Report 2/2/13

[NoLuck]

Brian we are talking about fixing existing hooks that they already have. Otherwise just use the 2499spbl like I mentioned. I would never buy a hook that I had to modify other than pinching down the barb.

[NoLuck]

The hook adjustment would be "kirbing" the hook. Tis what makes a hook a Kirby style. You can also tie your midges on a short shank wide gap and gain some leverage, like a TMC 2487. Tie a 16 with an 18 body.

A fly that I have always call a fur bug can be deadly at times, especially on busy days after most of the stockers have been caught. It consist of nothing more than some fuzzy dubbing on an #18 or #20 fish as close to the bottom as possible. Gray and followed by olive were the best colors for me.

Another trick to fishing very small flies in Bennett without an indicator is to watch the fish after the fly gets close, if you see a flash of white from their mouth, set the hook. It's not a 100% effective, but it works better then trying to see them actually take a tiny fly.

Wayne,

We used to fish what we called a possum bug. I have not seen them anywhere since I started back trout fishing about 8 years ago. They really seemed to do the trick. Also we fished an army worm and a few others that always produced fish. I'm sure it would be a simple tie if I knew what to tie up with. Dubbing with grey possum fur or dyed olive fur of some sort I believe. Maybe even use lead wire under the fur to give it some depth. We always fished it with a split shot back then so I'm sure they were not weighted. Best I can tell is it resembled a scud back when I had no idea what a scud even was.

[Wayne SW/MO]

They were common among tiers way back. A favorite method in the afternoon was to walk the stream looking for fish close enough to enable managing a drift. We would use one of the fur bugs and try to get a drift to their face The bugs were so samll it was easy to lose track so the trick was to try and judge the drift speed and if you saw the fish open it's mouth at the right time, you set the hook. It wasn't a perfect science, but it worked often enough and took enough skill to make it more fun that watching what was essentially a bobber.

We tied and used them without any weight other then a couple of wraps of .010, I believe it was, and a little dubbing.on a 3906 size 18. It was also a popular fly at one time with the infamous "Lunker Hunters".

Do you remember the wire wrapped worms, the local name escapes me, red was very popular, but green did better for me. It was another "fly" that could be drifted sans additional weight. The wire and the hook was just enough on its own.

[laker67]

The name you are looking for is "brassie". As for the fur bugs, I used a 7948A mustad hook. It was stonger and had a wider gap. Caught many a lunker on that possum fur bug.

[NoLuck]

I still fish a brassie once in a while. Flo orange always seems to pick up some fish sometimes when they just want something different. My dad used to fish a lot of brassies when I was young. He would always fish the middle hole between the dam and the bridge hole. Now it just looks like one continuous hole somewhat. From what I remember of possum bugs though was that they were about a size 14 hook. Maybe I should get a few tied up this year to give them a whirl.