Float Tubing and Tackle Talk

 July 17, 2016...UPDATED April 2023

I paid a visit to the lake this morning. Up with the sun, on the water by 8 am.

    I took the Cumberland float tube to an area I've fished from shore many times. It is a small point with a boat ramp, and a tiny cove along one side. It has a small picnic site fronting the cove, and in the back, the cove is filled with driftwood that has piled in from the main lake.

   I started with surface bugs, as usual. But top-water was the wrong game. The fish weren't having my surface flies, and only once did a floating fly get a serious strike - and that fish self-released.

    But I'm no one-trick pony; I'll switch up in a minute if I need to. And this morning I needed to.

    Time to go subsurface - and that is where the bluegill were biting.

    The best fly this July morning was a small Cap Spider I first saw in the fly box of pal, Don Schmotzer. As he ties the thing, it is just a bit of fine chenille or dubbing for a body, with rubber legs and a gold bead head. I think of these as "slow sinking spiders," but Don calls 'em Cap Spiders, and that's good enough for me.

    Other flies that shared the catching duties were,

- Flash bodied soft hackle

- Wooly Nymph

- Cockatoo.... this Ward Bean wet fly is a fave of mine (You can see my history with this fly, here: The Cockaroo A link to Wards site is in the references)

    Some of the fastest action came while trolling along the rocks seen in the pics below. That is a trusted tactic once the water warms. A number of fish also came right off the end of the boat ramp, itself. You have to watch out for boats and stay clear, of course, but the ramp has a sharp drop-off on the end that attracts fish.

 
Tackle Trials
    The No Knot Eyelet Experiment kicked off today, with the eyelet holding fast, through many fish and some hefty snags.       The immediate benefit to the No Knot Eyelet is that it puts an end to hanging in the guides, like you see with looped leader connections. The last time I saw that was with super glued leader connections.

    Detractors say that the No Knot Eyelet stresses the line and causes it to crack where the eyelet is inserted. Others complain that they rust and eventually break. Those things may in fact happen with neglect, but they seem like things one can get ahead of with awareness and line maintenance.     Under the magnifier, it shows no signs of failure.
The torture test continues.

    These tackle trials also extend to my new bargain fly line, from www.discountfishingDenver.com. That line was $12 in 2016 ... in 2023, it is $19.99. My rod is designated, "5/6 wt," and the line is a WF6F... a Weight Forward, 6 wt. Floating line.

    So what does that mean? On weight forward lines, the first 30 feet are supposed to be thicker and heavier than the rest of the line. It is designed to be forward oriented on one end.     The opposite occurs with double taper (DT) lines; they are slightly thicker in the center but thin out toward either end.     The rod says, "5/6," however, so that means it is designed to use EITHER a 5 wt. double taper (DT) level line, OR.... a 6 wt. forward weighted line.    This can be taken as a general guideline. It mostly depends on how much line you have out: - Shorter casts favor a heavier front section on the line.

- Long casts require a lot of line out, so you can load the rod well without the extra front weight taper.     Such a rod might also handle line a bit higher or lower, say 4 wt. or 7 wt....  Little is absolute in fly fishing, and each rod is different. In my case, this Weight Forward (WF) 6 wt. line is just right, and it makes the line effortless to cast. In a float tube, you can closely approach your target, and that little bit of extra weight does the trick on shorter casts..

    How about that bargain line.... what do I think of it?     Well, I'm a hack - not a line expert... I can't really give a hardcore line report. What I can say is it flows easily through the guides and is maybe smoother than my Scientific Angler lines. That may also be because it's new.

    But it lays nicely in the stripping apron, is quite supple and has no tendency to kink or twist. In short, the line was trouble free. I never had to worry about it, and I suppose that says something.

    On that subject, I've also started using Scientific Angler's pure silicone fly line dressing. I applied it to this line right away, before using it. It seems to have made little practical difference that I can tell over the bare line.     But I feel that using it gives an overall improvement in line performance and longevity, too. So I'll keep putting it on.     In fact, I put it on all sorts of things. My only regret is it comes in such a teensy bottle!

PS I get no sponsor kickbacks for mentioning this stuff. I just like it. If you know of something comparable, please let me know.

Random Pics

From L to R: Cockaroo, well chewed
Red Cap Spider
Flash Body Hackle Fly
Cork Popper

The Wooly Nymph mentioned in the narrative is not shown, and is a mystery to me, today - that was seven years ago, after all...

But the large popper was NOT the one to use on a late July morning.

Regardless, this inspires me to tie up some July Bluegill Kits!

Thanks for reading!

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Writers should always strive for a job well done... especially mediocre writers like me. So if you found value in this article, please like, comment, and share it. 

Do you want to add the catching flies seen here to your own fly or tackle box? Do you have questions, gripes, or suggestions?
If so, email me at...dahutist@gmail.com

If you appreciate a no-drama, no-hype Facebook group, follow this link and come join us at: 

Palmetto Fly n Fish

Thanks so much for reading, and...

