Minnow Pattern Flys

tacklerunner · #1 06-13-2011, 01:05 PM

Been seeing a lot of posts with different and awesome flies lately with the fly swaps and all. Bit surprised not as many people seem to use minnow patterns. They work great for almost any species and can range from 2" - 6" long. Here's a few of my go to minnow patterns.

Tofinofish · #2 06-13-2011, 02:29 PM

Great looking minnow streamers. Out west where we fish, patterns like this are our staple...
These could be used for Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout or any type of Saltwaater Bottomfish with success.

How do the P.B. streamers stand up for you on Pike? I know that even with our heads and bodies that are all epoxied, Ling Cod teeth are similar to Pike, and they can make a mess of the flies after a while.

Nice Work.

J.

Lefty-Canuck · #3 06-13-2011, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacklerunner

Been seeing a lot of posts with different and awesome flies lately with the fly swaps and all. Bit surprised not as many people seem to use minnow patterns. They work great for almost any species and can range from 2" - 6" long. Here's a few of my go to minnow patterns.

Are the heads weighted at all? Those patterns in the 6 inch model would be the ticket for pike im thinking. Skip the weighted heads if possible for pike....I find a suspended fly looks more natural stripping in the water. Nice work btw!

LC

tacklerunner · #4 06-13-2011, 02:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tofinofish

Great looking minnow streamers. Out west where we fish, patterns like this are our staple...
These could be used for Coho Salmon, Cutthroat Trout or any type of Saltwaater Bottomfish with success.

How do the P.B. streamers stand up for you on Pike? I know that even with our heads and bodies that are all epoxied, Ling Cod teeth are similar to Pike, and they can make a mess of the flies after a while.

Nice Work.

J.

Don't use P.B. anymore. Too rare and bucktail works just great. Spent lots of time on the coast. Lived in Nanaimo for quite awhile. Caught a lot of big Gerard rainbows on Kootenay Lake, Arrow Lake, Slocan Lake on 5" bucktails. Just started tying them smaller, 2 1/2" and 3 1/2" inch for the rivers and lakes around here. Bout the only thing I haven't caught on them is a Walleye, probably because I haven't tried yet.

They hold up well on Pike. Just have to make sure your glueing each bunch of hair in as you go along. Well worth the extra work in the long run. Plus 2 good thick coats of epoxy on the head to hold it all together. Also tie a version on a big 1 oz jig head to get down for bottom fish and sometimes bulls and dollies.

Think you might know my friend Steve M. from the West Kootenays. Might have met on a BC forum. Believe your name is Jason?!?

Cheers
Todd

tacklerunner · #5 06-13-2011, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Are the heads weighted at all? Those patterns in the 6 inch model would be the ticket for pike im thinking. Skip the weighted heads if possible for pike....I find a suspended fly looks more natural stripping in the water. Nice work btw!

LC

No Lefty... these are not weighted. But these are (1oz)

chubbdarter · #6 06-13-2011, 02:58 PM

nice pics...thanks for posting

tacklerunner · #7 06-13-2011, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chubbdarter

nice pics...thanks for posting

Thanks for viewing... appreciate you taking the time

Lefty-Canuck · #8 06-13-2011, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacklerunner

Been seeing a lot of posts with different and awesome flies lately with the fly swaps and all. Bit surprised not as many people seem to use minnow patterns. They work great for almost any species and can range from 2" - 6" long. Here's a few of my go to minnow patterns.

Not sure if you are interested in sharing but.....if you are interested in putting together a little care package of those flys in the 6inch non-weighted model I would be willing to purchase a few of them to try out? I could send you some pics of them in action too! PM me.

LC

Muskeg · #9 06-13-2011, 04:11 PM

Nice flies, do the trick for sure. My favorite material is bucktail hands down and for walleye the clousers is the deadliest of all unless popping at night! that is the bomb.. Caught over 40 last night and burned a hole in my finger from the fly line!

ericlin0122 · #10 06-13-2011, 04:17 PM

these minnows will kill all the fish.

Dust1n · #11 06-13-2011, 06:34 PM

cool pics the minnows look prime

scudman · #12 06-13-2011, 06:39 PM

scudman · #13 06-13-2011, 06:42 PM

Evil Alvin

Daceminnow · #14 06-13-2011, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericlin0122

these minnows will kill all the fish.

not sure where you're trying to go here? one of these patterns did do a number on some bulls this weekend. they're beautys. finely crafted pieces.

