The "Buck Perry System," or Spoonplugging - Part 1

Edited from an article series in the long-gone, regional newsmagazine, "Fishing News," 1967

This is the first in a six part series that outlines the fishing methods of Buck Perry. This method is known broadly as, "structure fishing," or, as Perry called it, “spoonplugging." When first published, this was a barebones summary. I added modern updates and reinforcements for today's more sophisticated reader. All credit given the original authors

INTRO

In this installment we take The Way back Machine to 1967, 55 years ago...

    We are embarking on this journey, to look into an often misunderstood fishing method, known as "spoonplugging." It was laid down by a likewise misunderstood man - Elwood, "Buck" Perry.
    It has been said that, between Carl Lowrance and Buck Perry, only the metal fish hook has done more to ensure the success of anglers over the years.
    Perry humbly refers to his 'spoonplugging' methods this way:

    "To become good and to achieve the greatest success, the foremost requisite is   KNOWLEDGE. This is true in all walks of life, but especially so in fishing. This is because fishing has a vast number of prophets and gimmick makers, whose purpose is anything but altruistic. It covers ten distinct points of understanding, but it can be distilled to its simplest result - knowledge of what makes big fish tick, and what it takes to consistently put them in the boat." (2)

    But, as I push through these ten points, I find a curious thing: 

....here is a Fishing Hall of Fame inductee, a man that spent 50 years fishing, teaching, and proving his ideas for catching big across the entire nation  - and the name, 'Buck Perry', remains nearly unknown. 

     And for those few who may know of him, their understanding is normally limited to a few generalized tidbits, or errors. So it is my hope this will help you understand the man, the concepts, and just perhaps, how to catch bigger and better fish.

- David

 Part 1 - To Catch Fish, Find Fish

    You want to catch big fish, and lots of them, right Especially bass, but also others?

    No reason why you can't. Most of our lakes are loaded with them, and most of these big fish die of old age. They really do. 

    Why?
    Because most people don't really know how to catch them with any consistency. 

    Why do you think THAT is?
    Well, here it comes, the Elephant In The Room: there is a MOUNTAIN of talk, writing, opinion, video making, industry MARKETING and HYPE about how to cast, which lures to buy, the best color, what rods and reels to have, the best line to use for this - but never for that... “how to fish,” and so on.
Because of this, there is hardly room made for really useful facts about the fish, how they live day to day, and how to consistently find them. This is especially so for really big largemouth bass. 
    This situation is to the point that most fishermen go “fishing,” and very often end up fishing, “where they ain't."
    After all, 95% of water in all lakes, whether civilized or wilderness, contains no fish. 

     But, the bass is the "universal fish" in this country. He's everywhere and lends himself well to this effort;  so we focus on him. But, both he and our other gamefish are animals- they concentrate in certain ways, and in certain areas, based on established habits and patterns we can learn. 
    Yet, the sport fishing industry, and especially the $115 billion dollar bass fishing industry (3) fails to focus on the why, when, how and where of this, soit is left up to us to learn, and to accept.

    So, you must go to the water.
    But then you have to fish where they are, when they are there....and know it is mostly not where you think it is.
    Fortunately, it isn't terribly hard to figure it out.
    Well..., except that this study may reveal ideas and concepts that are new to you. Worse, some of these ideas will fly directly in the face of what you think everyone knows, and what you think you've learned up till now.
So the biggest challenge you will face is very often just accepting this information, and applying it.
    Now, this may not be your cup of tea; you may prefer to stick to all the tricks, tips, and endless "techniques" espoused by all the "bass anglers" out there. Or, it may just seem easier to just cast a plastic worm at docks and hope you catch something. If that's true for you, this would be a good place to exit and stop reading.
    But, if you want to try something different and invoke good odds of catching big fish, consistently, well... that takes us back to our first question:

“You want to catch big fish, and lots of them, right?”

    Years ago, we began to study less about fishing techniques, and more about the fish, themselves, – and we started catching a few, "big fish."