Tight Lines,

Dave Hutton

© All rights reserved, David Hutton/Palmetto Fly N Fish 2023 

References

1. http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com

2. https://www.facebook.com/groups/flyfishingsouthcarolina

3. https://www.discountfishingdenver.com

The Cockaroo

 

    I'm very fortunate to be admin for the best Facebook fishing group going, ""Palmetto Fly N Fish..., and still going strong after 8 years. This is one my most gratifying achievements, and in the world of social media user groups, eight years just may be a record!

    A blessing that comes with such longevity is that a lot of archived content accumulates across the years.

    Our group has the best members from around the world, and they add content. Much of the content is added by me, something I love to do. The Blogger page you are reading now is also under the PFnF umbrella - with its own content.
    Taken together,... well, 8 years of content is a lot! 

    Due to recent health issues in the family, my outdoor fishing adventures are curtailed for the foreseeable future, and new content from that direction is on hold.
But, with 8 years of collected content at my fingertips, I have plenty in the "database" to fall back on.
    Whenever a topic comes up, I just go through the old posts and see what turns up. 90% of the time, I find something useful, and today's featured fly is no exception. A number of posts were there and waiting, about Ward Bean's, "Cockaroo." 

- All photos and flies by the author, except where noted 

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Cockaroos, flat wing, and tented

In the Creators Words
    Ward Bean may not be a household name, but in the world of warm-water fly tying and fishing, he is a big deal. This is largely thanks to his wonderful site, "Warm Water Fly Tyer." 
    I consider it a staple among internet fly fishing sites, and if you want to take part in this activity, you must check it out. Among the many useful patterns found there, Ward includes our subject, "The Cockaroo."

    He says this about the pattern... 

"The Cockaroo wet fly, so named because it's tail and wing come from a rooster Ringneck Pheasant, is one of my favorite panfish flies. Bluegills, especially love to eat this chubby little critter."

Cockaroo by Ward Bean
http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns4.asp?page=3

    I couldn't have said it better myself - the Cockaroo is one of the best sub-surface patterns I have used!     And I'm not the only one to say that. Bart Lombardo, the driving force behind another must-see site, "Panfish On The Fly," he offers this:

"During a recent exchange with a gentleman by the name of David Hutton on Facebook, I was reacquainted with this particular fly.         David posted a picture of a 'Cockaroo' that he had tied and was fishing. There was immediately something familiar about the pattern - I had seen it before. David quickly pointed me to his source for the fly pattern, and all the pieces fell into place....     To address those that say panfish will take any fly, I did a side by side test with my usual early season wet flies. Both versions of the Cockaroo took far more fish than the other wet flies, when fished together on a tandem rig.

    A scientific study? No, but enough for me to add this pattern to my early season arsenal as well as my regular wet fly box!"     That's ample recommendation in my book, and Bart even called me a "gentleman."     Considering the rarity of THAT..., I'll take it.

The Cockaroo For Bart 

In My Own Experience     Lets look back at a few of the Palmetto Fly n Fish archive posts where I featured the Cockaroo to glean some more gems about it:

-> "The trusty Cockaroo was cast way back into the head of a pocket, maybe a foot of water was there. The fly hit the surface, sank, and was swarmed the instant I moved it. The bluegill was feisty, hand-sized, with vibrant colors. I got the pic at the waters edge, before working out the hook. Once freed, it went back quickly, unscathed."

-> "Donald Charles Schmotzer (one of the best fishing buddies anyone could have) will remember this is the fly that took a grass-bed bass early in the season. It was a surprise to him, as he was sure floating spiders were the way to go."

-> "It was raining and cool over the last week, but a little break was all I needed... and I hooked a substantial bass straightaway on a #8 Cockaroo.

    This is a routine I see repeated often: Bass taking lilliputian, insect-like flies, those intended more for bluegill or trout.

    Of even greater interest, is that the take is subtle. If on a surface fly, it is just an uncertain disturbance where your fly USED TO BE ... if it is a sub-surface fly, like the excellent Cockaroo, your line just stops and you think you've snagged a bit of weed."

-> "I took off early for a little shore stumbling around the Riverbend. I spent 60% of my time roll casting from overhanging banks; my timing was a little off at first, but no tangles or break-offs occurred!

The flies that caught fish:

Red Head Cockaroo - subsurface

Moodah Poodah - topwater"

Cockaroo Variations, at Random     

Here's a fairly rough version of the, "Cockaroo." Alright, a legitimately rough version. Okay.... Let's be honest; a bad copy of his version.






"Back Shank Cockaroo," the fly tied to the rear of the hook shank to discourage deep hooking

Redhead Cockaroo

    There you have it, "The Cockaroo" - a most excellent fly that YOU, too, should have!
    

    See what I mean about looking at things that came before? It can be time well spent!

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Writers should always strive for a job well done... even mediocre ones like me. So if you found value in this article, please like, comment, and share it. 

