Streamer ideas

[Professor]

For those that fish streamers, looking for some more ideas for unweighted stuff. Fish a lot of Platte River Spiders, but would love something like that with a stinger hook and a bit longer body. Also fish a lot of zoo cougars and Mckunes, but just thinking something without the buoyant big head, but still a ton of body movement would really work well around here. ideas? I would tie some, but due to an addition to the family a while back, I lost my fly tying room and now my supplies live in a box

[yonskion]

can't beat the inturder

[Professor]

Those look good, but how about without lead eyes? How about with a stinger hook. Oh and browns, reds, and yellows seem to be hot. So when are you tying me some and shipping them off

[yonskion]

thats a goggle image
most shops that are up on the latest shiz should have them around or ask them to tye them

[Professor]

I will likely just get the shop to tie some for me. One of their guys is way into streamers and has been tying some pretty cool unweighted stuff. With how low our water levels have gotten over the last week, the weighted stuff is just too much

[Denny1969]

I'm a big fan of the zonker style streamer. It's a simple tie. You can vary your color combinations. And I love the movement of rabbit. Here's one that I use during the fall in the Sierras.



Dennis

[Happy Fun Ball]

I've been tying a lot of bunny leeches these days in lieu of traditional streamers. I love the movement and action these give in the water, especially when tied with the UV flashabou. The video below shows tying it with dumbell eyes, but I've tied without for a less weighted presentation and they work nicely.

[ak_powder_monkey]

My Favorite Streamers:

-Dolly Llamas
-Olive and black alaskabous
-Black wooly buggers

Can't beat the wooly bugger IMO

[Pow4Brains]

Oh and browns, reds, and yellows seem to be hot.

It's that time of year around here fo' sho. Streamers tied with real feathers seem to be what you are looking for (vs. marabou). Something like this less the leadhead?

[Professor]

YES PLEASE! Is that yours? And if so, how much for a half dozen? (need to share with friends)

[Pow4Brains]

No, not mine. You can get more info here: http://www.usaonthefly.com/Flies%20You%20Tie.htm

I'm still in the newb stages of tying otherwise I'd help you out. If you take a pic of this to a shop they should be able to hook you up.

[Professor]

Thanks Pow4Brains. Looking at the recipe, Maybe I just need to buy some hooks and find the box with my vise and materials. I really need to put an addition on the house so I can have my bench back

[72Twenty]

This winter I am going to experiment with some different streamer patterns on the vise; I fish streamers often in my area (especially int he lakes). Honestly though, I still find myself going back to the 'ol standbys most of the time: black and olive woolly buggers.

[Hugh Conway]

Matukas - black w/red head or olive w/Red head.

[LukeS]

I'm a huge fan of the squirrel flies as well, which is what Pow4Brains fly is.
Its actually really easy to work with and almost any tyer beginner or expert could tie with it. Like others said it is offered in tons of colors and lots of combos work well. Right now we are using lots of yellow and brown and orange. So I take strips of those colors add some flash and youve got a killer.But I would recommend at least using a sink tip or adding some lead to the fly because the squirrel will float pretty well.

[ak_powder_monkey]

It's that time of year around here fo' sho. Streamers tied with real feathers seem to be what you are looking for (vs. marabou). Something like this less the leadhead?

looks like a moal to me,

I'd guess
Stinger attachment: Spider Wire
Body: Rabbit hair, wrapped down spider wire
Collar: Wrapped Marabou, Died over grizzly hen hackle
Sides: Krystal Flash

Thats gotta be a bitch to cast

[Professor]

If you go to pow4brains link, it has the recipe. It is actually rabbit strips. They call it a double bunny.... but that aint a double bunny.

[Bigfly]

Fished a lake out here where a weighted line and weighted bugger were the norm. One day I noticed I could feel the fly ticking through the ripples on the bottom. Looked at my fly, and the point was dulled and shiny. Went to the truck and tied a Rainey foam core bugger, used large Tri-lobal yarn to cover the foam. Seems to catch more fish than weighted stuff,(in rivers or lakes) might be more natural movement. Looks fatter too!
Another thing, by my line choice, and/or s shot I can fish it shallow too.
Works great when the big guys are up in the shallows chasing fry.
Big bass like it as well! Give a try and let me know.

