Fly Candy

A pink and grey replot stinger mack (II). Total length 10" inches - 25cm. Definitely not for the in experienced caster and should be attached to nothing less than a 10wt line. Its going to be interesting to see how these articulated replot stingers fair this comming season here on the island. Big flies doesn't generally mean bigger fish here on the island.The last 4 yrs stats have shown that but am sure these will be perfect for post spawn pike and certainly for late autumn.

What I am going to do is tie up a much smaller version of these doubles using rabbit zonker strips instead of raccoon and shorter sub saddles. Maybe tie them around 100mm - 120mm long for pre spawn and summer usage.

The dry fly bird fly by Rowland Frazier

I recieved this gorgeous fly in the post yesterday from my very good friend Rowland Frazier. During a very enjoyable skype session a few weeks back the talk of a new fly he had designed and tied to immitate a struggling bird on the surface of the water was discussed.

Its a wonderful creation which I'm in two minds whether to fish with it or frame it. knowing me though I'm bound to give it a go as I'm intrigued how it performs on the surface. The front feathers tied in a fan formation are surprisingly stiff and will definitely push a hell of a lot of water with each strip of the line. They've been butted up against some deer hair for extra rigidity.

The stiff tail feathers have been tied on splayed outwards also for extra movement of water as its retieved back. Total length - 100mm and is so light you dont even feel it in your hand. Thanks for this Rowland, Your constant thinking outside the box with regards to pike flies is why I hold you in such high regard as one of the most innovative pike fly tiers around my friend.

I'll start your flies soon for your Canada trip Rowland,greetings from Finland.

The Hollow Deciever

Just a great fly that can be tied in a number of variations, colours and sizes to suite most fresh n saltwater species.

Text book error!

Top tip.....Never comb out your fly while it is wet! You should never run a fine comb or brush through your wet hair and the same principle applies to the synthetics on your fly. Instead take your used flies home.Run under the tap to get any muck that has matted itself in between the materials away. Then squeeze excess water out and lay on to an old tea towl to dry. Once dry start from the back of the flys tail slowly working your way back down towards the hooks eye. Combing through a wet and matted fly will purely rip chunks off from the hook.

Bob Popovic's Hollow fleye

Bob Popovic's hollow fleye patterns aren't something I tie very often unless I'm heading back to South Africa for a spot of saltwater fishing. Saying that there are a lot of pike fly anglers that do.Here are 2 great SBS's for you to follow.

Fly Candy - Musky madness

I'm not sure how much more I can take of this winter. I'm actually getting quite sick of just showing you flies I'm tying. Dont get me wrong, I love sitting in front of my vise creating flies for myself and for others........but I miss the feel of cork in my hand, the feel of line between my fingers, the sight of my line as it lands on the surface of the water,but above all I miss the feel of a fish struggling to free itself from that fly line. Sure flies are an intregal part of the process but being outside, chucking large wads of fluff is what keeps my soul on an even keel and its just at about breaking point......I know what your thinking,snap out of it Si! but 5 months through a long cold dark winter is a real test for anyone who loves to fly fish as much as I do.So you'll just have to bare with me for a few more weeks and put up with a barrage of flies until then.

Fly Candy - Musky madness

This one is around 10" inches long and tied with yellow and orange schlappen,hot orange grizzly microbarb saddled, fluoro yellow fine flash hair & fluoro peach tinsel flash hair and long clumps of the same coloured bucktail.

Fly Candy - Musky madness

Another custom musky fly tied around 13" inches long.........nuff said!

Curious Mike

Richard Vervoorn sent me this of some odd snotrocket behaviour a few weeks back.... Personaly I'be standing there shouting "Just take the F****** fly will yeh!

Fly Candy - Musky madness

Five months is just to long for any fly fisherman to wait before he can cast his fly into open water. Frustration has set in and I'm starting to froth at the mouth. Even reading others blogs that are out wetting a line has now become too unbearable. The only concolation is that I'm able to sit behind my vise for most of the day working on custom flies for people. This latest batch of flies I've been commissioned to tie are for a chap looking to target large 20lb - 40lb river run browns in Arkansas as well as Muskies in October. the only criteria was they needed to be tied in either Oranges,browns,tans, yellows and olive colours. This one is another articulated fly around 11" inches long.

Its a beast but I can honestly say its as light as any fly I have in my box. Its a mix of Orange & brown schlappen, cream microbarb saddles, tan & orange bucktail,bronze flashaboy and a couple of hot orange microbarb saddles ties along each of its flanks, The head is another of these tighly packed spun deer heads with a collar of moose hair.

Fly Candy - Musky madness

Tied this one up at the Stockholm fair last week. Another articulated Musky fly around 13" inches long. The tandem tail is a mix of white schlappen, black & grizzly hot orange microbarb saddles and a couple of sprigs of white bucktail.

The main body is much the same except I used white chinese cock saddles splayed outwards. The black microbarb saddles are double the length of the ones I used on the tail and I dubbing brush looped black raccoon fur at the front instead of a spun deer head.

Fly Candy

I tied up one of these Tigerbombs last year and was amazed how well the arctic fox head made this fly track and dart through the water. I used a number of black schlappen and chinese cock saddles with several hot orange microbarb saddles for maximum movement then added a couple of sprigs of bucktail tied on facing backwards so as to cover the hook area. With the head though I added a rather thick clump of arctic fox ontop of the hook shaft facing forwards then folded back over itself and tied off. This gave the fly a wicked side to side movement similar to that of many jerk lures and I could fish it with short sharp strips.

