fly, he sent me this link! I’ll definitely be tying some up today. Great clear instructions. 👍👍 Thanks a lot! (Hint: his was Green/Olive). Best wishes! 🎣
This pattern is awesome! I use it a lot in Florida plus Smallies and pickerel in the mid Atlantic. Interested why you don't palmer with the rotary ? Your fly looks great either way! 👍
Thanks! Palmering with the rotary is quicker, certainly, but I feel it's easier to control the placement of the material when palmering by hand. Totally personal preference!
Best version of a Seaducer I’ve seen. Very nice job. Great fly.
I've got to tell you that I am so pleased to see you using your fingers for your whip finish instead of a tool. I used to give Frank Matarelli crap about converting so many people to using his two tools. He made a normal one for whipping the head and a long-throat one for placing a whip finish back on the body of the fly. He would just smile at me and say he was glad he could make it easier for people to whip finish. When you use your fingers, you can whip it anywhere on the fly head, tail, or body, and you never have to worry about misplacing or losing your fingers.
Hi Dan. Thanks for watching and glad you enjoyed it. Tight lines
Another great video! This fly works lots of places and you can make a number of variations to it to fit the water you are fishing. I tied this up back in 1990 for my trip to Alaska and put plastic dumbbell eyes on it. Used for Dolly Varden in AK when we fished a river that did not currently have a salmon run in progress. Dolly's just slammed it. Friend of mine, Rusty Vorous showed me a few flies he used when he was a bush-pilot and guide in Alaska. I caught both Dolly Varden, and Northern Pike on it.
You can play with the way your weight this a LOT and still use a floating line to fish it. Put dumbbell lead eyes on it and it will nose down and sink pretty quickly until you start retrieving it. Once you get it to the depth you want and start retrieving it, it will stay at that depth pretty well because of all of the hackle. Fishing it with a floating line also gives it a bit of up and down action which has always proven to be more productive for me than a straight retrieving without any kind of jigging motion. Retrieve speed also gives you good control over how it sinks. The faster the retrieve, the less it sinks and the jerkier (is that a word?) it will move, the slower the retrieve, the more it will undulate and settle as you retrieve.
If you fish this with a sinking or intermediate line be sure you get a line that is density compensated so it sinks tip-first, not belly first. That tip-first sinking or intermediate line will keep you in touch with the fly and gives you much better sensitivity. You won't get the undulation you get with a floating line that pulls it up a bit every time you make a strip and lets it sink (hopefully head first if you weighted it correctly) when you pause in between strips, but it will let you fish it at deeper depths that you can with a floating line.
Great tips! I am sure that AK trip was incredible.
Howdy from Texas! My friend caught and sent pictures of a really nice largemouth yesterday. When I asked what fly, he sent me this link! I’ll definitely be tying some up today. Great clear instructions. 👍👍 Thanks a lot! (Hint: his was Green/Olive). Best wishes! 🎣
Good to hear!
Simple and cool.
This pattern is awesome! I use it a lot in Florida plus Smallies and pickerel in the mid Atlantic. Interested why you don't palmer with the rotary ? Your fly looks great either way! 👍
Thanks! Palmering with the rotary is quicker, certainly, but I feel it's easier to control the placement of the material when palmering by hand. Totally personal preference!