Great Beginners Flies Series: Lefty's Deceiver

It's spring time, and my local lake is shedding off the throws of winter.  More importantly, my son is now old enough that I can start to devote time back towards fishing, which means semi-regular updates again, hooray!

Given that it's early spring, and most of the warmwater gamefish are only now starting to become active, now is the time to fish deep and fish slow.  To me, there are few better fly patterns for this than the Deceiver.

Crafted by none other than the legendary Lefty Kreh, the Deceiver is one of the most successful streamers ever tied.  It is a pattern that has found success for nearly every targeted species in Fresh and Saltwater, from trout to tuna.  Despite this wide appeal, the fly itself is fairly simple to tie.  This makes it a great fly to learn to tie as a beginner.

For fishing, this pattern is very flexible.  You can use a sinking or floating line, short or long strips, and fast or slow retrieves.  I find this pattern very effective when letting it slowly sink, and then adding several short strips to mimic an injured baitfish.

Materials List/Recipe:
(feel free to vary colors to your own liking)
Tail:
     Bucktail-  White/Blue
     Hackle Feathers- White/Black Grizzly
     Flash- Pearlescent
Body:
      .025 Lead Free Wire
Head:
     Bucktail-  White/Blue
     Peacock Hurl

     Krinkle Flash- Red
Other:
     UTC 140 Thread- Red
     Head Cement- Sally Hansen Hard as Nails
     Sharpie- Black


Tying Instructions:

Step 1:
For this Deceiver, I am tying a size 2 on a typical saltwater hook (Orvis 9304 Stainless Steel).  You can really use any hook for this pattern.  As always, I've crushed the barb, and placed a thread base down the shank of the hook.

This time I am using a red UTC 140 thread, but any thread will work, as long as it is strong enough to handle securing bucktail.  Finally, for this step, I've taken a small bundle of white bucktail, and tied in the back of the hook to begin the tail.  Less is more here, so once you think you have an appropriate sized bundle, take even less.

Remember, less is more when adding material

Step 2:
Take a few feathers, in this case I am using smaller feathers so I am using four, and tie in on each side of the hook.  This step is often the most frustrating for new tyers.  Here's a breakdown of what I do.  First, I try to pick feathers that are all of a similar shape and length.  Then, I divide the total number in half.  For this fly, I am using four total feathers, so I grab two feathers at a time.  I cut these feathers so that they are just longer than the distance from the tip of the bucktail to the hook point, to ensure I have enough material to secure to the hook.  I then tie in the two feathers, using a minimum number of wraps.  I repeat this for the other side of the hook.  The key here is to go light on the wraps.  We are trying to avoid a material bump here, so fewer wraps are better.

Use minimal wraps in between these steps.

Step 3:
Take 3 or 4 strands of flash, and cut in half.  This will double your flash, and reduce material waste.  Next, fold this flash in half over the thread, and secure with only a few wraps.  This should result in your flash being just longer than the feather tail on a size 2 deceiver.  If you are tying a different sized fly, adjust this step accordingly.

You can vary the color of flash to your preference.

Step 4:
Take a bundle of your second bucktail color (blue is my favorite for Smallmouth) and tie in.  This bundle should be thicker than the white bucktail tied in in Step 1.  At this point, feel free to wrap all of the materials in securely, and build the taper down to the hook shank.  For durability, you could secure the wraps with a touch of superglue or head cement.  If you choose to add superglue or head cement, do not proceed to Step 5 until after this dries.

By keeping the thread wraps to a minimum earlier, the thread bump is nicely tapered by this step.

Step 5:
Lefty's Deceiver is a very lightweight fly.  It also sheds water very easily.  For these reasons, this fly will often float on top of water.  To get around this, you will need to either use a sinking line, or add some wire.  Since I like to use a floating line, I add a small about of wire to my deceivers.  Add in 8 or so turns of .025 lead free wire to the hook shank, starting from where the tail bump ends.  After your turns are in place, secure with thread.

How much wire you add is a personal preference.  I choose to have my deceivers sink slowly.

Step 6:
For the head, tie in a bundle of white bucktail on the underside of the fly.  This bundle should be close to the same thickness as the blue bucktail we tied in for the tail, and should be long enough to reach about halfway down the length of our feathered tail.  Again, be sure to secure with minimal wraps.

Now everything is starting to take shape.

Step 7:
Next, we will be tying in the blue bucktail in three bundles.  Tie in a small bundle the same length as the white bucktail in Step 6 on each side of the hook, and then tie a third bundle at the very top.  As you tie in each bundle, try to use a minimal number of wraps.

If you wish, the fly could be finished at this step.