    Then, about ten years ago, we heard of a guy named Buck Perry.
    We have studied his fish discoveries ever since. Here is a man that knows the important facts. He doesn't talk popular ideas or espouse anything but what he has himself proven over many years. He is something of an outlaw in this, because he doesn't get into how to catch 'em with the latest lures or rigs, which colors are hot today, or what gear you own. 

    Instead, he focuses on the fish, and facts about them. He tells you what he has spent 50 years proving to himself and others (approx. 1950-2005), and thus has made one of the greatest contributions ever to the sport of fishing. 

We acknowledge a big debt to him.

Where Do Fish Live?

    Fish, like animals on land, want to live securely, and move with cover and protection. Nearly all complex, living things do, when it comes down to it.
    And for adult game fish, the deepest water in an area is their preferred habitat most of the time. It's not that log or dock where you caught a couple of squealers,.. it's deep water. 
    This is the first new idea you'll have to learn to accept.

    Deep water provides seclusion, access to food, stability, cover, and protection from threat. "Deep," is normally thought of as water in excess of 10 feet, down to about 35 feet. It can be deeper, but catching them further downstairs becomes increasingly difficult, so we primarily concern ourselves with this range of depths.
    In this deeper water, the fish gravitate to natural structural features of the bottom. Fortunately for us, they frequently leave the deep water along habitual migratory routes known mostly to them. These routes follow the contour of the bottom structure, as do the fish. From there, anything unusual on the lake bottom will act as attractive landmarks to the fish.
    The deeper water becomes "home" for the fish, and the structure leading to and from it offers migration routes for fish - like game trails - as they move to and fro around their watery landscape.

    In short, here are the first two of many Key Points that must be acknowledged...

Key Points, part one

1. The deepest water in an area is where big fish spend most of their time.
2. These fish migrate from this deep water, once or twice per day, along established routes related to the underwater bottom structure.

    Much more will be said about this latter point as we progress.

The key deep water structures that interest us can be seen in the drawing below...

(A) underwater points
(B) reefs or bars
(C) drop-offs
(D) submerged islands
(E) holes, or depressions

Thanks for reading and I hope you learned something. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss all of these installments  And, if you enjoyed it, a like and share is appreciated.

If you are interested in a no drama, Facebook fishing page, please come visit us at: Palmetto Fly n Fish

Tight Lines,

David
Palmetto Fly n Fish
All rights reserved, 2022

references

1. The "Buck Perry System," or Spoonplugging, 'Fishing News,' 1967

2. "Spoonplugging," Elwood 'Buck' Perry, 2nd Edition, 1974

3. https://brandongaille.com/24-bass-fishing-industry-statistics-and-trends/

3. Mr Peabody, Sherman and The Wayback Machine open sourced, J. Ward Productions 

Quickie History Of The Fishing Reel

October 23, 2022
© All rights reserved

    Over coffee this morning, I pondered the background of the common fishing reel. I'm a reel junkie, but, I'm also aware that we take these things for granted.
However, like all, "man made" things, they had to start somewhere.
Just where was that? And how did they get to the ubiquitous, familiar reel what we know today?
    Inspired by a 1950 magazine article on the subject, I decided to dig.

The Fishing Reel Is OLD!
    The earliest fishing reels known came out of China. Detailed images were seen in Chinese illustrations and paintings and mention was found in written records beginning about 1195 AD. 

     But, occasional descriptions of "line wheels" for angling go as far back as the 3rd century. None of these early Chinese reel designs exist today, but they were likely derived from winches, and probably resembled modern centerpin reels.

    In Europe, it wasn't until the 15th century that a crude, but recognizable fishing reel was seen. It was from England, a brass single-action, skeleton-frame reel. It was retrieve-only, with the line stripped from the reel by hand before casting. This would be the norm for a couple centuries.
    By around 1650, fishing reels were common enough to be documented in English fishing literature. For example, an incident is mentioned in 1653 by Thomas Barker, where he describes the use of a "reele for trouling,”... a trolling reel.