Would like to add the catching pattern seen here to your own fly or tackle box? Got questions, gripes, or suggestions?
If so, email me at...dahutist@gmail.com

If you appreciate a no-drama, no-hype Facebook group, follow this link and come join us at: 

Palmetto Fly n Fish

Thanks so much for reading, and...

Tight Lines,

Dave Hutton

© All rights reserved, David Hutton/Palmetto Fly N Fish 2023 

References

1. http://www.warmwaterflytyer.com/patterns4.asp?page=3

2. https://www.facebook.com/groups/flyfishingsouthcarolina

3. https://www.panfishonthefly.com

PHANTOM WOOLY WORM

EARLY SEASON TROUT AND THE PHANTOM WOOLY WORM

Unlike men, who are inclined to go out too early in the year and freeze their butts off, trout know how to find comfort in the high, cold water of the early season:

- They stick close to the bottom, away from the heavy current. 

- They congregate in backwater eddies where they don't have to exert themselves.

-  Trout aren't inclined to move much out of their way to take a fly in opening day water.

To be successful, the fisherman needs to know where the preferred eddies are, they must use a fly that is visible to trout in murky water, and they should fish it slow and deep. 

Building a little weight into the fly helps it sink properly, and permits easier casting than weighting the leader above the fly. 

A sinking line may help, but only where enough line can be extended to pull the fly deep. However, on small streams, where little more than the leader is cast, the sinking line has a minimal effect on the fly's depth.

One of our early season favorites is a wet fly we call, “The Phantom Wooly Worm,” a variation of the popular western pattern. 

The fly utilizes a palmered badger hackle, the black center of which blends with the black chenille or wool body, making the white tips of the hackle fibers appear to be detached from the fly. 

This creates a “ghost-like'' halo effect in the water, inspiring the fly's name. 

The fly shows up well in off-color water and the trout are fond of it.

The Phantom Wooly is a fly even beginners can tie easily. Try a few for your fly box.

TIPS - 

- 3 or 4 peacock sword fibers for the tail, with a tiny false tail of red wool tied over the top as a tag.

- A piece of lead wire is tied lengthwise along the shank

- Prior to tying in, stroke the badger hackle fibers backward on the feather shaft, so they stand 90 degrees from the stem.

In the foto, you can see the result!

- Hook sizes #6-14

- Note in the foto caption, Mr. Lively also recommends this fly as one the BASS love

CHAUNCY K. LIVELY,  APRIL 1965 PA Angler 

Updated Jan 2020

Bass and Panfish Top To Bottom - Make a List!

David Hutton

October 8, 2018

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As an angler, you put a lot of effort into your pastime. Just getting ready to go fishing means gathering gear, arranging travel and schedules, maybe preparing food or drink... and that's before you leave the house!

    This means it is important that you also spend some time listing what worked, what didn't, and what might be improved for the future.

    Most of those that take this advice will have long lists of what went wrong. For most of us, this kind of "failure analysis" tends to be our go-to... it is cultural to do it this way.

    And after all, who doesn't like lists?

     But we can probably do more to aid our future success if we organize our lists around what has worked, and build from there. 

        So from time to time, I root around in my fly wallets, the articles I've written, and the many tying room boxes to make a list of flies that work as hard as I do....

Where They Work    

    The water I fish most often is Lake Murray, S.C. 
    It covers about 50,000 acres, 600 miles of shoreline and is home to three distinct biotope zones. It is 12 minutes from home, and it has everything from large stripers to the teeniest minnow. With all this going on, my flies have to make the cut to be considered keepers.

    I mainly focus on largemouth bass and the numerous panfish species found in the lake. Striper burst in now and then to mess with the real fishing; they are the rowdy teenagers of my fishing word. But I have only passing interest in them.
    My kind of fishing is more laid back, more artful... that is what I tell myself, at least. And it centers around a one-two punch to the fish...

Step 1. Top water, first

Step 2. Sub-surface, second. 

    This is cerebral fishing, where one works the entire water column - top to bottom. It follows the process laid down by Bill Byrd, Georgia's ultralight fly-fishing master. It is methodical, warm-water panfishing, and that suits me.*

Top Water

    This "system" normally starts with fishing surface flies. That's easy enough, right?

    The truth is, fly fishing is primarily a surface oriented activity, anyway. We love the surface bite, floating lines are the most popular, and who doesn't drool over the latest bugs and poppers?

    To go well below the surface with flies requires tackle change ups, an increased mental focus, and a certain "instinct," or "feel" that takes time and effort to develop.

    What a pain!
    So a great many fly anglers just stick to the surface, and near-surface water for their fly fishing action.

 

Sub-surface

    But we have a conundrum with all this top water business:

The fish we most often seek don't live at the surface -

they just visit there

    

    The bad news is that the top-water bite only accounts for maybe 10% of the fish's feeding; 90% of the time, they live and feed below the surface.

  Knowing this, one might wonder why we shouldn't just go straight to the subsurface fly.... and sometimes that's exactly what I do. 

    But unless there is some obvious reason to do that, I begin every session with Step 1,... top water flies and presentations.