Step 8:
Take one or two pieces of red krinkle flash to imitate the gills.  For this, fold the piece of flash in half, cut, fold, and cut again.  Then, fold these pieces in half around the thread, and secure to the underside of the fly, under the white bucktail.  The result should be a bundle of red flash that does not extend beyond the hook point.  Trim the krinkle flash if it is still too long.

I find adding flash for gills increases the fly's effectiveness.

Step 9:
The final material to tie in is the peacock hurl.  Take a small bundle of peacock hurl, and secure to the top of the fly, above the blue bucktail.  I like to have these the same length as the blue bucktail, and break off the ends to get a more natural look.  Build the head to a taper with your thread, and finish off with a whip finish or multiple clinch knots.

Play around with how much, and which parts, of the peacock hurl you use.

Step 10:
For the final touch, I like to add some black dots for eyes using a sharpie, and some head cement for durability.  This step is entirely optional, but I like the end result.  If you want to go further, adding sticker eyes, and using UV epoxy makes a very nice appearance.  Congratulations, you've now tied one of the most effective fly patterns there is.

Some species specifically target eyes, so I always make sure my streamers have them.

Fishing Report 24-AUG-2016

Well, August is nearing its conclusion, and the cooler nights are finally starting to creep into the area.  Naturally, a rally of the hot, humid weather should be expected, but it will not be too long before Autumn is upon us.  With that said, fishing is still in the summer patterns, and I have been splitting my time between river and lake fishing.

With river fishing, the time of day is less important, with keeping an eye on water clarity and lighting conditions more so.  Rivers tend to be clearer than lakes, and typically are more shallow.  This makes fish more skittish of aerial predators.  I've been spending some time fishing the Rivanna River near downtown Charlottesville, and have enjoyed my fair share of smallmouth action.  Typically, during sunny, clear water days, the action can be slow, with the best success coming from fish hiding in the shadow lines found near the banks.  Generally, fishing is better during overcast or muddier water days (although not too muddy), as the fish tend to swim around more freely.  This is also true for the early morning and evening hours, as the lower light conditions have a similar effect.  This is not to say that fish cannot be caught during the bright, sunny, summer days, but it does help narrow down where the fish may be hiding.

As for flies, I've been finding great success with topwater in the evening hours, and deceivers during the rest.  Specifically, I've found blue over white deceivers to be particularly deadly, with both swing and cross current retrieves working best.

Blue over white deceivers have been very successful against smallmouth lately

In the lakes, subsurface flies are a must during the day, with topwater not setting in until just before sunset.  With that said, some of the best fishing is to be had in the last hour of the day, with the bass keying in on topwater lures.  Lately, I've been having fun with the Master Splinter mouse pattern.  It is a great topwater pattern that is easy to tie, lightweight, and casts well.

The Master Splinter is a great mouse pattern

As a general rule, you know when you've selected the right topwater fly when the bass inhale the lure deep.  This makes going barbless even more important to ensure safe releases.  I've found the best success with either a slow twitch retrieve, or a steady, gurgling retrieve.  The key is to find what motion attracts the best strikes for the particular time of day you are fishing.  While the sun is still fairly bright, I've found a slower retrieve to be more successful, but typically speed things up as the sun sets.

This ambition little bream decided to go for a big meal with my mouse pattern

Fishing Report 1-AUG-2016

Well...my ocean trip was a bit of a bust, and by bust, I mean it was never meant to be.  Such is life, and it was for the best.  Next Time!  As a consolation, my family came down to Charlottesville, and the local fishing commenced.

The first stop was the Rivanna River, during the heat of the afternoon.  As was stated before, during the dogs days of summer, expect the bass to be less active during the day, with better fishing times in the early morning, and late evening hours.  If you can only pick one time of day, pick the evening, as the bass tend to eat late into the night, and therefore are less hungry in the morning.  With that said, sometimes you don't have the opportunity to fish during the best hours, and just getting out is a reward in itself.

As was expected, fishing was tough, and was made more-so by the passing kayaks and river floats.  With that said, we still managed to catch a few fish, with the largest smallmouth being caught deeper in a fast moving rapid.  Warmer waters mean less dissolved oxygen, so look for fish to take advantage of deeper white water during the hottest hours.

After an afternoon cookout, an ode to summer charcoal, my father and I hooked up the boat, and headed to Chris Greene.  After all the recent rains, the water is back to a darker chocolate, but the fish are still active, and did not disappoint.  After starting the evening with the usual bluegill, ensuring a successful trip, we targeted a deep water drop off near the shoreline with lots of fallen trees.  This type of bank structure allows access to cooler water with a shorter swim to bait rich shallows seeking refuge in the sunken tree limbs.  Here, fishing deep and slow is the key, and my father was rewarded with a nice 2-3 lbs largemouth, among many other fish.  Unfortunately, as is the danger with evening fishing trips, a strong thunderstorm rolled onto the lake, ending our trip.

