| Bob Jurmain, M.F.A., M.Arch., CalabogieFlyfisher bobjurmain37@gmail.com |
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 This is reprinted from May 2014
This is the traditional Coney Leech with copper wire holding a strip of rabbit fur in place. The separations allow the fibers to wiggle independently
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 've altered the tying of the Coney Leech. I used to make solid wire on the body under the rabbit strip. Now, I am using thin wire and segmenting it for faster tying. I am also tying down only in the middle. This allows for two humps which is more natural looking and gives more rabbit fur for the great action this fly has.
I am also scenting my hands with trout attractant (with added anise for smell and cod liver oil for better adhesion). It will mask any odours on my fingers which might be a turn off for the fish. I'll tie this along with my traditional Coney and see if it makes any difference. This has been reprinted from January 2016    This fly was my go-to nymphing fly last year especially at my favorite little brook trout lake. My supply was completely demolished by the end of the year. I just finished tying a dozen of these and every one looked different. It is not an easy tie. There are various ways to get the legs.
This is an Ian Colin James pattern. He lists it as a steelhead fly and as one of his favorites in many situations for all manner of trout and bass. His are larger versions. He did have the instructions on his website but I see they are taken down. It took me awhile to figure out (remember) how to tie it! I'm sure those legs move around quite a bit in the water and might trigger a backswimmer response. You can't see it on the photos but I put a small butt tag of pearl mylar. Since Brian Chan passed around his fly box with flies at least two sizes smaller than mine, I've been on a quest to make my flies smaller. I think that when fish are released, they learn a little about how they were fooled. And so it is important to get a closer representation if you are in that situation. That is not as much a concern around Ontario/Quebec as there are few C&R waters (and consequently a much poorer trout fishery.....so much so I will do more local warm water fishing next year). The tieing trick are the legs. You can use one pheasant church window or two. I prefer one. Pinch the tip, smooth rest of the fibers back and tie it backwards onto the shank with the stem towards the rear. Dub, then bring the feather forward. Spread the fibers so you can tie down and bring the shell back over. Repeat. You could make a larger thorax at the front or at the middle. I don't think the fish care. I use yellow or grey rabbit fur at the rear and Black and Red Dazzle Dubbing for the thorax(s). Ian says that all flies should have at least two distinct colours on them. I think he is right. This post is reprinted from 2013 This fly was my go-to nymphing fly last year especially at my favorite little brook trout lake. My supply was completely demolished by the end of the year. I just finished tying a dozen of these and every one looked different. It is not an easy tie. There are various ways to get the legs.
This is an Ian Colin James pattern. He lists it as a steelhead fly and as one of his favorites in many situations for all manner of trout and bass. His are larger versions. He did have the instructions on his website but I see they are taken down. It took me awhile to figure out (remember) how to tie it! I'm sure those legs move around quite a bit in the water and might trigger a backswimmer response. You can't see it on the photos but I put a small butt tag of pearl mylar. Since Brian Chan passed around his fly box with flies at least two sizes smaller than mine, I've been on a quest to make my flies smaller. I think that when fish are released, they learn a little about how they were fooled. And so it is important to get a closer representation if you are in that situation. That is not as much a concern around Ontario/Quebec as there are few C&R waters (and consequently a much poorer trout fishery.....so much so I will do more local warm water fishing next year). The tieing trick are the legs. You can use one pheasant church window or two. I prefer one. Pinch the tip, smooth rest of the fibers back and tie it backwards onto the shank with the stem towards the rear. Dub, then bring the feather forward. Spread the fibers so you can tie down and bring the shell back over. Repeat. You could make a larger thorax at the front or at the middle. I don't think the fish care. I use yellow or grey rabbit fur at the rear and Black and Red Dazzle Dubbing for the thorax(s). Ian says that all flies should have at least two distinct colours on them. I think he is right. This reprinted from 2013  've altered the tying of the Coney Leech. I used to make solid wire on the body under the rabbit strip. Now, I am using thin wire and segmenting it for faster tying. I am also tying down only in the middle. This allows for two humps which is more natural looking and gives more rabbit fur for the great action this fly has.
I am also scenting my hands with trout attractant (with added anise for smell and cod liver oil for better adhesion). It will mask any odours on my fingers which might be a turn off for the fish. I'll tie this along with my traditional Coney and see if it makes any difference. This is reprinted from January 2016 (see for comments)  Leeches are an all year food for trout and bass. This tie is a variation on the Coney Leech in that the zonker strip is tied only at the back and front. This allows for a curve of the strip which is a more natural shape of a leech. In doing so, you need to have a body which in this case is brown chenille held in place by thin wire also palmered. I caught many trout with this fly last year.
It is a good searching fly and also can be retrieved fast. Here in Ontario, you have to look for trout so it can be trolled with some speed. Once you find fish then cast and retrieve as a natural leech would swim. The mink used is from mink coat scraps sliced 1/8" wide. Use any size streamer hook. This post is from January 2016 It is September and therefore trout season even though I've been out before. Haven't posted for awhile. Covid has been a downer.
Anyway, back to my favorite brookie pond for the 2nd time and it didn't disappoint. I suspect few have been fishing and harvesting. Lots of signal. They are on the move only not biting as much as a week ago. Small flies are the answer when they are tentative. Orange HK was the best but all caught.  Have been fishing for more than two weeks already. Usually don't get started until 1st week in May. MNRF has given us a lake stocked with 2nd year rainbows and we are catching them on the surface as they go after midges hatching. The great thing is that the lake has survived ice fishing. We are getting them on wet flies as well. Orange works but also leeches, etc.
I have been negligent in keeping up my fishing blog. October 10th was my last outing at out rainbow lake stocked with 2nd year fish, a very successful experiment by MNRF. Bass were killing off 1st year brookies or at least starving them. 2nd year rainbows are much more aggressive.
Right after that outing, I fell victim to Lyme's Disease from a tick bite. In just three weeks I was in a wheel chair unable even to easily get out of it. I was sent for an MRI and when that failed to reveal anything, they assumed Lyme's and started treatment. I was lucky compared to others before me in getting a diagnosis even before proof. I recovered almost as quickly as I went down. I am relating this to help YOU to be very careful. During tick season you must examine yourself daily and family members. 50% of ticks carry the parasite and they are everywhere. Current thinking is that  This variation is using long plastic chenille. Note the red wool butt as you can't place the chenille any further than half way without crowding the maribou tail. Interestingly, I caught a large rainbow with this fly. There are sunfish in the lake and maybe this triggered the response.
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