THE STEALH BOMBER - A GO-TO PATTERN

 A Fleet of Stealth Bombers

I recently made a post on Palmetto Fly n Fish, talking about Stealth Bombers, again…. Yeah, once again. This is noteworthy, because until a couple years ago, I didn't give this pattern much notice. More like, I didn't give it ANY notice. Nevertheless, fast forward to now and, while I'm no expert Stealth Bomber pilot, I think of them as a must have pattern. Reasons to Have Stealth Bombers So what happened? Why do I like them now? According to Georgia's Kent Edmonds*, the creator of the pattern, the Stealth Bomber is a foam-based derivative of the "Turck’s Tarantula." 

Being a foam diver/slider, it duplicates the Tarantula’s diving motion and the resulting bubble trail made when the fly is stripped hard. * I once met Kent Edmunds, and had no clue who he was. I feel kinda bad about that, now. Sorry, Kent. Okay, fine. But what is special about the Stealth Bomber? Well, the Stealth Bomber..... ... features foam, hair, legs, and flashy stuff. The only thing missing is hackle, I guess, and there's probably some way to work that in, too. Otherwise, the Stealth Bomber has it all.

... floats in the surface film, not above it. This mimics what most real critters do; they float and swim half submerged. Many experts claim this increases hook-ups, and I'll take their word for that. .... marries a slider with a popper....but mostly a slider, since there's no popping face.

.... makes that desirable, but elusive, “quiet noise.” It doesn't 'pop' and 'kersploosh,' so it's less likely to scare away pressured fish. But it dips and dives seductively, which is likely to entice them.

.... leaves a good bubble trail in it's wake. This is a visual thing the result of that big, open foam loop at the rear. Your garden-variety popper doesn't manage this feature all that well.

With all this going for it, how can you go wrong? Looking back... I don't think I’ve ever cast one out, that failed to get attention from the fish. At The Vise The Stealth Bomber is also just enough of a challenge at the vise to be interesting. First off, it requires a precise shape for the foam. To make this shape consistent, you want either a purpose-made cutter, or a template. Either will do the job and allow you to knock out the correct shape, time after time. But, since I'm too cheap to spend $20 apiece for each different size foam cutter, I made a tracing template out of some old countertop micarta. Fortunately, Kent Edmonds makes the template available in .pdf, on his webpage. So that’s a good thing. You download the .pdf, print, and make a tracing template like the one seen below....

Tracing Template, size 6

You can find a link to the templates in the end notes.

What else? Well, the pattern is a bit of busy work, but not overly fiddly. It is a bit complex, too, but only enough to keep you honest and make you pay attention.

The Stealth Bomber is not a fast tie, but not painfully long, either.

And if you screw something up, it’s not a big deal to step backwards and correct it.

Take my word for that.

So, I like to keep in practice tying them. I’ve got them down to size 8, and probably wont go smaller. 

Between 8 and 6, you're right in the zone for bass and panfish.

Variations Unlimited Here's the another good thing about the Stealth Bomber - its flexible. The theme for this session was red…. because the foam I used was red. And people, they like red.

Fish, on the other hand,...well, I don’t think they care much about color.

But people, they like red. However any color will do, as long as you like it. Blue has some appeal to it, in my experience. I believe chartreuse is the most popular color. And certainly the old standards of black, green, white, yellow, orange, all these are bound to have some fans. And why not pink? Or Fire Tiger? Why not indeed?

I included lotsa legs, too, because I’m a leg man. I don't suppose it hurts to make it look "buggy" this way.

As you can see, the variations are probably only limited to what you have available. The construction is standardized, which lends itself to infinite subtle - and not so subtle - variations.

That also suits my FTADD*….. I’ve tied no two Stealth Bombers the same way, twice. Those shown here are no different. They are all within the theme, but each is a variation on the one before. * Fly Tyers Attention Deficit Disorder Fishing Notes This is what Kent says about the fishing the Stealth Bomber The originals were basic, and tied in black. But for bass and big bream, I often tie some in bright color combinations and add flash wings and rubber legs. The "stealth" name hardly applies to their appearance..., but its action can still be quite stealthy. With soft little strips it will wiggle and maybe "bloop" slightly. Strip with a just a little bit more vigor and it will dive and bubble, but still stay in the target zone (the strip here should be very quick, but very short). Give it a longer, harder strip and it will dive hard and create a major commotion. To learn more, go to the links at the end and get the template. It's all there.

So, yeah…. Stealth Bombers. Get you some.