This has been completely tied with party wig hair. To alleviate the tail wrapping itself around the hook I have since Bugbonded a section of tail around an inch and a half from the bend of the hook which has given the fly some solid rigidity.

This is what I would call a hybrid wolf bunny tube. I used Arctic fox zonker instead of raccoon this time for the tail and palmered white marabou hairline between each racoon dubbing brush loop of grey and black raccoon. A heavy fly when completely wet but has maximum movement under the water.

Fly swaps!

Tied this Black widow angel up for Pat the other week which he liked. Started with four black schlappen and Chinese cock hackles tied onto the back of the hook. Then dubbin loop brushed some black raccoon fur.

Then ran a ring of clumps of black ostrich herl around the whole fly then added another dubbing loop brush of raccoon then more ostrich herl. Tied on a sprig of red arctic fox fur for gills then added an olive raccoon head.

Pike on the fly in Norway

Piketeaser Roy & Robban from Robert Sørvik on Vimeo.

Fly Candy

Another Replot Stinger mack (II) this time in chartreuse and black. The trailing hook (tail) I started by adding chratreuse & black chinese neck hackles splayed outwards. Then added 3 chartreuse barbed and 3 black microbarb saddles. Then dubbing loop brushed some chart then black raccoon zonker fur on.

I followed the same process on the main hook except added much longer black microbarb saddles so as to give more length and body to the over all fly. Total length 12" inches - 30cm. I have a 9" 8wt rod but with these kind of flies I use a 10wt line and can chuck these all day.

Fly Candy

I call these the Replot rodent and I've tied these specifically to be fished at one place on this island for the spring time. There is an area just north of where I live that probably has the best wading spawning grounds I've ever had the privelage to fish along, and is one of the few places that I have seen plenty of water vole activity due to the submerged reed beds and root system there.

This one has a natural fox zonker strip for a tail and a decent thick collar of natural deer hair with several strands of bronze FFF Krinkle flash tied on. The head is a combination of tan and grey spun deer hair trimmed loosely to retain some water but to also push a lot of water through those first couple of strips on the surface. I've bugbonded the front 8mm of deer hair around th hook eye to give a bit of rigidity to it as well.

This one is much the same design but has a black rabbit zonker tail instead. Both are around 150mm in length. The collar on both have been spun forward so the fur curves forward.I then pull the fur back and tie over that which allows it to be spread outwards which will give the flies fur extra movement.

A mate of mine had a couple of these off me last year and has had great success catching some nice Browns with this same fly.Infact they were so effective I've tied several more in varying length for him to take to New Zealand this year.

Swedish rabbit pelts!

Managed to get my mits on this zebra print rabbit pelt at the Swedish fly fair over the weekend.Perfect for making barred black/white zonker strips. They also came in Tiger & Leopard prints as well which, were insane to look at.

Fly Candy - Musky madness

Arrived back from Stockholm yesterday tired, worn out and sporting a nasty stomach bug but more on the show later in the week. This is another Replot stinger mack (II) tied in turquoise and white this time, and was snapped up at the show rather quickly.

White and turqoise sclappen were tied on splayed outwards along both the trailing hook and main body hook. Then some cheap ass dark blue Xmas tinsel was added followed by some white then turqoise raccoon fur dubbing loop brushed around the hook shaft to the front near the hook eye.

Total length 26cm - 10" inches and super light. Rather small in comparison to some of the beasts I tied at the show around 34cm - 14" inches which unfortunately I didn't manage to take images of except for one as they got snapped up as soon as they fell off the vise.

What has struck me over the last 4 weeks is that so many pike and musky fly fisherman from around the globe have this pre concieved idea that the bigger the fly they use,the bigger the fish it will attract. Yet so many big fish are caught on extremely small flies.Only this weekend I heard a great story from Johan Klingberg on Saturday evening where he was fishing one of his favourite small streams for trout and caught a 126cm pike with a nymph with a 5wt rod.....Go figure!

Fly Candy - Replot stinger mack (II)

The natural thing fly tyers like to do is improve on exsisting designs, so I've taken my replot stinger to the next level by adding a tandem trailing rigged tail which has extended the body a further 5" inches. I generally tie the shorter version in either chartreuse,pink or Olive but I went with a red/white combo this time.

I used arctic fox this time instead of raccoon, as well as white,brown and hot orange grizzy microbarb saddles to give extra movement and volume. Total length of the fly is 12" inches long.

I'm off to the Stockholm fly fair this weekend so for all you Swedes that are thinking of going, stop by the tying street and Say hello.

Deer hair bairfish

Found this the other day and thought it was a top little baitfish pattern

Pat Cohen"The deerhair guru"

So Pats flies arrived yesterday and all I can say is they are the dogs fucking bollocks! They're even better in the flesh and I am so stoked to have a set. Pure works of art that are going to get mullard this coming season. I can honestly say they are the best divers I have ever seen and the craftsmanship that has gone into them is second to none. Each head has been given a coating of UV resin for extra strength and a double weed guard. For any fly fisherman that likes to fish with surface lures for pike 'n Bass then I highly recommend you get hold of Pat and order a set for your fly box. You can email him here ( pcohen4@nycap.rr.com ) or visit his very popular blog "Warm water journal"












Pat.....Thanks for these brotha! they are nuts and I bow down in awe at your tying skills.