    Within 100 years, by the 1760s, London tackle shops were running a trade in both single action and multiplying, rotating-spool reels. These are really the first known commercial “reels,” as we might think of them.
    They were essentially clockwork winches, laboriously hand made by skilled artisans, and fitted to a rod. As you might imagine, they were too expensive for average people to own; we can consider them oddities for the well-to-do of the day.
    They were still retrieve-only, too, not casting reels. That innovation was still a century and half away . With these reels, the line was stripped from the reels by hand, held loosely, and then flung into the water by the rod.
Similar to fly fishing, when you think about it.

    In America, the earliest home-grown fishing reels began to appear around 1820. These were still few and far between, though, as most reels still came from England. But by 1850, several American reel makers were in business, hand-crafting reels as spin-offs to the clock making trade. In 1853, though, Jonathan Meek & Benjamin Milam formed a partnership and put out the first mass produced fishing reels, developed from what were previously hand-made, “Kentucky reels.”

    The first rotating spool reel with an internal drag system for playing large fish was the Henshall-Van Antwerp 'Black Bass Reel,' made from 1885-1895. It was also the first that I've found that had a spool release, one that allowed for actual casting of the the lure from the reels spool. I don't know how well it cast, but it was probably a chunk. 
    That was the layout for decades, and it is still the standard for such reels. The only really significant additions to this type have been the oscillating level-wind guide, and spool braking.

Spinning Reels
    The inspiration for today's spinning reels came from the beginning of the Eighteenth Century, in the Basque region of Spain. It resembled a canary cage with an axial handle, separate from the rod itself.

    This birdcage-like device made it necessary for the user to hold the "reel" in his left hand, while his right hand was occupied with coordinating the rod.

    After making his cast, the angler moved the line to the fingers of his right hand at the rod butt, and, still holding the rod and playing the fish,.... he whipped the birdcage reel around by hand to take up the line. Meanwhile, he was also expected to guide the line onto the reel with his already busy right hand. This frantic cycle of events was repeated until all the line was retrieved. Any kid with string wound on a tin can will recognize this technique.

    The next step on the path towards a fixed spool spinning reel came late in the 1800's, from Scotland. In appearance, it was similar to the winch-like reels of the period, but it had a ring guide in front of the spool. To make his cast, the clever Scot grasped the spool and flipped it 90 degrees, so that the spool's end faced in the direction of the ring. The line was then cast off the end of the spool as with any spinning reel. Then, to retrieve the line, the angler turned the spool back to the orthodox reeling position and reeled it back in.

    About 20 years later, another Scotchman built a reel with a spool that remained stationary on the cast AND the retrieve. This set the stage for the English firm of Illingsworth to create the first “spinning reel” with a line pickup, around 1905.

    The Illingsworth reel looked more like a hand drill than a fishing reel... the spool was just a small narrow drum on the front, made to handle the very light silk lines of the day. It had no shuttling motion to lay the line on evenly, either. But that was next, and the spinning reel form we recognize was already in the works by the 1920's.

    The spinning reel as we know it today was developed by French mechanical engineer and clock maker, Maurice Jacquemin. His goal was to create, not a cranky gadget to hold fishing line, but a “precision tool that would cast at a greater distance and recover the fishing line without tangling.”
    After years of research and development, especially with the shuttling spool to evenly spread the line as it is retrieved, the iconic Mitchell spinning reel was born.
Mass production of the reel began in 1937, and the rest is history, as they say.

    An interesting side note is that the Mitchell reel was to be named after Msr. Jacquemin’s son, Michel. However, French law at the time forbade proper names to be used as product brand names. So, Maurice presumably did what any Frenchman would do - he “anglicized" the reel's name from Michel, to 'Mitchell.'