[Underoos]

If you really want to fish unweighted streamers, the pattern needs to be sparsely tied on a heavy hook, so it sinks. You can do this with any pattern. Use things like bucktail or long hackles that are sparse, and don't have too much bulk.

For me one of the keys to a good streamer pattern is weight. The heavier the better. They are tougher to cast, but they fish better. And you should be shooting them more than casting them anyway.

[schwerty]

I too fish a lot of weighted streamers but I'm also with Professor in that unweighted streamers have their place. In fact, I have found myself
turning to unweighted streamers more and more. For a baitfish imitation, I just like the action better.

[Underoos]

I agree they have their place. They are easier to cast and are more pleasing to the eye. Spey-ish style (like the ones in the 2nd post) unweighted flies are pretty cool and fish nice.

[mac19]

Ditch the cone and spin a deer hair zoo couger style head.

[Bigfly]

Professer,Once I had the task of watching a 10 acre private lake to keep it "paying clientele only". (Tougher than you think.)
In return I could test theories, on pigs. These guys fed on natural bugs, and were pestered by four rods a day(Or less.). Over several years they became careful shoppers. Most people didn't clue in that a sinking line got you into another size class. So I fished a Rio 300gr.sinkin line with my
"Buoyant Bugger". sz2++.
It slayed. Then, one day the fish truck came. After adding a few McCloud strain bows, they stocked 4000 brown trout fry. Latter as I ate lunch the big guys showed up to eat too.
Fish in the 6-8+lb range started chasing them in 6" of water. Their backs half out of the water. So I knew who, what and when and where. How remained.
I twisted up a baby brown streamer sz 6 with a foam core, and fished it on a floating line. Had a fun afternoon.Works in moving water and still, shallow and deep around the West.
You can call for a demo or just my free recipe.

[Professor]

I have no doubt that feeding fish will chase anything if they are in the mood. The problem is how to get the non-actively feeding fish to chase the same flies. But either way, sure does sound like fun. You want to post up the recipe or at least a pic?

On a different note, I realized yesterday that for streamer fishing, snow is your freind. Just toss it 5 or 6 feet past the other bank and drag it back across the snow until it falls in. Sure made it nice to get it into some really tight corners. Too bad Mr. Big didnt seem to be home

[Bigfly]

Prof, moving now but will be back. You didn't mention the non-actively feeding issue in the first post. If they are not active, they are not active. Chasing in this mode isn't a common response. I fish small in this case, and make multiple drifts to the same spot. Hit them on the nose. Seems they are slow deciders in winter. Kind of like when I haven't had coffee. Other than that, you could eat sardines while tying streamers. (I'm kidding....)
Fishing the bank is good summer/winter. Lightly tossed on shore , then tugged off. I find I can do it with dries, streamers, and bobber/dropper too. "They" find cover, warmer temps, current break, and food. Whats not to like.
Wasn't claiming ultimate fly (the flies posted look killer), just offering a concept. I don't think they care how it looks sometimes, just how it moves, and where and how it's fished. One of the nicest fish this year, was a pig less than two ft from my feet. Took five min. to reach the spot and floated my fly under the bank and my feet. Nailed him on the 1st drift. I'm not sure which of us was more startled. Happy haulin days all.
Jim
"Buoyant Bugger"
sz2 Tiemco streamer hook xlong xgape
1 marabou feather green
lrg Tri-loble yarn green
1 lrg barred hen hackle green
Rainey foam rope lrg
kevlar thread green
Tie in tail/ hackle. the trick is not to cut foam, but make it stay.
Taper foam on the end with one cut. Tye in foam on top of shank, and wrap thread fowards on hook only. Finish wrap yarn and hackle forward, tight but not too tight, crush the foam and lose the float. Tye off foam,yarn,and feather in turn.
A big basic bugger, with a cream filled center. Any color and size. Enjoy