Tying Video: Mike Schmidt's Double Deceiver

[Brian Wise]

Well guys, it was a little bittersweet finishing the Galloup line of streamers.....but covering Mike Schmidt's stuff is already proving to be seriously, seriously cool.

The first fly in the Schmidt lineup is the infamous Double Deceiver. In all seriousness, this fly looks to be more like a Musky fly when it is out of the water--it is large and in charge for sure. But get it wet and the profile slims down and it literally moves on it's own. The Schlappen tail and the flared and backwards tied bucktail gives this fly a movement that is all it's own....you never know which way it is going to dart after the strip--which is exactly what I look for in a big streamer. I do have some fine print for this fly though....I have tweaked it a little to fish a little better on the North Fork of the White. I tie it with a little bit slimmer of a profile instead of monster hunks of backwards tied bucktail I stack some flared bucktail simply because this fly can get a little too large for low water streamer fishing on the North Fork of the White. For guys on the White River, Arkansas, Taney, Norfork, Little Red where flows can get big....the standard version of the Double Deceiver works well....but for the rest of us that want to be able to fish this fly on ALL flows--I am pretty proud of "my" version.

Here you go guys, the first fly in the Mike Schmidt series......the Double Deceiver.

Recipe:

Rear Hook:

Hook - Gamakatsu B10s #2

Tail - Schlappen

Body - Bucktail

Connection Point - Beadalon

Front Hook:

Hook - Gamakatsu B10s #1

Tail - Schlappen (optional) Body - Bucktail

Eyes - Mirage Domed

Head - Clear Cure Goo

Brian

[Jason R.]

Awesome. Are those the 10mm eyes? And what is that junk you put in for cheeks? Is the buck tail? It looked fluffier or something- like a synthetic. I love those flies- i only wish I got to fish them more often. By the way Brian makes that reverse tied bucktail head look way easier than it is.... at least for me. (mine look really stupid)

[Nortrad]

Awesome. Are those the 10mm eyes? And what is that junk you put in for cheeks? Is the buck tail? It looked fluffier or something- like a synthetic. I love those flies- i only wish I got to fish them more often. By the way Brian makes that reverse tied bucktail head look way easier than it is.... at least for me. (mine look really stupid)

I know, the reverse bucktail thing is tougher than it looks. What type/weight thread do you use? I'm thinking of doing a variation of these in Congo Hair, not bucktail. We'll see.

Nice work Brian, big giant flies....yeah.

[DaddyO]

Sweet!

[Brian Wise]

I know, the reverse bucktail thing is tougher than it looks. What type/weight thread do you use? I'm thinking of doing a variation of these in Congo Hair, not bucktail. We'll see.

Nice work Brian, big giant flies....yeah.

The Congo Hair would defenitely be a different look and different movement. Basically, with the bucktail you get that extra weight behind it and it stays fairly "stiff" to you get opposite movement after the strip. Most synthetic material isn't going to give you much movement after the strip simply because it is too soft. I'm not saying a fly tied with Congo Hair or EP Fibers in this style wouldn't be completely awesome though....because they would be. FWIW, I will be using the reverse tying method with Craft Fur on a triple articulated fly video in the future so you can really get away with that technique with a load of different materials.

The one thing that can make or break your reverse tied bucktail is the thread. I like a flat waxed nylon or GSP as long as the GSP is thick. If you get too skinny it will cut your bucktail. Also, take a bic pen and pull the insides out so all you have is the tube.....then you can use that to push your hair back over itself if you are having problems with that.

I like this "flat" profile a lot.

[rfd515]

Awesome.

[Nick Williams]

Awesome video! I dream to tie as fast as you!!!

[Nortrad]

The Congo Hair would defenitely be a different look and different movement. Basically, with the bucktail you get that extra weight behind it and it stays fairly "stiff" to you get opposite movement after the strip. Most synthetic material isn't going to give you much movement after the strip simply because it is too soft. I'm not saying a fly tied with Congo Hair or EP Fibers in this style wouldn't be completely awesome though....because they would be. FWIW, I will be using the reverse tying method with Craft Fur on a triple articulated fly video in the future so you can really get away with that technique with a load of different materials.

The one thing that can make or break your reverse tied bucktail is the thread. I like a flat waxed nylon or GSP as long as the GSP is thick. If you get too skinny it will cut your bucktail. Also, take a bic pen and pull the insides out so all you have is the tube.....then you can use that to push your hair back over itself if you are having problems with that.

I like this "flat" profile a lot.

So what's your take on craft fur vs. bucktail? I have some craft fur for streamers also. Ever tried to tie a Granato's Chubby Muffin? Nice sculpin pattern w. craft fur spun into a dubbing brush.

[Brian Wise]

So what's your take on craft fur vs. bucktail? I have some craft fur for streamers also. Ever tried to tie a Granato's Chubby Muffin? Nice sculpin pattern w. craft fur spun into a dubbing brush.

In all seriousness, I look at bucktail a lot different than I used to. I don't tie Clousers with it anymore because I use EP (a clouser has ONE movement and that is jigging which makes using bucktail on them crazy, IMHO) but on the other hand I use it for big flies more than I ever used to. Bucktail makes a GREAT "bulking" material while not using a ton of it. So when you have something that flares and holds that flare you can really start getting a really cool profile and extra movement in the water. What happens when you have a flared bucktail fly in the water is as it is moving during the strip it slims down (makes sense right) but AFTER the strip as the fly is slowing down that bucktail flares again giving extra movment and a dart in any axis.....you can't get that with synthetic material.

I REALLY like Craft Fur as a "wing" type material over the top of a fly and have become a huge fan of a triple-articulated fly that uses it in that fashion. And Granato's flies are some of the most fishy looking and fun to tie patterns I have ever seen. There is probably an 80% chance that I will cover his flies next and would start with the Chubby Muffin....mostly because I already tie it.

[Nortrad]

Thanks for the info, probably do a Chubby M. and a congo hair clouser patter I found. I think I'll hold off on the bucktail right now.