Dace

Tofinofish · #15 06-13-2011, 10:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacklerunner

Don't use P.B. anymore. Too rare and bucktail works just great. Spent lots of time on the coast. Lived in Nanaimo for quite awhile. Caught a lot of big Gerard rainbows on Kootenay Lake, Arrow Lake, Slocan Lake on 5" bucktails. Just started tying them smaller, 2 1/2" and 3 1/2" inch for the rivers and lakes around here. Bout the only thing I haven't caught on them is a Walleye, probably because I haven't tried yet.

They hold up well on Pike. Just have to make sure your glueing each bunch of hair in as you go along. Well worth the extra work in the long run. Plus 2 good thick coats of epoxy on the head to hold it all together. Also tie a version on a big 1 oz jig head to get down for bottom fish and sometimes bulls and dollies.

Think you might know my friend Steve M. from the West Kootenays. Might have met on a BC forum. Believe your name is Jason?!?

Cheers
Todd

Todd,
Are you referring to Steve Marsh who worked in Invermere with Hydro?
I am on SFBC forum a bit, not too often and yes, first name is J.
Thanks again for the pics of your patterns. I am trying to get around to posting a few more of our main Clousers and Bucktails we are tying, but very busy with boats, bookings, Fly shop etc...

Catch up with you again soon,

J. Mohl

Redfrog · #16 06-13-2011, 11:19 PM

Scudman you do nice work. I'm still trying to learn to tie my boots.

tacklerunner · #17 06-14-2011, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lefty-Canuck

Not sure if you are interested in sharing but.....if you are interested in putting together a little care package of those flys in the 6inch non-weighted model I would be willing to purchase a few of them to try out? I could send you some pics of them in action too! PM me.

LC

When I tie anything longer than 3 1/2 inches I use an octopus trailer hook connected with 30 lb nylon coated wire doubled up or the fish just tug on the hair. 99% of the time the fish will be hooked on the trailer hook alone and the wire solves the problem of a pike biting through the stinger. The hook size I use is 3/0. P.S. the flies pictured are only 2 1/2" long.

When fly casting the larger flies a 7/8 wt rod is best with a 0X leader or fluoro. If you're really good, which I'm not, you can probably pull it off with a 6 wt. But for trolling or any other method, it's a no brainer and the fly will skip across the surface above the weed beds or in the shallows no matter what method you use resulting in a hard impulse strike. The octopus hook works similar to a circle hook.

I'm pretty swamped until the end of the month so have no time to tie any up right now but I will get you something in due time. I'd love to tie up a bunch for everyone but then I'd have no time to fish.

Tofinofish · #18 06-14-2011, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tacklerunner

When I tie anything longer than 3 1/2 inches I use an octopus trailer hook connected with 30 lb nylon coated wire doubled up or the fish just tug on the hair. 99% of the time the fish will be hooked on the trailer hook alone and the wire solves the problem of a pike biting through the stinger. The hook size I use is 3/0. P.S. the flies pictured are only 2 1/2" long.

When fly casting the larger flies a 7/8 wt rod is best with a 0X leader or fluoro. If you're really good, which I'm not, you can probably pull it off with a 6 wt. But for trolling or any other method, it's a no brainer and the fly will skip across the surface above the weed beds or in the shallows no matter what method you use resulting in a hard impulse strike. The octopus hook works similar to a circle hook.

I'm pretty swamped until the end of the month so have no time to tie any up right now but I will get you something in due time. I'd love to tie up a bunch for everyone but then I'd have no time to fish.

Very similar to how we tie our P.B. "Bucktails" for Salmon, but we have been using 80lb braid for the stinger. If you are casting or trolling in the weeds for Pike, like we do in eelgrass and Kelp for Salmon and Rockfish, you should try cutting off the front hook just above the bend, leaving the stinger to ride high over all the weeds. The stinger needs to be rigged as shown, facing up not down otherwise you are defeating the purpose of creating a "weedless" pattern.

densa44 · #19 06-14-2011, 11:05 AM

When you have time, can you show us how you put those great eyes on that muddler? It wasn't really a muddler but it looks great and I'd like to try it. I think eyes make any minnow look better.