Sunday morning, for our last outing, we decided to go to a more scenic lake, and trailed the boat to Beaver Creek Reservoir.  Besides from the pleasant views, Beaver Creek is spring fed, resulting in consistently clear waters.  While all of the surrounding ponds and rivers were mud choked from the torrent of Saturday night, Beaver Creek was still holding 4 foot visibility.  Unfortunately, while the morning looked fishy, the bass did not respond.  Several fish were raised from the deep by clousers, but none took the fly.  Our best guess is that the previous night's passing storm caused too great a shift in one or more environmental variables (temperature, pressure, etc), and shut down the bite.  Even the bluegill were reluctant to respond, although I did trick a decent 10"+ brim on a small yellow popper.

Next weekend sees the return to the upper Potomac...weather permitting of course.

Sometimes a fishing trip is just an excuse to get away, and enjoy the water...

Fishing Report 30-May-2016

Happy Memorial Day everyone, and hello to the sun!  Finally, after what seemed like a month of rain, a stretch of good weather said hello to our area, and the fish responded.  In honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, I did what I felt best respected their legacy, and fished as hard as I could.  This resulted in what may have been my first 100 fish day, with an unbelievable four hours spent on Chris Green Lake.  While what I caught may not have been overly large, I brought more than enough to the boat to satisfy the ever growing void caused by all of the recent rain.

The weekend started with my first mate keeping watch over the lake Friday; on the lookout for the tell tale ripples left behind by fish enjoying the evening hatch.  While very adorable, she does pose a noise hazard, and makes it impossible to sneak up on any Grass Carp.  Luckily, the lake water looks to be clearing faster than anticipated.  Hopefully, this good stretch of weather will hold, and the clarity will continue to increase, allowing for better sight fishing opportunities.

Holding down the front of the boat, while waiting for the next fish

After playing host on Saturday to some friends from out of town, I was ready to get out and stretch the lines on Sunday.  What followed is some of the most active fishing I've ever experienced...anywhere.  Over the course of four hours, I boated some 100 fish, with 60-70 being crappie, and the rest a mix between bluegill and largemouth bass.  The crappie were found holding by two beaver dams, and reminded me of small tuna in the way they were aggressively pursing flies.  While I did snag a few on topwater, I quickly realized getting the fly down a foot or two resulted in a flurry of furious attacking...which prompted the small Clousers and damsel fly streamer patterns to come out.  Even though the crappie were in the 5-9 inch class, catching these on a two weight rod was more than satisfying...especially with the occasional largemouth bass to crash the party.  The trick was to keep the fly moving, even if only with subtle twitches.

This morning I decided to head up into the mountain blue lines, to cap my weekend off with breathtaking scenery, and a few brookies.  The fishing was a bit slower than expected, with less activity being found on the surface, although I was able to witness the occasional back flip as a trout lunged after my dry.  Overall, the better action was found below the surface, with the dropper being the hot item.  Personally, my favorite dropper to use is a lightning bug nymph, tied in most any color.  I believe as long as it has a bit of flash, the actual color of tinsel is not overly significant.  In addition to a few adult sized trout and creek chubs, I was able to have some fun with a few juveniles, and the good news is the future continues to look bright, as the fingerlings were happy and fat.

The juvenile brook trout were out in force, and appear to be very healthy

Hopefully, you were able to get out and enjoy this beautiful weekend as well...if not, well it is never to late to pick up a rod, and cast a line.

Great Beginners Flies Series: Betts Grim Popper

Popper season is officially here, and with the Bass spawning in our local lakes and ponds, now is the perfect time to throw your favorite small popper for bluegill.  For me, I have special reverence for the Betts Grim Popper.

The Betts Grim Popper is the perfect beginners popper

I may be slightly biased towards this popper, since it was the first fly I caught fish with, and have always found it to be my go to "cheater" fly...for when I just want to catch something.  The key to this popper is its ease of use.  Because of the excellent profile, coloration, and design, this fly is just as effective sitting still as it is in motion.  This is all the better when you are learning how to cast.  While I was learning, many times I had a fish hitting this popper before I was able to begin a strip retrieve.

The other nice feature of this fly is its overall size to hook ratio.  What I mean by this is the hook is set far enough back to ensure most panfish worth catching can be hooked, but the shape of the body and legs helps prevent a small panfish from completely engulfing the fly (granted this can still happen, but I find it occurs a lot less with this fly).  After using several other types of poppers, this is a design feature I am grateful for, as I always strive to release the fish as quickly as possible...and remember to crush your barbs!

One thing to remember when fishing poppers, especially those with legs, the fly will have a tendency to spin, which can cause tangles, and lead to a higher frequency of wind knots.  Always check your leader and tippet after several casts, and never be afraid to retie.  In the end, tippet is always cheaper than poppers.