Materials - recommended Hook - sizes 4-10, straight shank Thread - strong, because were working with foam Foam - 2 mm craft foam Tail - bucktail, synthetic poly "hair," Krystal Flash Underbody - dubbing, peacock herl, yarn, etc

Wing - bucktail, synthetic hair, Krystal Flash

Legs - rubber, silicone, stretchy legs - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thanks for reading. I hope you liked it, and will share it with your friends. David
Visit Palmetto Fly n Fish, here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/flyfishingsouthcarolina © All rights reserved, 2022 End Notes 1. Kents page about the Stealth Bomber: http://www.flyfishga.com/stealth.htm 2. Downloadable template: http://www.flyfishga.com/The%20Stealth%20Bomber%20Fly.pdf

Panfishing Tips – Old is New

I don't know where I got this little piece; it's been in my files for a long time. But it has always made me want to put oar locks on a boat and go for some...

Panfishing Tips – The old fashioned way

author unknown

 Fishing for panfish has delivered many good times, but more importantly, it has revived memories from my days on the water with my grandfather. He took me fishing as a child often, and he taught me many basic techniques on how to catch panfish.... big bluegills, crappie and perch, to name a few.

Old Fashioned Way
We mostly went to a small lake that didn’t allow gas motors. My grandfather put me in the back of the boat, and he would sit in the center, from which place he ROWED us along.
Yes, I said, "rowed."
In this old-fashioned manner, we made our way around this small lake to locate big panfish.

Grandpa used 2 cane poles as he rowed, one under each leg, and I tossed my little spincast rod-and-reel set. We would slowly troll over weed beds, rocky shoals, drop-offs, around docks, piers and stumps, and any other structure we could find. This simple way of trolling would always locate crappie, perch and big bluegill along with an occasional largemouth bass.

Lessons
What I learned from this type of fishing was patience, and to keep the boat moving until we started catching some nice panfish. 
After we located some fish, my grandfather would gently lower anchor and we would fish this hotspot for a while.
Sometimes we got lucky and stumbled upon a school of crappie or perch; then we'd catch one fish after the other.

Best Lesson
The greatest of the many lessons my gramps taught me was to use different bait combinations while trolling, to discover what they are biting on.

For example, one cane pole might have a nightcrawler, or worm, on a hook, with a float.
The other cane pole may have a minnow rig at a different depth.
Meanwhile, I would be fishing with a jig, like a pinkie or something and bouncing it up and down as we were trolling.

Grandpa would tell me when to raise the jig up a little, or, as we were trolling over deeper water, to let the line out some. Sometimes I would bounce the jig off the bottom of the lake to see if they were deeper, or bring the jig up some to see if they are suspended at a certain depth.

These simple tips helped us catch more crappie, bluegill, perch and bass than you can imagine. We would fill the bait basket that was hanging over the side of the boat by noon almost every time. Not to say that we didn’t have our bad days, but they were far few between.

Utilize these simple panfishing tips and go fishing and enjoy yourself with your children or just a couple of friends. You don’t always need a fancy boat or fancy equipment to have a good relaxing day on the lake or pond near you. We were in a row boat with no electric or gas motor, just a little luck, a hearty breakfast.... and strength to row the boat!

Briminator

The Briminator

David Hutton, Palmetto Fly N' Fish
April 28, 2018

It seems appropriate that the first post on this blog be about the first fly I ever really understood - "The Briminator."

----------<~~>----------

    I tied other flies prior to the Briminator, mostly crude attempts to make dog hair and craft store feathers stay on a hook. But, it wasn't long before I learned how complex even a simple tie is.

But, the "Brimmie" came together to actually work... and I knew why. Hey, that was a big deal, then, and it still is!

FEW MATERIALS, EASY
    The Briminator name is a play on words - in the Southern US, we call bluegill, “brim,” a pronunciation variation on the name: “bream.”

Now take the name, "Terminator" (like in the futuristic movie) and jumble it up with, “brim-“ and voila! 

“The Briminator” is born.

    This pattern was designed as a, "challenge fly" by Ft. Worth tyer, Tony Guzman. The challenge was to use waste materials from around the bench in a meaningful way.

    From the beginning, the fly is a two material fly:

- Bead Chain Eyes
- One Feather

    They were originally made from a single feather, and that's how I learned to tie them. It is still the way I tie them, for the most part.
    For this pattern, I like a long-ish, pheasant body feather, the aptly-named "church window." I select those with plenty of the marabou-like under down at the base of a bird's body feather.

From there, the basic concept is this:

- First, tie the bead chain eyes behind the hook eye 

- Strip some of the marabou fluff away from the stem and use it to make a tail.

- More of the fluff is dubbed on the thread and wound on as a body. I often add a rib of wire or Krystal Flash, to protect the fragile fluff body.

- Next, add the hackle section of the feather around the "neck," behind the eyes.

- Finally, use the last of the fluff dubbed on to wrap a head.

    Not counting hook and thread, that's bead-chain eyes, and ONE feather. But there's no reason to stop there... you can use most any combination of feathers, dubbing, flash, and more.

