Sea Trout Efforts

[WelshOsprey]

First efforts at sea trout flies. All comments gratefully received.







This next one I know the head is rather large. Just seemed to build up as more and more materials and wraps of thread were added to secure the materials. Also had problems on some of these securing the squirrel tail in and hence on this one added some superglue which also contributed to the head size I think. Didn't dare add Jungle Cock too. Any advice on keeping the head size small when adding quite a few different materials, colours etc.

[flytyingguy]

Nice flies, a bit of varnish and I'd fish 'em any day

[stuartpengs]

Nice ties Welsh Osprey, but I would say Jungle Cock is a must. Always difficult to keep heads small with hair wings, a very sharp pair of scissors and try to reduce down the excess once the wing is in place.

[WelshOsprey]

Originally Posted by flytyingguy

Nice flies, a bit of varnish and I'd fish 'em any day

Have given them at least two coats. How many more should they have?

Originally Posted by stuartpengs

Nice ties Welsh Osprey, but I would say Jungle Cock is a must. Always difficult to keep heads small with hair wings, a very sharp pair of scissors and try to reduce down the excess once the wing is in place.

Why do you think Jungle Cock seems to be so important to sea trout? Have to admit my scissors are pants. Must make a new pair my priority.

[GuyFromLaw]

Very nice fleas. The fish won't mind about the heads.

But if you do mind, just leave more room tying in the materials, start another mm or two back along the hook.

Squirrel hair is not hollow like other hairwing fibres so it's not as easy to get a bite down on it and this often leads to excess thread wraps to try and secure it so it doesn't pull away from the finished fly. I lock down my squirrel into position, trim waste, get the position of wing correct in thumb and forefinger then dab a little glue on and lock in with the thread. As previously advised make sure you have a very sharp pair of fine point scissors to get in and trim the squirrel, and trim it at an angle so it slopes back away from the eye of the hook. Hope this helps. I have about a dozen pairs of scissors and I (when I remember which is which) only cut certain materials with the same scissors, that way my fine point trimming scissors are always sharp. Hope this helps.

[stuartpengs]

Originally Posted by WelshOsprey

Why do you think Jungle Cock seems to be so important to sea trout?

For me it's a confidence thing WO. I wouldn't dream of using a fly without JC for sea trout, I would be defeated in my mind before I even entered the water.

[WelshOsprey]

Originally Posted by GuyFromLaw

Very nice fleas. The fish won't mind about the heads.

But if you do mind, just leave more room tying in the materials, start another mm or two back along the hook.

Squirrel hair is not hollow like other hairwing fibres so it's not as easy to get a bite down on it and this often leads to excess thread wraps to try and secure it so it doesn't pull away from the finished fly. I lock down my squirrel into position, trim waste, get the position of wing correct in thumb and forefinger then dab a little glue on and lock in with the thread. As previously advised make sure you have a very sharp pair of fine point scissors to get in and trim the squirrel, and trim it at an angle so it slopes back away from the eye of the hook. Hope this helps. I have about a dozen pairs of scissors and I (when I remember which is which) only cut certain materials with the same scissors, that way my fine point trimming scissors are always sharp. Hope this helps.

Thanks, makes a lot of sense.

Originally Posted by stuartpengs

For me it's a confidence thing WO. I wouldn't dream of using a fly without JC for sea trout, I would be defeated in my mind before I even entered the water.

The doubts have just suddenly struck with me now and I haven't fished any of them yet. Best tie up some more and make sure they all have jungle cock in them. Thanks though for the advice.

[cammy]

No need for JC, I don't think any of my sea trout flies have JC on and I have had plenty of sea trout over the years.

Flies and the way they are tied is very much a subjective thing, as others have said a wee bit of practice with heads will make them look better to us, will the fish bother, doubt it.

For me I would have the bodies a wee smidge shorter too, but good first efforts for sure, they will catch fish as they are, get out and get them wet.

[weight_forward]

Originally Posted by GuyFromLaw

Squirrel hair is not hollow like other hairwing fibres so it's not as easy to get a bite down on it and this often leads to excess thread wraps to try and secure it so it doesn't pull away from the finished fly. I lock down my squirrel into position, trim waste, get the position of wing correct in thumb and forefinger then dab a little glue on and lock in with the thread.

Pretty much how I do it. The only things I would add is make you thread turns up the 'slope' of the material that way each turn butts up against the previous one and stops it sliding down and also pull hard on the thread.

Every now and again I put a hook in the vice, take a few turns to secure the thread then pull until it breaks - it surprises me every time how hard I can pull without breaking.

[arkle]

I may have missed it, but I didn't notice what thread you were using. To get really small heads, not only practice & lots of it is needed, but also thread choice makes a very real difference.

If the normal thread you use is say Uni 6/0, then change to 8/0. Better still, use either Moser;s "Power Silk" which can be had in colours, or the white dymeema thread that Riny Suiter does. Deer Creek - Home page do it, as do several other stockists. After you've completed the head, daub it with a black perm marker, let it dry & then super-glue it before putting a coat of good clear varnish on.

Both of the above are VERY smooth & slippery, so you might find a dot of super-glue on the shank before you start winding will help. Riny's thread, is even finer than Power silk.