    If that is working, I stay with it, because it is awesome!
But when it stops working, well....   
 

    Unfortunately, you will find times when you can't buy a bite on the surface. You get a lot of casting practice, but not so much catching. 

repeat...repeat

    Eventually, frustration grabs you, and you mutter aloud, "Where did they go?! They were just here!" Some yelling, cussing and hair tearing may accompany this outburst. You might even start calling softly,... "Here fishy, fishy, fishy!"

    Hey, don't act like you've never done it.

    But you already know the answer to your question...where they went is below somewhere, and you have to switch up flies and tactics to find them.

    Because fly fishing folk hit this wall often, the top question they have is almost always, "What flies?"
They are interested in rods, and reels, and which logo is on your hat, too. But the business end of the thing is usually uppermost in their mind. 
    Having dug through my written musings, all my dusty fly boxes and crates, I am now prepared to list some of the surface and subsurface patterns I have used with good effect.
It is not a long list - but it IS a list.

    And who doesn't like lists, after all?

Bass and Panfish Flies, Top To Bottom

• SURFACE PATTERNS

Foam Spiders and terrestrial bugs: gurglers, beetles, Taylor Bluegill Spider ....

Marv Taylor Inspired Bluegill Fly

The Fliedermouse:  Harrison Steeves foam-and-deer hair creature pattern ....

Fliedermouse

The Sneaky Duck: a stacked foam disc, floating-diving pattern

Our good friend, Don Schmotzer, discusses this one:

Ultralight Fly Fishing: Sneaky Duck

Poppers - styrofoam, stacked craft foam, Flip Flop Popper

Flip-Flop Poppers

Dry Flies - standard trout dry flies, tied large and small. This is an often overlooked group. 

• SUBSURFACE PATTERNS

"Murray Hackle Fly"... Murray Hackle Fly

"The Briminator" ... The Briminator

Bart Lombardo's, "Creature" .... The Creature

"The Cockaroo" - Ward Bean sub-surface pattern using pheasant feathers... The Cockaroo

Nymphs - 3-Way Nymphs, "Faux Fur Casual Dress" ....

Faux Fur Nymph 

- Honorable Mentions

"Dixie Finn" - color variation of the classic Mickey Finn, with Chartreuse/White, Chartreuse/black, Chartreuse/brown

"Because in the South, if it aint chartreuse - it aint no use."

"Woolly Buggers" - for bass and panfish, grey/brown, sizes 2-6

"Soft hackles" - sparse body and hackle - good for near-surface panfish

"SMP" Skip Morris Panfish fly - a Crazy Charlie tied with marabou.

Flies For The Future

    We could probably all do better behind the fishing rod if we focused more on consistently finding fish, rather than keying on flies. But anglers don't think that way - we never stop seeking the next magical, fish catching pattern.
    And I'm no different... there is always a new pattern I want to try. In fact, I can name three of them:

  

- Gary La Fontaines, "Airhead"... a simple surface pattern of dubbing, deer hair, and closed cell packing foam

- Bob Clouser's, "Swimming Nymph" - I view nymphs as the single best pattern type for my style of fishing. This one looks like a dandy.

               

- Mini Minnie - This streamer-like pattern from Terry and Roxanne Wilson uses a weighted dubbing material for the body

                              


    There you have it - a short list of flies that have worked for my warm water fly fishing.
Are there others? Of course - I simply cant show them all in a single blog post.
Can some of these cross over into other waters, for other species? Yes - fish pretty much eat the same things wherever they live... only the details change a little.
    But I promised you a list, and, well, who doesn't love a good list?

* NOTE: Sadly, Bill Byrd passed away in 2021. With no one to keep paying the bill, his internet site has fallen into the Dead Domain Zone.

While he was still alive, Bill gave me direct permission to use his articles and writings, and I make sure his memory lives on...

you can read my tribute to him, and access an archived version of his writings here: Bill Byrd Tribute 

If you find value in Bills archived writing, I urge you to copy and file what you like. It may not exist forever.

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Writers should always strive for a job well done... even mediocre ones like me. So if you found value in this article, please like, comment, and share it. 

Would like to add any of the catching flies seen here to your own fly or tackle box? Got questions, gripes, or suggestions?
If so, email me at...dahutist@gmail.com

If you appreciate a no-drama, no-hype Facebook group, follow this link and come join us at:  Palmetto Fly n Fish

Thanks so much for reading, and...