    Most any proportionately-sized soft hackle feather will work, for example, and I've used many different types. Natural and dyed feathers can be used, and the cheapest, unimpressive stuff will work.

SAVE THE GOOD FEATHERS FOR SOMETHING ELSE
    On that subject, there is a trend going 'round to spend big money on feathers, and so increase your status points among those who are impressed by that.
It's the fly tying equivalent of a Rolex watch, I suppose.

    Some facebook fly shop pages even promote, and thrive, on this status game... for profit, of course.
    But you don't need more than a $5 hen cape from the bargain bin to make an effective Briminator... these are the kind of skins no high roller wants to admit he owns.
    These won't get you any status points, so you might want to keep it to yourself. But the fish wont be any wiser, and a sharp hook stuck in their mouth is the point, after all.

    Dubbing for the body can be of many kinds, too – all you really want to do is create a body where one should be.     Everything from commercial dubbing, to yarn, to fur from your family dog will work to build a dubbed body. So experiment beyond the one-feather idea and don't be too fussy about it.

THE EYES HAVE IT
    Finally, there are the bead chain eyes.
Here, I'm referring to standard bead-chain, like you see on a ceiling fan. Made into eyes on a Briminator, they become the defining element. 
    They're bulbous. 
    They leer at you from your fly box. 
    They protrude from the head in a cartoonish way.
    They really make it a "bug-eyed bug.”
    They are a must.
    
    You can use many feather and dubbing combinations, but it's not a Briminator without those big, ol' eyes.

    From an engineering standpoint, the slight weight of the bead chain eyes helps get the fly down from the surface. They don't sink like a rock; it is a slow, fish attracting descent.
    Plus, there's another technical advantage to the bead chain. If a light wire hook is used, like an Aberdeen or dry-fly hook, the weight of the bead chain makes the hook "flip" over, so the point rides up. They aren't snag-free this way, but it helps keep them out of trouble.
    If a faster sink is wanted, heftier, solid metal eyes sized for the job can be used instead.
    The eyes also give it a very strong resemblance to a dragonfly nymph, so it presents like a very common, and much relished food.

    And that is where the materials list ends.
    No, really, that's it.
    One feather, two at the most. Maybe a few scraps of this or that, and bead chain for eyes.

WHAT DO THEY REPRESENT?
    So, put all this together, and what you have is a fly that looks like a lot of aquatic critters, especially nymphs... while looking like nothing specific. And that is a hallmark of most proven patterns: they give the impression of food, not a precise reproduction.

- If you're trying to mimic a damsel fly nymph, use a small, long hook, like 3xl, and tie the fly slim and sparse.

- For a dragon fly nymph, use a shorter, stout hook and fatten it up.

    Tony Guzman, the fly's creator said this a few years ago:
“It is amazing to see that this many years after I created it for fishing the Paluxy River in Glen Rose, well, I still see people raving about this great little fly.
    I have used it for carp for well over 10 yrs, with great success. Just tie them a little larger (4-6), use some burnt orange dubbing, add a few rubber legs and use lead dumb-bell eyes to make sure it rides hook up, and you have a winning variation of the original Briminator.”

VERSATILITY
    To summarize what Mr.Guzman has said, we might say the Briminator is, “versatile.”
    Now, there are simpler flies you could tie. You could do nothing more then lay down a thread base and wrap a single hackle feather from rear to front. Nothing can be simpler, and it catches the fish
NOTE: I have a fly I call the “Murray Hackle Fly,” that is little more than that. You can see that here: 

Murray Hackle Fly

    But there is such a thing as too simple. After all, we fly tyers like a LITTLE bit of design and construction work, don't we?
    The Briminator gives you just enough of that, and it lends itself to variations..

    They can be tied in a range of sizes, from minuscule to massive. I've tied them on #4 bait hooks, for example – they look awesome, and bass like 'em that size.
    Or how about tying them dinky? I have some itsy-bitsy, 1mm bead chain that lets me tie a size 12-14 Briminator without too much trouble. Not that I like to torture myself tying such tiny things... but I can.

    What about longer hooks? Sure.
I have another fly I like to call, "The Long Dragon,” which is a Briminator on a Carlisle cricket hook! This variation has accounted for some of the biggest bluegill I've caught in recent memory.

    Did we mention changing the color? The standard is probably olive, but black and brown fit in the same somber palette. This way it is shaped, sized, and colored like some yummy aquatic nymph, most notably the dragonfly. It could also look like a small crayfish or leech, underwater, I suppose.
    Orange, yellow, red, pink also work, and if you vary the color into lighter hues - or plain white - it makes a good minnow-type mimic....almost a streamer.
    So, it is multifaceted.

    I have spent periods in a season where I fished nothing but Briminators in various sizes, colors and lengths.
You often hear the question, “....if you could only have one fly, what would it be?”
I'll take the Briminator, and tie it in many forms.