Enter The Dragon
    Of course, no look at the story of fishing reels would be complete without bringing the Asian makers into the subject.
    During the first 60 or 70 years of the 20th century, American manufacturers dominated the field in the US. Outfits like Shakespeare, Pflueger, South Bend, Bronson, Zebco, Johnson, Langley and Garcia ruled the reel market.
This is not to say reels weren't made in Asia - they were, and almost exclusively in Japan. But they were subpar in quality and function, when compared to American and English reels.
    But that all changed in 1973, when an entrepreneur from Alabama named Lew Childre, Jr., introduced the “Speed Spool” baitcasting reel...and it was a legitimate game changer.
    Childre's reel featured a narrow V-shaped spool that rendered the reel nearly backlash-proof. Also revolutionary was the unique push button spool release - previously if had been a lever that required two hands to operate. Now, only one hand was needed to facilitate longer, controlled casts. Finger shaped, no-slip handles and a black textured finish were popular finishing touches.

    Childre contracted with Shimano of Japan to make the original Speed Spool reels... Shimano was previously known as a maker of bicycle parts!
    But, apparently Shimano saw the potential, and each Speed Spool reel sported the Shimano name.

    Sadly, Lew Childre was killed in a plane crash, in 1977. Shimano had previously obtained rights to the design, and they entered the American market with their own branded line of reels. With Childre’s death, Shimano took up the torch and the rise of the Oriental fishing tackle companies began. 

    Today, it is safe to say that the fishing reel has come full circle, right back to China where it all started. The Chinese manufacturing megalith has become the dominant force in tackle making out of Asia, and probably in the world... along with pretty much every other manufactured item on the planet.

    Thanks for reading and I hope you learned something, If you enjoyed it, a like and share is appreciated.

If you are interested in a no drama, Facebook fishing page, please come visit us at: Palmetto Fly n Fish

Tight Lines,

David
Palmetto Fly n Fish
All rights reserved, 2022

Resources:

1. PA Angler, December 1950

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishing_reel

3. "The Art of Angling," Thomas Barker, 1653
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/26116/pg26116.txt

4. https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/fishing/awesome-old-school-fishing-reels-that-changed-how-we-fish/

5. https://mitchellreelmuseum.com/mitchell-fishing-reel-history/

Yusaku Crease Fly - Fly Tying Innovation, part 2

Welcome back!

In part 1 of, "Yusaku Crease Fly - Fly Tying Innovation," we introduced you to a pattern that is both unusual and attractive - the Yusaku Crease Fly...

                             

This fly follows on the pattern pioneered by Joe Blados, the similarly named, "Crease Fly."
But it adds lifelike gills and a lively posture to set it apart. 

In case you missed it, you can see part 1 at this link: 

Yusaku Crease Fly, Part 1

Here in part 2, we will assume you are ready for the challenge of an advanced project like the Yusaku Crease Fly. With that in mind, let me show you how I've dressed the hook, assembled the fly's components, and touch on the finishing-off.

I'll include a few tips, and offer a couple of resources to assist you in making your own.

So lets get started!

Get Those Bodies Moving!

Here are some foam bodies in various stages of preparation. You can see them cut out from the foam, with decoration added, before their bodies are heat-fused into a tubular shape. To learn about the fusing process in more detail, it is described in part 1.
Also, notice the small tabs, or "ears," cut into the blank at the very front. Those will be the tie-down ears for the head, so don't forget to add them.

So with the bodies ready and standing by, its time to move to... 

The Tail

There are a couple of ways to go with the tail. One is more fiddly than the other, so I've chosen the easier method.
Really, this is just a version of the "feather pick" seen in the flower/floral trade.
For this, you tie tailing materials onto a body length section of toothpick.
You can use feathers, synthetic fibers, hair, or bucktail as I've done.
I've tried them all - I prefer bucktail.
Once the tail materials are tied around the toothpick, a little super glue ensures everything stays in place.
When you get the body formed, the tail pick is then inserted into the tail end and pushed in to the desired depth.
At that point, a drop or two of super glue is applied from the INSIDE to hold everything together.

Spacing Is Crucial

The body placement is key to the final look, so it must be tied to the hook shank at just the right place. 
The head tabs ensure that the head is always right behind the eye, so that takes care of itself. But because you tie in the body FIRST, and work forward, you must sort out this positioning with some trial and error.

Depending on the look you want, the body position is adjusted like this:

- Move the body tie-in point forward: the body will have a straight appearance.
- Move the body tie-in rearward: tail lifts into the air, giving the fly a jaunty appearance.