Tight Lines,

Dave Hutton

© All rights reserved, David Hutton/Palmetto Fly N Fish 2023 

References
- https://palmettoflynfish.blogspot.com/

- https://thebluegillpond.com/product/mini-minnie/

- www. pinterest.com

- http://www.tomsutcliffe.co.za/fly-fishing/fly-tying/item/219-la-fontaines-air-head.html

BASS FLIES OF A.J. MCCLANE - part 3

 

    From the start of this series, "The Bass Flies Of A. J. McClane" (<<<< link), we have examined the favorite bass flies of one of America's greatest fishing writers and sportsmen: A.J. McClane.
    He spent 40 years as fishing editor for Sports Afield, and wrote what is now a classic, not-to-be missed book on the subject, "The Practical Fly Fisherman," first published in 1953.
    This was a time when fly fishing for bass was generally considered second rate behind trout angling. But Mr. McClane didn't think so - he devoted an entire chapter in this monumental work to the pursuit.
    Many of the patterns he recommends are likely unfamiliar to you. They are what we today would call, "old school," and a good number of them are wet flies, of all things. The majority of you reading this probably weren't born when these were hot, either. But that's okay, |because you can bet the bass haven't seen much of them, either!

    Here in part 3, we will conclude the series by first looking at a rather unque and mostly forgotten type of fly. Then we will move to surface "bugs," and even some dry fly patterns!
    Lastly, with Mr. McClanes help, I will set the record straight about one the most iconic - and misunderstood - streamer patterns in the business.

              ----------- ↭ ---------

Spinner Fly

    First up is a device that is both spinning lure, and fly, combined. It is primarily a near-surface offering, so it fits into this part of the series which deals mostly with surface fishing.

    To say the spinner fly is an oddity today is no understatement; it is mostly unknown, except to a few. 
But it was quite common in McClanes day, going back to just before the turn of the 19th Century. It is also quite effective, so why it is ignored is a mystery.

    And don't let the word, “spinner,” confuse you – it is in every sense of the word, a fly rod pattern.

    This is because casting a lightweight lure, like a spinner, was only really possible with the fly rod in 1953. The bait casting gear of the period was out of the question for this work, and spinning tackle had not taken off yet. Interestingly, it was Mr. McClane himself who was instrumental in making spin fishing popular.

    But, fly-specific spinners were a standard feature when McClane wrote "The Practical Fly Fisherman." My dad had them in his tackle box, too, and they are still around by the name, "Idaho Spinner". The Hildebrandt company continues to make them, as far as I know, following in the footsteps of their original creator, John Hildebrandt himself.

   So, how can you have a spinner and a fly, together?
    Well, purist notions aside, we are talking about a nearly weightless inline spinner, which can be cast with a fly rod.... 

The Idaho Spinner

    As you can see from the picture, the key part of the combo - the spinner -  is essentially a straight wire fixture which carries a spinner blade in front, and a safety pin type clasp at the rear. It is that clasp that allows you to add any fly you want.
    In essence it is a nearly weightless inline spinner, which can be cast with a fly rod. To the spinner's rear section, you ad your own gaudy wet fly design and voila! You have a Spinner Fly.

    McClane reminds us that the reason for the spinner is to both attract game fish with its flash and sound, and to simulate the darting antics of a minnow. "Bass especially," he tells us, "...are fond of such things." 
    However, he is specific as to what flies work best when making up a spinner fly:

    “Only wingless, fat bodied wet patterns with long hackles, tied on straight, ring eye hooks are reliable for this kind of fishing.
    Stiff upright wings, as found on many trout wet flies, cause the lure to twist and turn in the water, and the feathers often get snagged on the spinner blade.
    But a 'hackled' pattern with a fat body is very lifelike and is easily manipulated. Long, flowing hackles and ringed-eye hooks...that's the stuff good spinner flies are made of.”

    In summary, the spinner fly McClane recommends is a palmered hackle wet fly without appendages or wings, tied on a straight eye hook. Think a symmetrical Wooly Worm type pattern with soft, flowing hackles, and you have the idea.
He is also not shy about the colors; he suggests what are almost circus-like decorations...

1. Yellow chenille/yellow palmered hackle/red tail

2. Orange chenille/white palmered hackle/red tail

3. The Woolly Worm, itself (seen also in part two as a recommended bass fly)

    Finally, he says a great many flies will do in this role, as long as they are obnoxiously bright and have these construction features.

Bass Bugs

    At this point, we leave the world of undewater flies and pop up to the surface with floating flies.
    McClane begins here with the pattern style we call, “bass bugs.” He tells us this genre first started with swampers in Missouri and Arkansas. They stuck hooks and feathers in beer bottle corks, well before the 1900's, and a revolution was started.
    From there, the type exploded into a zillion patterns, “... a significant percentage of which are worthless,”as McClane puts it.

    He separates the group into two distinct sorts – soft bodied and hard bodied.

Soft Bodied Hair Bugs

    Here McClane recommends several bass bugs based on deer hair as a material. These were common at the time, since foam and more modern synthetic materials were still off in the future.
    Keep also in mind that at the time, there were few fly tyers compared to today. Certainly few were focused on bass, exclusively. The glut of materials, online shopping, and everyone on social media or Youtube angling for attention (and sales) well,.... that stuff didn't exist in 1953.
    So most of what he talks about were commercial offerings, sold through mail order catalogs, or available from shops and retailers. Suppliers and designs come and go, however, and most of the vintage original makers are long gone.
    With that in mind, I attempt to show an exact version from the period where possible, or something modern, but very near to them.

