Brooks Fly Fishing  Club

Patterns

Black Mink                                                                              Great Pumpkin pike fly
FTO nymph                                                                           Minnow Pike fly

Black Mink  Hook          Tiemco 2457 in size 10, 12 or 14  Thread         Dark brown  Head           Brass bead  Rib              Gutterman's W331 metalic gold  Abdomen   Dark brown or black dyed mink, thin near bend, tapered      thick toward  head. Leave stiff guard hairs in while dubbing.  Notes: A great fall, winter and spring (coldwater) trout nymph for streams and rivers. Also works well in lakes for trout. Although the pattern calls for dyed dark brown mink fur, the key is to have lots of the black guard hairs in the dubbing. Pick out the black guard hairs.  This is an impressionistic fly best fished at the bottom. Try tying a 10-inch section of tippet at the bend and dropping a small midge pupa at the end. The only downside of this fly is that mountain whitefish also love it--but trout like it too. (A side note about the ribbing material: Gutermann's W331 metalic gold sewing thread is a wonderful ribbing. It's sparkly and strong. Available in sewing shops at about one buck for 50 metres.)

FTO (For Today Only )  Hook         Tiemco 200R in size 8,10, 12 or 14  Thread         Black 6/0 or 8/0 Tail               Olive marabou equal to body length ( torn to give rough end ) Shell back     Olive diamond braid Abdomen      4 strands peacock herl wound around thread                       ( 2/3 body length ) braid pulled over and tied down Hackle          Brown hackle wet fly quality palmered over thorax Thorax          peacock herl continued from thorax Notes: The pattern's name is part of an on going joke between my daughter and myself regarding the necessity of letting dad go fishing now as the fish are carrying signs fish today only.  It was created to combine a number of feature of materials and fly designs.  I liked the idea of woolly buggers so the marabou tail, peacock herl has always appealed to me and the fish alike.  The diamond braid half back portion adds flash as well as combining the idea of a half-back nymph.  No scientific proof but I believe it suggest a lot of different insect from scuds, damsel fly nymphs to leeches. Over the past three years it has turned out to be great trout nymph for pothole lakes.  Has successfully been fished on slow sinking lines for trout, perch, spotted black tail shiners and even the occasional sucker. Size and motion seem to be critical, slow strip and pause very effective and have found smaller size best in spring with larger sizes in fall.

 Here are some local Pike flies or flies for very Large Trout if you are a true optimist

The Great Pumpkin ( local pike fly pattern)  Hook - Mustad 34007 size 1/0  Thread - Orange size A  Weed gaurd - 20 lb hard mono  Wing - Orange fish hair with gold flashabou over wing  Collar - (body ) Saap Body Fur - Fl. Orange  Head - Brass 1/8" barbell Dazl eyes  No kidding it drives the art critic type pike crazy

Minnow Fly Hook - 34007 Mustad 1/0  Thread - Kevlar white  Weed gaurd - optional 20 lb mono  Wing - four stage      - white fishhair lower      - pearl or silver flashabou middle      - grey or black fishhair on top of hook       - olive fishhair top wing  Eye - 1/4" 3-D molded eye silver - held in place with epoxy for head coat  It works but is a lot of work to make, also seems to work without eyes or even cyclops after pike chew one eye off.