To make sure you get the tie in point exactly where you want it, mark the hook shank when you get it where you want, until you get the feel of it.

Here the shank has been marked with a black Sharpie. The two marks indicate (from L to R), the tie-in point for the body at the mid-point, and the tie-in for the head, right behind the eye.

Here are the small tabs at the head, lining up with the marked tie-in point behind the eye.
Here is where you play with the body position. Grip the head tabs in their position, then move the body tie-point back and forth to get the look you want. Then mark that on the shank.
Note: the look you are after can be the difference of one millimeter, either way. So be precise. 

I add a little red throat on these flies; it's a touch of something extra. 
This throat, or beard, is made from red kiptail, aka, calf tail.
I'm showing my age at this point, because the term, "kiptail," is not used much today except by old-timers like me. So, if you hear it, just know they mean calf tail.

This early pic shows the beard back towards the body tie-in point.
But that put the beard in the way when tying on the body, so now I fix it right behind the eye - and tie the head ear tabs over it.
Very neat. Very tidy. 

The body is tied in this way. The pointed end of the rounded gill cutout serves as an anchor for tying in. You want to get it tied in right on top of the hook shank, so the hook orients on the belly centerline.

Once the body is attached, the head is then tied down using the ear tabs cut into the foam blank in the beginning. Here I show it after completion, as its a pretty straightforward job by this point.
A bit of red nail polish at the tie in blends it all together.

The Finished Yusaku Crease Fly

A Shoal of Yusaku Crease Flies...
different techniques and materials shown 

TIPS
- A jot of super glue at the the body tie-in adds some strength.
- It's best to decorate the foam body BEFORE starting construction.
- Remember: hook weight ballasts the fly to float upright.

- Weight in the form of beads or shot can be added just behind the gills, inside the tail, to adjust flotation, or if using light wire hooks.

- Decorate with nail polish, paint, permanent marker; all these are excellent.
- Think of the fly as a series of modular components... body, tail, dressed hook, etc.

MATERIALS
I discussed the materials in part one, but here's a brief recap:

Foam - craft foam, the basic component. Any color you like, usually 2mm
Tail - Feathers, synthetic fiber, bucktail, flash, etc.  
Hook - heavy hooks are best, but if you are using light wire hooks, add wire wraps to help ballast the fly.
Super Glue - I recommend liquid, not gel. Its quick, tough, and easy to get. Any brand will do. 

RESOURCES
There are precious few sources on the internet about this fly; its obscure, for sure.

This is pretty much the only resource for the original, Version 1
http://flytyingnation.com/yusaku-crease-fly/

Version 2 is an adaptation that has an underslung, articulated hook

http://flytyingnation.com/yusake-crease-2-0/

Many thanks to Mr. Dron Lee, who made this pattern come to life.

I hope you learned something from this. If you enjoyed it, a like and share is appreciated.

If you are interested in a no drama, Facebook fishing page, visit us at: Palmetto Fly n Fish

Tight Lines,

David
Palmetto Fly n Fish

©2022 all rights reserved

 

THE BABY WHALE

One of a Kind Fly!

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

I walked across the yard, peering down at the grass.
Did it need to be mowed? I prayed it did not.... that is my least favorite home chore. 
Thankfully, it still had several days until it needed cutting, and I heaved a sigh of relief.

Glancing down at my feet, however, I spied an odd shape on the ground. It was different than the other fallen pecans, littering the ground around our trees.
It was darker in color and the shape was wrong; more rounded, more uniform.

I bent down and picked it up. In my hand I held three rounded, oblong forms, all attached to plastic branches - it was some kind of decorative piece for fake flower arrangements.
Like a large brown nut, sorta kinda.
I'm sure it fell off of some "home decor" item purchased by my wife at Hobby Lobby. 

On close examination, it was about the size of a small pecan. It had a brown plastic "skin" on the outside, with Styrofoam inside. 

"Hmmmm... Styrofoam?" I muttered.

CLICK -  the light came on... I could make it into some kind of fly!