        

- Messinger Deer Hair Frog

    Mr.McClane admits this is a good casting bug despite its appearance to the contrary. It is made with bucktail legs tied with the angled kink seen in the foto. These are paired with a soft, spongy deer hair body and leering, googly eyes.
    Much is made of the pliant, “chewy' nature of these flies, something we mentioned in the last installment, Bass Flies of A.J. McClane, part 2.
    The idea is that these patterns appeal to the fish because of they are, "toothsome" - they feel like the real thing in the mouth and so the fish hold onto them longer. And when it comes to bass, frog patterns are rightly at the top of the list. 

                     

- Tuttle Devil Bug 
   

    These beasties were large, as flies go, looking rather like giant beetles. The story goes that when Orley Tuttle's wife, Lottie, saw the first ones, she exclaimed, “It looks like the devil!”
    The Devil Bugs were tied with a rounded, cotton twine underbody on the hook shank, over which was pulled a covering of deer hair. This was all bound at the rear of the hook with copper wire. The tips of the deer hair faced to the rear as a tail, with the headcut short and bristly.

    Some of the Devil Bugs had a face like a mouse, and McClane mentions this in particular. 

    Some of today's deer hair mouse patterns might stand-in for this pattern, especially if you tied them with the all-important, bushy deer-hair tail. The Tuttle Devil Bug from McClane's day was also 1-3” long, and rather unique as we can see from the pictures.

P.S. I have since learned that the Devil Bug is still with us, commercially. It is still hand-tied, too, and sold by Eppinger, of all people. Yes, this is the same Eppinger that makes the famous red-and-white Daredevle spoon. You have to contact them directly and ask for it, however, as it is a special order item and isn't cataloged in their regular line-up.

You can reach them at

Eppinger Mfg. Co.

6340 Schaefer

Dearborn, MI 48126

313-582-3205

email: jennifer@dardevle.com

If you want to have a go at tying your own Devil Bug, there's a good tutorial here:

https://raysfly.wordpress.com/2012/07/31/freshwatersweetwater-fly-of-the-month-julyaugust-2012/



           

"The Fence Rider"
By Jack Ellis

- Deer Hair Bugs

    Here we get into the realm of the more familiar, packed deer hair bass bug. These were treated as a group of patterns by McClane, and not a single, commercial model, so I include a picture of Jack Ellis's, "Fence Rider," to illustrate the type.
    These "bugs" were very popular in McClanes time, being made of a readily available, natural material. Many had the front face coated with cellulose varnish to toughen them up.
    He also mentions what we know about them in our time, too: they will absorb water after a while, and you need to have extras to tie on when they turn soggy.
    Once removed from use, let them air dry on your fly patch. After a few hours, they are ready to go again. A light dressing of floatant was also recommended.

    Nothing much seems to have changed with these from his time, to now. In fact, there is a modern resurgence around these vintage bugs. Many modern tyers have rediscovered both their effectiveness and a certain pride in creating what are literally works of art from deer hair.


 Hard Bodied Cork Bass Bugs

- Peckinpaugh Feather Minnows

    Ernest Peckinpaugh of Tennessee is credited with bringing some of the first commercially tied flies to the US market, and the familiar cork “popper” was among his initial offerings. These are recommended by MacClane. 
    But, that style eventually led to the development of what came to be called, 'feather minnows,' and McClane also directs our attention to those as bass flies.
    These are basically a regular popper, but with the body turned around backwards. You can see that in the picture above. The popular name for these today would be a, “slider;” exemplified by such patterns as the “Sneaky Pete.”
    About the only real difference then, from now, is the absence of rubber legs. This material was known in 1953, but it wasn't universally adopted like it is now.

                                      
   

                            Wilder Dilg Feathered Minnow

      

                    Wilder Dilg "Spook," clear plastic version

- Wilder-Dilg Minnows

    This is another that earns a specific mention from MacClane. The Wilder-Dilg line of suruface bugs was inspired by the earlier Peckinpaugh patterns. As you can see, there is very little difference between them.
    The story goes that B.F. Wilder liked the 'Peck' designs so much, he worried he might run out - so he had copies made by Bill Dilg. In time, these flies were marketed under the Wilder-Dilg name.
    They are, again, the same bullet-headed, slider format, with variations in dressings and colors. The Wilder-Dilg line was eventually bought by Heddon and Sons, somewhere around the 1960's.

               
Dry Flies

    During the Spring, its easy for the novice angler to get the idea that bass are easy to catch.
    They're hungry, as they are either prepping to spawn, or have just finished. But, the season soon changes and settles into warmer grooves. Food becomes more varied and abundant, and the fish get more selective, even cautious. This is the time for a change of pace – the DRY FLY.