As for what you may catch...really anything that will take topwater flies will crush this little bug.  I have caught countless panfish, and quite a number of largemouth bass with this fly.  Fishing this fly close to rocks has lead to many good sized rock bass, and even the occasional crappie.  For the bass, short strips of the fly tend to lead to better takes.

Finally, no matter what you read, there is no wrong way to fish a fly, and no fly design that is wrong.  The real fun of fishing is to develop your own preferences and styles, and to find what works for you.  True, there are some purist who only use those patterns developed 100 years ago, but for me, if it catches a fish, I'll tie it on!

Fishing Report 25-APR-2016

The past week saw the largemouth bass in our area move into their spawning beds in our local lakes and ponds.  As a result, I decided to switch over towards targeting bluegills and other panfish.  This is actually where I started one year ago, when I threw my first fly, and always results in a good deal of fun on the water.  Every trip resulted in more fish than I cared to count, and small fish or not that is never a bad day :)

To celebrate my one year flyiversary (yes, that is now a word), I took a special VIP out for their first fishing trip, and she loved it!

Penny's first fishing trip was a blast!

In general, the panfish are hitting most anything they can, with smaller woolly buggers and damsel fly patterns being good streamers to cast from your favorite lightweight rig.  Personally, I love to throw a two weight TFO Finesse setup, which, in addition to my bluegill rod, doubles as my mountain brook trout rod.  This rod has a more classic action, which is great for beginners to really learn to feel when the line loads the rod.  It also helps when roll casting in the tight confines of a mountain stream, and for quick loading during shorter casts.  There is definitely an emphasis for faster and stiffer fly rods, but for beginners, nothing compares to a medium to slow action rod...plus they are way more fun to catch fish on!

As expected for this time of year, the fish are stacked against the shoreline, and are likely to be found near any fallen sticks or logs, and under the shade of trees and bushes.   If your local pond has any rock formations, this is a great time of year to target rock bass with a small zonker or other streamer.  These fish are really getting aggressive, and will often leave a wake as they zoom in to crush your fly.

While small, rock bass are a fun fish to catch off a lightweight fly rod, and a great way to learn how to fish streamers.

One of the best things about bluegill fishing is it is an easy, and fun, way to learn how to fly fish, especially when using a small popper or other floating bug.  With the water temps continuing to rise, the topwater bite is really starting to catch on, so now is a great time to learn!  Try using different techniques to entice a bite.  Often, just casting the fly next to some cover, and letting it sit perfectly still will result in a good splash, but sometimes adding a few short strips to twitch the popper will be needed.  If bass are around, using a pause-retrieve-pause pattern with strips of only a few inches can really be effective.  While I was not specifically targeting bass this week, I wasn't disappointed when more than a few decided to take my topwater poppers.  Even a small bass on a lightweight rod can result in a lot of fun!

No bass were eaten in the making of this post, but quite a few were licked :)

With the smaller bass already showing interest in topwater patterns, I cannot wait for the spawn to complete, and the topwater action to get really interesting.

Great Beginner Flies Series: Zonker

Originally developed in the 1970's by Dan Byford, the zonker has become a mainstay in most any fly fisherman's fly box, with many variations to target most any species of fish.  This fly is so effective for two reasons:  (1) it is simple to tie, and (2) it yields unbelievable movement in the water.  This makes the fly attractive to the angler as well as the fish.

My personal favorite is using a striped bunny zonker strip with some flashabou added for a more reflective tail.  The key is to allow the flashabou to be slightly longer than the zonker strip.  So far, I have tied this pattern in green and white.  Almost every trip, one of these two zonker colors is on my four weight rod, ready to target largemouth, smallmouth, crappie, bluegill, rock bass, and most anything else that swims by.

I have found the most effective technique is to use slow to medium strips, with a pause and retrieve method often proving deadly when the fish are less aggressive.  Since the zonker tail has so much underwater movement, you will find the fly flutters seductively down the water column when pausing the retrieve.  If a slightly deeper presentation is desired, a conehead can be added.  Personally, I never tie the fly without a generous amount of wire wrapped around the hook shank, which helps to get the fly just below the surface.

The White Tiger Zonker, AKA the Siegfried and Roy

The Chartreuse Tiger Zonker

While the debate still goes on about whether adding a red throat yield better catch rates, I always prefer to tie with red thread, and to add a touch of red bucktail towards the front, simply to make the fly look better if nothing else.  Then again, I have caught a lot of fish with this pattern, so I feel the hotspot works.

As you can see, the zonkers above are a bit smaller than average.  I have found this smaller size to be more effective, especially if you are targeting bigger crappie and bluegill.  I have also caught more than enough bass to justify the smaller size, and, in general, have found smaller flies to be more effective.  In the end, feel free to experiment for yourself, and, as always, tight lines!