opinions please - scuplin pattern

WT · Senior Member

opinions please - scuplin pattern

AbelBoy · Senior Member

I would put a .024" monofilament loop that extends 1/3 of the tail length, so it keeps the tail from fouling on the hook shank if you want to use such a long tail. The loop is tied between the hook shank and the tail.

That's a nice looking fly. You should get fish to chase it.

AbelBoy

cole · Senior Member

Looks good. Rabbit strips are awesome. I saw awhile back one Dave Whitlock ties entirely out of different colored glo bug yarn. You can cut and shape it to your liking. Rag sculpins are fun to tie but Metz EZ bug is a little pricey.....That looks like a good one to use a trailing hook on also.� Most of the time they go for the head but for those times you get one just to nip the tail could come in handy.

-- Edited by cole at 18:13, 2008-08-15

dtp916 · Senior Member

I would use some of the new barred rabbit strips on the top, say, olive barred black or natural barred black.

Add some feathers on the sides for little pectoral fins. Grizzly marabou would look cool and it would flatten down on the side when you strip it.

Lead eyes to make it ride upside down so the hook won't snag - they rarely get off the bottom.

Remember sculpins are dark on top and light on the bottom.

For round one of the fly concept, I think it looks great! My flies usually go through 10 or 12 concept ideas. Some get lucky and it only takes a few tries, but I am picky with my own patterns.

SK60 · Senior Member

Sculpins are big up front, but skinny towards the tail. They are also flat ventrally so they can get close to the substrate. If you tie for PC, there are two species, one tan and the other mostly black.

Have any of you tied a black fly larva? According to biologist Ken Davis they are currently the major food source for smaller fish in PC. To me that means they are food for any size fish. Pick up any cobble in a #5 riffle and they are thick on top of the rocks-thin 1/4-3/8"� black threads attached to the rock by their tail end. Should be an easy pattern to design.

brian clemens · Senior Member

already been looking at it. very very easy fly to tie.

here is a link

http://www.westfly.com/fly-pattern-recipe/wet/miniblackflylarva.shtml

WT · Senior Member

Cool thanks for the info!

SK60 · Senior Member

The pattern at westfly looks ok, but the living larva is pretty much the same diameter from stem to stern-you want a thin profile. Also, add a litlle bit of cream/tan dubbing to the black-the larva is mottled. Finally, both ends black; the silver rib is a good idea, although segmentation is not striking. Slightly teasing the dubbing out at the rear will mimic the short prolegs.

Packrat · Senior Member

I actually found a sculpin on the Truckee this weekend. I was surprised at how flat they are, especially the head. Both eyes almost sit on top of the head. It was pretty much one color on the back and was very dark brown with a lighter under belly. I would go with a dark brown grizzly rabbit strip if you could find it and spin some dark deer hair for the head and trim it flat. The eyes were really small so I wouldn't do barbell eyes.

shon42073 · Senior Member

I also saw a few on the truckee, They were mostly dark green with some black blotches. Every sculpin I have seen in trout waters crawl on the bottom so maybe the presentation is more important then the exact pattern. I don't tie but thats just something I have noticed.

JT · Senior Member

Sculpins do not have a swim bladder, so they sink to the�bottom.� Swinging a sculpin pattern in�the mid-depths probably isn't the best idea.

SK60 · Senior Member

They also hide under rocks and other bottom substrate. They dart out from cover to nail their prey. Ken Davis has used anchored beer cans to collect them-they like the protection of the can + the small opening keeps out the predators. I fish the black slumpbuster and brown muddler (both with coneheads) right on the bottom in Putah in the riffles and runs. Takes a lot of weight and I lose one occasionally, but I have caught a few nice fish that way, especially during lower flows when the algal growth is at a minimum.

-- Edited by SK60 at 15:25, 2008-09-11

cole · Senior Member

I was reading about the aluminum can thing too.� Apparently the males invite their lady friends from some nookie and will have multiple partners.� I can just see it " hey baby wanna come back to my coke can with me" biggrin