    In the old days, if you could carve initials into a tree with a pocketknife, most any broomstick could be made into a bass plug. Most commercial lures were not much lmore than that.
    Today, things are a bit different. I hesitate to use the word, “educated” with bass, but the modern bass we mostly go for are conditioned to the presence of plugs, plastic worms, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, umbrella rigs....Wow! The've seen it all!
    And if they've lived a few years and haven't yet moved in with their deep water brethren, odds are very good they have been hook-bit, too.
    So if endless casting for numbers, or weights of fish has lost its luster, it may be time for a change-up. And few switcheroos are as fulfilling as fishing a dry fly for bass!

Details
    We should be reminded here that this DRY-FLY-FOR-BASS idea comes to us from 1953, and A.J. McClane, one of the most famous 20th Century American anglers. I just wanted to mention that, again, to make sure we are paying attention.
    Even so, this idea of the dry fly for bass is probably only rarely considered in 2023 by The Wavers of the Fairy Stick, aka, fly anglers.
    I'm well aware that fly fishing for bass has become a big fan-boy pasttime. Sure.
    But, using bonafide dry flies over lurid, whopping big foam and hair creations is pretty far out of the box for most modern "fly bro's."
    And more's the pity. 
    Why a pity? Because it means most are missing out on some great sport angling. Both large- and smallmouth bass are generally willing risers to large, dry-fly insect patterns in the shallows, and this holds true whether on stream or stillwater. 

    However, if you are willing to put down your Gamechangers and craft beer to step this far out of the box, only a couple things are needed to make it happen:

1. Proper type waters: the typical weedy, stump ridden “pond” environment.

2. Timing: certain periods of the year and day.

    The latter point is variable. You cannot know with absolute certainty the exact time to tie on a juicy floating fly. It might be the one to start with, or the one to use when all the other methods fail. Thats the challenge behind this change of pace.

    When going for bass dry flies, there is one glaringly obvious difference to keep in mind – they are tied huge, gargantuan even, compared to their trouty counterparts. 
    For hook sizes, we're talking anything from 2-8, with size 6 a good average.
    McClane also stresses that you tie them bushier for bass.

    At this point,  McClane gives an extreme example of bushy and shaggy in the classic olf pattern, "The Powder Puff."
    There are modern patterns that copy this name in some form, but this is the version first tied and fished by Fred Geist, in 1940. It is nothing but deer hair, spun and packed on a hook in the usual way. BUT, it is NOT trimmed to shape; it is left in that state. The fly is essentially a hairy ping-pong ball.
    A modern pattern called the, "Drunk and Disorderly" copies this method for the head, but adds whopping big tails - cool idea, but not the same.

    Mr. Geist and his creation came to the attention of McClane sometime around 1944, and he has this to say about the Powder Puff.... “Despite its bulky appearance, The Powder Puff has little weight or air resistance. It sits down gently, and 'works' on the water with just a few twitches of the rod tip. Geists' brainchild has a long record of bass killing and belongs in the kit of every fly rod angler.”

    I think that clinches it...we want bigger and bushier dry flies for bass.

    Besides the Powder Puff, Mr. McClane goes on to recommend the following dry flies for bass:

- Bivisibles, both brown and black (work some foam strips into the underbody for a longer float, if you want)

- Big hairwing patterns, exemplified by the Grey and White Wulff. These would be my choice.

- Patterns with close-shaved deer hair bodies, like the white-winged McDougal or Irresistible.m chiunky and hairy

- Pretty much most any dry fly you can make big, chunky, and hairy. I show a Black Gnat as an example.

Black/white Bivisible

 

Gray Wulff / White Wulff





MacDougal




White-Wing Black Gnat

Bass Hackle Fly
    A fly McClane did not recommend, but which I think would fit quite well into this line-up, is one I call a, "bottle brush fly," also known in earlier times as a, “Bass Hackle Fly.”
    I gather they weren't unknown in 1953, as I've seen them in books from the early 20th Century. I've tried them with orange-dyed hackle and caught fish as handy as you'd like.
    This drawing and description is from George Herters book(2), and gives a good start...

Bass Hackle Fly 

Muddler Minnow

    Last but not least we come to McClanes big bad boy - The Muddler Minnnow. No other pattern in his book gets the same  glowing praise as this classic.
    The Muddler Minnow was originated in the mid-1930's By Don Gapen of Anoka, MN. 90 years later, it needs little introduction in fly fishing circles. It has a following around the world, and appears on nearly all Top 10 Flies list you'll find.
    It can be a surface fly, a hopper, a swimmer, a bottom scrubber, and it has beentied tied in a zillion variations.
And thats where the little problem with it starts.

    In McClanes day, the Muddler Minnow was a rather different beast than the thick, bullet-headed model seen today. That variation was a modification from the original, intended to imitate a grasshopper. It appeared only after the fly moved out West in the late 1950's.

    Did you get that? The Muddler Minnow you think you know came late to the party. It isn't the original.

    Lets add it up:

25 years after origination + half a continent away + a different purpose = same name, different fly.

    Flatly put, when “The Practical Fly Fisherman” was published in 1953, McClane was writing about a different Muddler Minnow than we think we know.

1. For starters, The Muddler Minnow in his fly box was tied on quite a long hook.
5, 6, 7XL wouldn't be wrong to create the lanky Muddler Minnow from the period.

