BilletHead

Great day Ham! Would have rather been with you yesterday than what I had to go through. I was with you in mind though, gave me something to think about. Good fishy pictures buddy 😀.

Great report! Thanks for sharing, sir.

Feels downright balmy here at 20. Pat's birds have been through 50 pounds of black oil sunflower seed during this dip in the deep freeze.

Ours too Ham. Went into the post yesterday. We are looking forward to everyone's contribution.

that is no heavier than your articulated streamers that have bigger hooks. It isn't as heavy as a tungsten bead with a few lead wraps.

One more of these for awhile. I'm getting tired of looking at them. As per @Flysmallie whining about the heavyweight version being just what it is heavy I give you the lightweight with plastic eyes. It sinks slowly with the hook end pulling it down. On to something else. Thanks for the input Ronnie and @tjm. I think if a person did one on a lightweight hook like a smaller Dai Rikki 270 or a Tiemco 200R using boobies eyes (not the big obtrusive double d size) they would suspend perfect on a two to three foot leader on a sink tip line. This could be a fun deal.

Hang in their buddy it's fixing to change to the better.

Heat wave -2 forecast is looking good!

Chuck and duck.

Yes, they would work fine here doing just that. The guy in the video is doing that. We have a friend who is a forum member on here. He was on the USA flyfishing team and fished completive all over. If I could remember his username on here I would drag him out and tell us how he fished those flies. Where are you at Randy Haner?

AND pay attention @Flysmallie if you want to fish booby flys you have to do it this way and talk this way,

Alright Mr smarty-pants, Just for you Ronald. Craft foam instead of lead. Its that thin stuff. Sections super glued on both sides of the hook shank behind the bead chain eyes. If it is still too heavy use those plastic ones. After glue was set started wrapping easy and working a taper. As you know it's easy to crush this foam. After a basic body is made I spread a light layer of UV glue then zapped it. Hardened up perfect. Finished wrapping a thread layer and made the bug eyed critter just like the leaded one. Now we have an unleaded big eyed bug also. Still rides hook up. So which one is leaded and which one is unleaded Ronnie? 😆 On bench and in the water.

One thing about it spring will come one way or another. My phone just about every day brings up memories from this day. So, on this day in 2017 on a farm pond this happened. Thought I would share on this cold day there are better days ahead. Just so you know that is my fist in the mouth of that bass.

Pat said you looked mighty cold Wednesday morning on one cast.

I was really surprised getting out today since the storm. Four to five inches at home. Dirt road was fantastic. One we drive to blacktop was so wind blown it was mostly dirt. Secondary blacktop in shelterd places just a little packed snow. 54 highway clean. Most of Eldorado springs roads clear. Kudos to Modot. Wind helped them this time!

Thanks Ronnie, When I get the lighter version done if its a success will run it by you.

Bummer Dutch!

Yes, pheasant rump would look good on it. I am thinking about trying to tie one making the bulk taper of the body with some foam to cut the weight down so it will ride higher in the water column.

-6 -12 I am ready for normal.

I have two thermometers in different outside locations. One says -5 and the other says -11. Could be worse I suppose.

Let's finish this nymph. After the trim job this is what it should look like and what I was going for. After trimming around the hook eye you might still have a mess. A small drop of head cement in my case some UV glue on the threads. Still some wild hairs around and in the hook eye? Heat up a needle or straight pin and insert into the hook eye singing them into oblivion. Don't touch the thread wraps on your good work will come undone. Because of the lead placement on the hook this will ride hook up. No problem less snagging on the bottom. Ham said this is a good imitation of a little sculpin too.

Now dubbing the thorax. Another dubbing loop. This time make a loop and wax one side. There will be no noodle this time spun in between the threads on the loop. Place little pinches of loose squirrel dubbing between the threads. Top to bottom of the loop. This will be messy and hair will fall off. Don't fret enough will be trapped between the threads, Yuck you say. Spin this mess up. Loose hair will go all over. Here is your loop now. Clean it up a bit with a tooth brush or Velcro. If you have it tight enough it will be just fine. Now wrap that up from back of throax to behind the eyes and around and over the eyes and catch off right behind the hook eye and whip finish. What a mess you have now:). Time for scissors work. Get right in there and give it a flattop, do the same for the bottom. Leave those sides! Trim the wild hairs off in front of the eyes shaping the head.

Again at the vice trying something. A dragonfly nymph. I had really good luck with nymphs like this especially in ponds after some warming. Fish are hungry and looking for a fat slow juicy treat. This fits the bill. Actually many big bass have been caught on the nymph. Here is what I came up with today. Hook 4X long #8 streamer hook. Olive 6/0 thread, some ribbing material. .25 lead wire and fox squirrel for dubbing. Bead chain or plastic eyes. Tie on eyes. I use bead chain. Run your thread to the back. Give yourself a little room for a little tail . Live ones don't have much of a tail but I add a small one for a little action. You can add tail now or do it later. Start lead right ahead of that point and wrap up to behind the eyes, then wrap on top of that back a little ways and break it off. Now take some pliers and smash the lead flat like this. Now some thread work. Cover lead work at each place that needs a smooth transition this will take a bit of time. If your thread balls up at the transition smash it flat with your pliers. If you want a rib on the abdomen tie that in now. Now to dub up the abdomen. At the back of the abdomen at the tail junction pull down a good amount of thread and wax it. We are going to make a tight noodle of mixed fox squirrel hair. The back of the squirrel only. When you get this tight noodle made make a dubbing loop with it. Spin this loop up to make it tighter. This nymph is going to be bomb proof. Now wrap up this loop forward trying to keep your body contour to right behind where you think the thorax starts. Catch it off there. Take your scissors and trim top, sides and bottom smooth. Wrap up your rib if you planned for that now and catch it off and cut off excess. More to come

Not a problem adding ten to Pat's and my fly's.

Good question, I'm not smart enough to answer that question. Before I had straight eye hooks I did some like that and still managed to catch fish. See if we can get a response from @fishinwrench.