I'm always looking out for things that can be turned into flies.
It could be anything, from packaging rescued from the trash bin, to some feathers stuck in a bush.
It doesn't  matter; if I get an inkling that it might make a fly, I take the challenge.
And I knew there have been other, round-ish flies over the years.
The old Accardo, "Round Dinny," comes to mind, for example.

So, it was certainly possible.

I sacrificed one of the fake nuts for dissection, to see what I was working with. From this surgery, I hit on how to transform this weird, fake plant-thing, into a weird, but cool, bass fly.

Tying The Baby Whale

- First, use a hacksaw to cut a slot in the bottom.
Not too deep...you don't want the lower curvature of the "body" to block the hook gap.

- Wrap a good layer of thread on the hook, then glue it into the slot with clear Gorilla Glue.
Actually, this glue isn't really clear. It may say that on the label, but it ends up white.
I've found that this stuff will really grip a hook, though.
Any fly body attached with this stuff will tear off before it turns on the hook or lets go. 

-  Clean off the excess glue
The glue itself expands into a foam, as it cures, and oozes out all over the place. Once hardened, trim it with scissors and a razor blade, then sand and use a little filler as needed. For filler, I used old-school Durhams Water Putty.

NOTE: Don't use solvent based glues and fillers with Styrofoam, as they will melt the foam. Super glue will normally melt the foam, too. So, it's either this kind of glue, or epoxy. 

 

- Decorate with nail polish
Because of the outer plastic skin on this thing, it was possible to use nail polish for decorating without their solvents melting the foam.

Several different colors of nail polish were applied as dots, and as dry brush coats.

- Add eyes using the "paint dot" method, then gloss coat with a clear waterproof art acrylic.

Finishing Off

With the body and hook complete, it is time to dress the fly.
This part is super simple - there are no rubber legs, no dangly appendages, none of that.
Over the seasons, I've come to appreciate that basic hair and fur are just as attractive to bass as more elaborate dressings, so I went that route. From that decision we move to…

Dressing The Back End

- Gold strands from Fly Tyers Dungeon 
I first laid down some sparkly flash in the tail, using, "Northern Lights, Gold/Hot White," from Fly Tyers Dungeon.
It is basically a crinkly Mylar tinsel with clear, hairlike fibers mixed in.

I used gold because Bob Clouser said I should use it on bass flies. That's good enough for me!

See link #1 at the end to find out WHO Bob Clouser is, should you not know, and WHY he said that.

See link #2 at the end to visit Fly Tyers Dungeon and see all the Northern Lights colors. 

- Bucktail and deer hair
Nothing unusual here - just random brown bucktail at the rear and stacked deer along the hook shank. Some furry dubbing was applied between the deer hair bunches to cover any gaps on the bottom... probably not needed, but it makes it tidy under there.

As it is, it may not cast worth a crap. Its like a ping-pong ball, with a poofy fur collar. 
So, we shall see later about the casting.

Conclusion
I didn't know what to call it...every fly needs a name, of course 
It's big, but also small, it's round, and it looks like, well, a little whale,... more or less.

"Bingo!" I said aloud. Our cat, sitting nearby, looked at me and licked his paws. He could care less, in that way only cats can care less.
I went on, despite his obvious dismissal...
"That's it - that's the name! The Baby Whale it shall be."


What were the nut-like, fake flower things found in my yard?
I still don't really know for sure.

Will this fly catch anything?
Probably, but I don't really know that yet, either.

But one thing I do know is, you'll probably never see any other flies like these two Baby Whales!

The Baby Whale

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

I hope you liked this article, and learned something from it. 

I go for a job well done..., since I have no idea how to make money at it. 😁
If you think I did a good job, a like, comment, and share is appreciated. 

Thanks for reading, and "Tight Lines!"

David Hutton 

Questions? Contact me here ... dahutist@gmail.com

If you would like to join a no drama, no hype Facebook group, follow this link: Palmetto Fly N Fish

All rights reserved, David  Hutton© 2023 

LINKS

1. Bob Clouser On Bass

2. https://www.flytyersdungeon.com