2. Next, the "true" Muddler Minnow was tied with sparse dressing.
    Compared to the shaving brush versions popular today, the mix of hair and feathers was pretty thin, and the Gapen Company still ties them that way.

3. What about that famous Muddler head?
    The head and collar on McClanes fly were both formed from the same smallish, coarse clump of deer hair. That thick, slick, multi-layered head we laboriously shave into shape nowadays? It was unheard of.

4. It was not a tidy, well-groomed fly. 
Words like “scruffy,” or “ragged,” come to mind to describe those ancestral Muddlers.

    Just WHAT the Muddler Minnow is supposed to imitate also seems to have gotten 'muddled' since Gapen first tied it on Ontario's Nipigon River.
    If you ask ten modern fly tyers, I'm betting bearly all will say the fly represents... drumroll please ...

A SCULPIN. That has been part of the lore for a long time.

    In case you didn't know, sculpins are ugly, bottom dwelling fish that look kinda like Jabba The Hutt.... with similar personalities.
    But, according to Mr. McClane, Don Gapen intended for his fly to mimic a DARTER MINNOW, which are svelte little fishes in the same general family as perches.

    I know, I know, this flies hard in the face of current thought on the matter, and I'm sure argument will arise on this point. But, if there's one thing I've learned from researching in the old books, it is this:

    Details often change from the early days.

    Word gets passed around, someone repeats what someone else said, and people add their own spin to it. 
It criss-crosses the country, people forget about the original as they come up with variations, and pretty soon the name is there, but the pattern has morphed.  

    This is made worse by the very technology we rely on.
We are accustomed to well-produced fly tying videos and written details that read like instructions for the space shuttle. No detail is left out; little is left to the imagination.
    All that is required is one small slip up, one change from the original, and it is shared around the world before lunch. Pretty soon no one remembers anything about the original.

    Well, it wasn't like that, back in the day.
    It was worse.

    Instructions came from those thing called books... you remember books, right? And in those arcane books, actual instructions were as obscure as UFO sightings in Russia. For the most part, those authors generally assumed you already knew the difference between a bodkin and a dubbing loop.
    Illustrations were usually line drawings, fairly crude, and basic. Photographs, if there were any, were few in number, grainy, and out of focus. Materials and techniques had different names than we know, and were often mentioned only in passing.
    Bottom line is, anyone today that can tie flies from the old books has put in the work to get there.

    
    So it is not hard to see that the transition from the original to what we know today has not been smooth. Put another way, things got "muddled" around from the original.
    But since this is about McClanes chosen bass flies, from HIS place in time, I'm going with the original Muddler Minnow. This means a relatively slim, scruffy, sparsely tied streamer that mimic's a darter minnow.
    Take a look at the accompanying photographs to see what I mean.

What we are trying to imitate is this guy....

darter minnow

Not this guy...

                

sculpin

Which leads us to an original Muddler Minnow, as tied by Don Gapen....

                

Here's one packaged for sale, circa 1960's....

              

And here's what Gapen Fly and Tackle Co. has on their website as of today...                                           

    

Epilogue
    I never thought I'd write an epilgoue to a blog post. But it has been five years since I started, "The Bass Flies Of A.J. McClane,"...this, my bass fly journey.
    Many things have come down the road to side-track me, and if I'm honest with myself, it was an arduous undertaking for  which I was unprepared - I bit off more than I could chew.
But it never stopped bubbling in the back of my mind, nagging at me to be completed.  
    I suppose every writer goes through this, having a folder of half-starts and almost done pieces...or maybe it's just me. Regardless, there is always something to work on.
    However, this particular journey draws to a close.
    It is not completely over, of course, because there are other chapters in McClanes book from which we can draw inspiration. "The Practical Fly Fisherman" remains one of those timeless superlatives to which you can return again and again.
    But for now, I wish to thank you for joining me in this epic, and being here with me at the destination. 

            ------------------------- ↭ -------------------------

Writers should always strive for a job well done... even mediocre ones like me. So if you found value in this article, please like, comment, and share it. 

Would you like to add the catching pattern(s) seen here to your own fly or tackle box? Do you have questions, gripes, or suggestions?
If so, email me at...dahutist@gmail.com

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Thanks so much for reading, and...

Tight Lines,

Dave Hutton

© All rights reserved, David Hutton/Palmetto Fly N Fish 2023

 References

1. “The Practical Fly Fisherman,” Albert Jules, “A..J.” McClane, 2nd Edition, 1975, Prentice Hall

2, “Professional Fly Tying, Spinning and Tackle Making Manual and Manufacturers Guide,” George L. Herter, 17th Edition, 1968, Herters, Inc.

3. Fly Anglers Online – www.flyanglersonline.com

4. “Black Bass Lore,” Wallace Gallagher, 1937, Van Rees Press

5. http://www.bassfly.com/oldbassfly/peckandbetts/pecksandbetts.htm

6. Google, google, and more google