I've been threatening

For a long time to tie some flies for crappie, but it always gets pushed aside for something else. Skip had sent me a download that I wasn't smart enough to resurrect so I searched Youtube and found an instructional video and here is the result. Called Crappie Candy and a first effort.Some improvements to be made but none that the fish will notice, just me. Thanks you Skip for raising the bar, you push me into breaking out of the rut I fall into and on to other things. You keep a lot of us interested seeing that there's more to this than a feather and a hook......Skeet

Good looking clouser

Have good duck hunting buddiy all he uses when not duck huning is a flyrod,popping bug bream killers and flies catches lot's of crappie and bream!!!! Looks good!!!

Wow that's nice!

Hey looking good and glad you have some time to toe some flies for crappie. I will put the link to crappie candy below here, but Skeet, I went to Bass Pro because it's next to the casino in Bosier where we go from time to time and we went just before Christmas. I got to looking at some fly rods they had which were on sale and seemed like a pretty nice rod, I was thinking a rear seat jig rod so picked an 8 Wt. which I thought felt great and I thought heck I can even catch some bass on flies with that bugger, just need to get another fly reel and some floating front loaded fly line.
Anyway here is the real part of this little story. I also noticed a kind of large counter that was just a bunch of pockets on both sides and each pocket had different kinds of flies. Now I never buy flies, but as I looked there were several that got my attention and a few I fell in love with so I bought several that I liked and that I want to tie and I mean a couple of them are just awesome, one was even called the Gray Ghost and that one I have to learn to tie right now! I will take ai tire of a few and email them to you. I just know a couple of these will catch crappie and I plan on doing that this spring!

i did also buy 2 for my self just to fish as I don't want to take the time right now to learn spinning deer hair at this time so I bought 2 I plan on catching some bass on (a little Rat and Frog), but I am not tying them I and fishing the ones o bought for that, LOL! I mean I can spin deer hair and know how, but still don't know how them guys get the colors separated so well and where they want it and that is something I still plan at some time learning how to do well, just for the cool factor, LOL!

Crappie Candy.....
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...052801fotw.php
only thing about this pattern is you have to find a supply for the FL Wool Danville makes for the body. I have almost every color they make of that stuff!

I know a little about spun deer hair. One of the guys that I was told started some of the patterns of that was Wilhelm Von Luscomb, and his shop was called Die Werke International. I was fortunate enough to spend a little time there when he moved to Deland, FL. and learn how serious some folks take their craft. He was making G Loomis rods when the only thing available was blanks. He came from the Keys and had a reputation for world class 10 to 12 wt Tarpon Fly Rods. His windings I have yet to see an equal. Made his own rod coatings in 5 gallon batches to get the parts per million right. Very meticulous. Dyed his own hair and feathers for salt applications cuz store bought materials at that time would bleach in salt water. As the years have passed I think back on things and thank him over and over for the things he shared with me that I find myself referring to. I only have one of his spun topwater bass poppers left and can't bring myself to tie it on. Some of what I see at the rack you spoke of I buy cuz they're on clearance or I buy it for a pattern. I can usually tie it if I can see it up close.
For a fly reel look into the BPS store brand reels (White River, Hobbs Creek)) that are close to $50. I bought a couple they used as demo's and already had line on them for a little over $40 each. One is a 4/5wt and the other is heavier to go on the 7wt my Dad left me. The wt forward line and silicone line treatment/cleaner make the casting a dream, and I just use 10lb flouro for a tippet, usually about the length of the rod so it pulls itself straight when stored. The surprise fish make it all worth it. A 6lb LMB on a junk 7wt is some kinda fun!!

The cabelas Wind River reels are good for the $20 in the bargain cave, their presitge line is a decent value for the $$ as well.

Nice looking fly skeetbum.

nice tie buddy!!!!!!!

Here's a few from Rick Zieger, nice easy ties and they do work.

Simple Ant http://www.flyanglersonline.com/feat...sh/part498.php
Boa Yarn Leech http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...061206fotw.php

Very nice tie buddy.

Bobo

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jimp

The cabelas Wind River reels are good for the $20 in the bargain cave, their presitge line is a decent value for the $$ as well.

Nice looking fly skeetbum.

---

Looks like they have the Prestige reels on sale now so seems a good time.

Skeet, that thing looks like something from outer space or somewhere, [wicked] I wish I could get creative an come up with something new. Let us know how it works.

That is going to look like a full meal deal to them fish nice job a lot of work. Gary

I'll bet they've never seen anything like that before.

I got to tie a few more today and thought I'd share them with y'all. The pink one has lead eyes where the Chartreuse has bead eyes. The others are just some bugs with 2 of them being ants. The left one sinks and the others are from foam bodies, the ant shape trimmed down to work, sort of. The bottom pic is of one of the ants that I fashioned the body from black micro chenille and after tying the hackle collar in the middle, coated all the chenille with Sally's. Here's hoping it holds up. It's been fun to duck into the bench and see what comes out. Thanks for looking.