TYING INSTRUCTIONS, basic Briminator

1. Wrap about 5-6 turns of thread, about 1/4-1/3 back along the shaft behind the hook eye.
This forms a base for the eyes. Then tie two bead chain "eyes" to the shaft with a figure 8 wrap, and add a dot of super glue to the tie in to help keep the eyes from twisting.
HINT - Its easier if you leave the eyes attached to the length of bead chain until AFTER they are secured. Then just cut them free with a side cutters. No more fumbling!

2. Run the thread to the rear, just above the barb.
Tie marabou atop the hook at the barb, to form a tail NO LONGER than the length of the hook shank. Run thread back to the eyes.
“Paint” the shaft with head cement, and put a dab on the tail tie in point.
HINT - This makes the body wraps more durable.

3. Twist the remaining marabou into a sturdy "rope" and wind it forward to behind the eyes. Tie it off with thread wraps.

4. Prepare the soft hackle by gripping the very tip of the feather with your hackle pliers, and stroking back the fibers. The tiny little tip can now be tied in just behind eyes with a few tight wraps.

5. Grip the feathers base with hackle pliers and wrap it in right behind the eyes, 2-3 turns. No more is needed. Tie off with three wraps, give or take.

6. “Paint” the head area with a little head cement, as in step 3. Be sparing with the cement, and don't get any in the hooks' eye.

7. Dub the thread with a small bit of dubbing and wrap between the eyes with 2-3 figure-8 turns to form a head.

8. Finish with a whipped "nose" behind the hook eye.
I use head cement on the ending wraps. The choice is yours.

Fly Notes

A. The weight distribution of the bead chain eyes, tied as they are below the plane of the hook shank, often make the fly ride with the hook point up. This keeps it from snagging so much.
But this is dependent on the size of the hook and amount of materials added. Experiment if you need to until you get this action.

B. It is best fished near the bottom, around cover like wood, weeds, rocks, etc.

C. The Briminator can be tied large for bass (size # 2-4), and the range from size # 6-10 is probably best for sunfish.

Fishing Notes
    The fly sinks slowly, another draw for the sunfish. I most often fish it on a floating line, with a long leader and fluoro tippet. It is best fished parallel to the shore and cover in about 4-6 ft of water. It is often grabbed on its first fall after casting.

Once down, I strip it in short "bursts,"  so it rises and then sinks down again.
A small split shot also can be added to the leader/tippet knot to help get it down and keep it near bottom.

FROM THE FLY BOX - variations on a theme

Vermilion Briminator 

    "Vermillion" is a fancy word for, "orange."
    This variation uses inexpensive wool roving from the craft store, and some orange-dyed saddle hackle. The tail is formed from the fluffier hackle barbs at the bottom of the feather. Throw in a light wire hook, bead eyes and voila! A "Vermilion Briminator” is born!

Hook - #8 light wire Aberdeen, hook eye bent upwards
Thread - Black 

Eyes - Bronze bead chain
Tail - Hackle fiber w/Krystal flash
Body - Wool roving, dubbed
Hackle - orange, Finished with a black thread nose. 

I sometimes trim the hackle off the the top, so it looks more “leggy.” But it doesn't really seem to matter.

Dog Days Briminator

This one is named in honor of fellow float tuber, Greg McBill. 

I call it the "Dog Days Briminator" for a couple reasons

1. I've added a bit of lead below the hook shank, just behind the eyes.

This gives it deep swimming abilities for those "dog days" of Summer.

2. The body dubbing is soft under-fur..., brushed from my dogs butt!

    Like the Vermillion Briminator, the tail on the "Dog Days" is also formed of hackle barbs. This one is a bit bigger in keeping with the summer season - size #6

Hook - #6 light wire Aberdeen, hook eye bent upwards
Thread - Black 

Eyes - Bronze bead chain
Tail - Webby hackle fiber from collar feather
Body - Dog underfur
Hackle - furnace Also finished with a black thread nose. 

    If you haven't tried the Briminator - get to it!
    If you have, tell us what you think of it.

----------<~~>----------

    I hope you liked this and learned something. I have no idea how to make money from this writing stuff, so I go for a job well done. A like and share is appreciated, if you think I accomplished that. 

If the Briminator interests you, contact me about getting some for yourself ... dahutist@gmail.com

As always, Tight Lines! 

David Hutton

Palmetto Fly N Fish

If you want to participate in a no hype, no drama fly fishing group, come join us at -->> Palmetto Fly N Fish

© 2018 David Hutton, All rights reserved

Links:

http://www.gbfly.com/the-briminator/

http://thedustyfly.blogspot.com/2009/08/briminator.html

http://floattubeforum.do-talk.com/t5397-versatile-briminator