Tornado Wolly

[rFisherk]

I came up with this fly a few weeks ago. Tied it large on a long-shank #6 hook with smallmouth in mind, but tied it on while fishing for trout at Meremec Springs, just to see what it looked like in the water. Was twitching it along close to me, thinking it looked a great deal like a small crawfish, when a trout took it. Started casting it and fishing it like a streamer. Caught dozens of trout, including about 10 in a row; worked as well--better actually--(on hatchery trout) as anything I've used. I think I'm on to something and decided to share.

I start with about 15 wraps of .025 lead, then wrap a soft hackle from a pheasant at the bend, then tie in a grizzly and a red game dry fly hackle from a Metz #2 dry fly neck; use the long Metz hackles to keep the hackle relatively short, but sill fill the body with a lot of hackle. Body is a redish-brown chenille.

I call it a Tornado Wolly because it tends to twist a bit during the retrieve, but I'm convinced this is also part of its charm.

[motroutbum]

I like the look of they fly.  The reason the fly is like a tornado in the water is because of the way you hackled the fly.  By tying the hackle in by the butt at the back of the fly,  the hackle will have a Christmas tree shape (longest at the bottom near the tail of the fly, and shortest near the top near the eye.  Generally flies are palmered the other direction ( tyiing the tip in first so the shortest hackles are near the tail and longest near the eye).  I do however like the pheasant for the tail.  Nice tye.

[mic]

Love it.  You should join the winter fly swap...joining enters it for a review by phils crew.  check it out.

[rFisherk]

I tie all my wooly worms that way, and they don't spin. I'm pretty sure it spins because of the soft hackle in the rear. At any rate, I think the main reason it works so well is the fact it spins. It doesn't spin enough to mess up the leader (6X), but I do strip it in occasionally to let it unwind.

 

[jackdizo]

I like the pattern! the color combos are awesome. You can always beef up your tippet to get less spinning effect and line twist if it becomes a problem I would assume... I tied this guy up with some brighter hackle and the fish at the springs seemed to like it as well. Also had some twist to it. I think just the amount of hackle on the body being so tight makes it spins a bit, tied a few up a bit more sparse with the hackle on the body and they didnt spin the same, (this spinning thing may be getting some reaction bites?) 

Nice work Rfisherk! Thanks for sharing.

[snagged in outlet 3]

I always thought that stiff hackle made them spin.

Dale Fulton (Blue ribbon Flies) told me if you use the cheapest chinese chicken neck they won't spin.   And they don'e.

If you use higher grade hackle they will.

The cheap chinese stuff lays down like marabou.

Pete

[rFisherk]

Thanks for the replies. I still think it is the way the soft hackle tail flairs that makes it spin, and I reiterate, I'm convinced the reason they work so well is because they spin. I tied the exact pattern on some 1/16th ounce jig heads, and they didn't work nearly as well, probably because they don't spin.