Boy o Boy those look nice, u got to go try em and give us a report.
You going to keep on and i;m going to have to go to the shop, fire my heater up and start tying. lol

Legend, there are no special talents that I brought here with me, I've learned them all in the past few years. There are many sites and publications, and books from yard sales that my Wife and I have found that have helped in the education. Just like chasing crappie, you gotta have a "Bag of Tricks". It's only hard if you don't try. And I will keep you posted as to their effectiveness.

Skeet I know just what u are talking about, I really try to do to many different things, woodworking,bowl turning, crank bait carving, grand parenting,[ 7 grandkids] santa claus ,crappie fishing, jig tying, house painter, cook and the list goes on but my first love is fishing and always will. Got the fever when I was about 5 yrs old and can,t seem to get rid of it, I should be in bed on medication.LoL

What size hook are you using on the ones you posted yesterday? Better yet what hook did you use. Those look great buddy.

Bobo

They are streamer hooks. They look a lot like an Aberdeen but much stronger. If someone wanted to try one they could get by with an Aberdeen but the flex of the hook would make it much different to tie. The ones I used were Eagle Claw L058S in #4. The shank is easy twice what an Aberdeen is and the temper is much harder. I have some smaller Mustad's but I'm just now getting used to the bigger ones, I'll go small some other day. I tied one in blue shades last night that I really like but the only thread I had for the job was 70 denier. I broke it twice. I don't tie these fast and now understand why things like this bring a better dollar at the store. The Bugs are #8 plain shank Eagle Claw that really aren't designed for this. At this point I'm learning the technique so I use what I have on hand. The Clouser minnow uses the streamer hook also and is a versatile fly and a bit easier to tie.

The Clouser has been a favorite of mine for years so I tried one of the Crappie Candy a few years ago and found it to be one of the most fun ways to catch Spring Crappie there is. For some reason I have found traditional Clouser colors to work better than brighter Crappie colors. Nice ties!

Nice fly and tying Skeet. Fly fishing for crappie is a lot of fun and many of the flies used for trout works great for crappie and bream fishing. I enjoy tying flies and can spend hours tying at the vise.

I was honored to have one of my flies picked as a FAOL fly of the week in July. This fly works great for crappie and I also tie this fly on a standard size 12 hook for bream. I haven't had the chance to try this fly on trout yet but hope to next month. A good one to add to your crappie fly box.
http://www.flyanglersonline.com/

Good looking fly Stump. Looks like it's simple. Show us some more pics when you can. Quite an honor being chosen for that.

IKenI, post some of your good colors please. I get all caught up in color choices. The candy was one that caught my eye a couple of years back that I finally got around to. Thanks for all the good words folks, I value all of your comments.

I no longer tie due to pretty severe arthritis so nowadays usually end up buying my clousers and crappie candy flies. I have a couple of dozen but they are stored in my travel trailer down at Lake Eufaula (OK) so I can't do photos. But...after using many color variations I primarily use three colors. My favorite is the exact color combo pictured at the top of Al Campbell's fly of the week page. The other two are a light olive body and a gray/silver body with everything else the same as his picture. I used to use them lots down in Texas river fishing for Bass and Crappie and found those colors worked best for me. Now I usually only fly fish in the Spring when the crappie are shallow but those colors work real well for me then.

Very cool fly Stump. I have to get some of those cooper eyes to try that one out. Not to sound stupid but what exactly are "Biots"? I have everything but the eyes and possibly the biots to make this fly. It looks like it is the vein o a feather but I am not for sure.

Bobo

Thanks guys.
Biots come from a goose, many many flies can be tied from one biot.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/15-FLY-TYING...item1e6d95c0ee

Thank you Stump. That makes sense now. I will order some this week. The possibilities with that material is just about endless.

Bobo

Iken - I had the chance to speak in the chat room with Al Campbell many times before he passed away. Always helpful and ready to talk simply when describing a tying technique. Here's his step by step for the Crappie Candy http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flyt...052801fotw.php

and here's another copy of it with different colors http://www.warmfly.com/smf/index.php?topic=5430.0 http://i1244.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4e94936d.jpg

couple other mix's are Purple body with White tail & wing
Black body with Chart. tail & wing
Pink body with White tail & wing
Pink body with Chart. tail & wing

I found some I had tied in the past, and a bunch I tied while home over the holidays. The 2 on the bottom right are not my work, but all the rest are. The "No Two Alike" syndrome I go through when I get to tying produces a really big mess but some interesting ties from time to time. The Horse head is a Christmas pattern Skip ties, and the black bugs and maggot patterns will give me some good gill action one day soon, Thanks for looking, it's back to the grind for me so I won't have much to post in the next few weeks. Happy New Year to everyone, and go tie something........Skeet