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Fly Fishing

Deadly on any warmwater fish, here is Blake’s version of the original Carter Nelson fly, which you can find here – http://www.flyfishga.com/rl_dragon.htm

Materials:

Hook: 4x long streamer

Tail: Marabou and flash

Body: chenille

Legs: Sililegs

Weight: Bead chain

Dubbing: Black ice dubbing

Step 1. Start thread and tie in bead chain eyes using figure 8 wraps.

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Step 2. Bring thread to a point above the barb. Tie in marabou for the tail and tidy up the butt ends around the hook. I like to tie it down up the shank to about one eye length behind the bead chain eyes.

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Step 3. Tie in flash along either side of the marabou.

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Step 4. Tie in your choice of chenille material.

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Step 5. Bring thread to the midpoint between the eyes and tail tie in. Tie in sililegs on either side of the hook.

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Step 6. I find it easier to use a piece of lead wire to hold the legs out of the way while I wrap the body. I then use my bodkin to pull the two rear legs out of the lead wrap. Take one wrap of chenille between the legs, and continue to a spot behind the bead chain leaving enough room to make a hackle collar.

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Step 7. Tie in a feather for the collar. I use a soft webby grizzly feather. Wrap the feather to form a collar.

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Step 8. Split the thread and insert dubbing. Spin the thread to form a dubbing rope.

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Step 9. Wrap the dubbing one full turn around the shank directly in front of the collar, then finish off the dubbing rope using figure 8’s around the bead chain.

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Step 10. Whip finish the thread. Finished fly.

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Proof of concept

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I have been pretty fortunate in my fishing past that I’ve only had a hook in my skin past the barb once. The fly was a small one and it wasn’t very deep. I was walking on the bank of a stream with a fly between my two fingers when I kicked a root and the fly slipped into one of my fingers. All I really had to do to take it out was yank really hard. Now I’ve heard of the mono trick when it comes to pulling a hook out, even seen it done on video, but I’ve never seen anything like what Louis and Kent posted up over at Gink & Gasoline. Check it out for yourselves:

Here is the rest of the post – http://www.ginkandgasoline.com/fly-fishing-tips-technique/unhook-thyself/#comments

Louis is a damn good photographer, and apparently a mad man too. I question the sanitary value of PBR, but if it’s all you got, why not? Aside from all that, the video is a good one in detailing the steps you will need to take to unhook yourself when you’re out fishing. Louis, a tip of the hat to you sir. Keep up the good work at G&G.

That is what it seems like when it comes to the Fly Fishing Film Tour coming to Louisiana – once in a blue moon. So far it looks like the F3T will skip Louisiana this year. I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty disappointed about this. If you are in Louisiana and you want to see the tour let me know. Maybe if enough people show interest, we can generate enough support to get a stop down here. We’ve got so many great local fly fishing clubs and fishermen it seems like a no-brainer.

The above clip was shown one year on the tour and after watching it and several others from New Zealand, the country is at the top of my list of fly fishing destinations. Perhaps one day I’ll get the opportunity to travel abroad to fly fish. Heck I’d die to just go on a trip out West. My birthday is coming up….