The Flex-Tail Minnows.

Flex-Tail Minnows. ( Wet ).

   This is one of my recent fly creation and is call the Flex-Tail Minnows. I notice a lot of bait fish patterns out there doesn't have any tails and a minnow isn't a minnow without a tail, it just doesn't seem to look right to me. So I came up with an idea to make a simple fish tail with goose biots & some flash materials. I'm pretty happy with the result of this new bait fish patterns and I can't wait until the season open to try it out. I've posted the tying steps below for all you bait fish patterns lover out there.!

Tying Step #1.

 Step #1. Get 2 goose biot fibres and hold them with your index finger & thumb. Have the biot in a x position, 1 biot should be a bit longer than the other and make a few thread wraps with the bobbin and whip finish.

Tying Steps #2

 Step #2. Wrap the flash material between the biot and make a few tight thread wraps & whip finish. Cut off any extra flash material on the tag end.
( Flash material can be sub with stretch floss )

Step #1 and #2

 It should look like this and the flex tail is ready to be tie on to a hook. Cote a layer of head cement to the tie off area just for the sake of durability.

Tying Step #3

 Step #3. Tie tail to hook. Length of the tail is determine by the type of hackle you use. But can be sub with dye mallard, Hen, Schlappen or marabou etc.

Tying Steps #4.

 Steps #4. Tie in a small bunch of fox tail fibres. Extra flash can be added. Once again materials can be sub with others.

Tying Steps #5.

Tying steps #5. Tie in the back end of a large schlappen feathers and start to palmer feather up the hook shank & whip finish. Make sure the feather fibres doesn't extend past the tail. More than 1 feather can be used, as long as the hook shank is cover. Remember to leave some room near the hook eye for adding fish eyes later on.

Tying Steps #6

   Tying steps #6. Stick on 2 holographic fish eyes and cover top & bottom with some UV resin, cote eyes with a layer of head cement. The Flex Tail Minnows is complete.!

Flex-Tail Minnows. ( Wet ).

When this bait fish patterns get wet, the flash really shine through.

Flex-Tail Grey.

Flex-Tail White.

Fly Patterns For 2013.

Brown Mayfly Nymph 1.

Brown Mayfly Nymph 2.

  This is one of the new mayfly nymph pattern that I tied for the up coming trout season in 2013 and is called " The River Hobo ". I hope the name doesn't offend anybody. It's a regular nymph pattern that has been modified to represent a mayfly larvae in the process of  emerging. That's the reason for the extra bulk on top of the thorax, Its suppose to represent the gas cuticle in a mayfly larvae that increases its buoyancy in the water & float to the surface film. But some fly tiers may think it's not necessary to add these extras parts to a fly pattern, because some of the regular old patterns still catches fish, example like the hares ear, prince nymph, pheasant tail etc. Don't get me wrong, they're are all great patterns. But as a fly tier I always want to try out new flies, even if the famous patterns still works. Because we never know when those trout decides to be picky and selective about their foods, it's good to know that you have a few odd patterns in your fly box that they've never seen before and it might even turn a otherwise slow fishing day on the river into a fishing day to remember. I'll list the tying steps below for anyone who's interested in trying it out.!


The River Hobo Nymph.

Step 1- The hook I used is a long curved "Mustad C53S". Start thread behind hook eye.(black or brown thread). Tie in 2 micro-fibbets for antennae and tie in a burnt mono eyes 2 or 3 mm behind hook eye. Bring tying thread back to hook point.

Step 2- Tie in 3 micro-fibbets for tails & use figure 8 wraps to spread them and tie in the ribbing material just  a little in front of the tail tie off point.

Step 3- Start to dub a taper body with some rabbit dubbing to about 3 quarter of the hook shank. Start ribbing the body and tie off ribbing where body dubbing ends.

Step 4- Used some dubbing to cover the ribbing tie off area and tie in 2 goose biot for wings (concave side facing up). Tie in scud back material above the biot tie in point and cover tie off area with a darker colour rabbit dubbing.

Step 5- Tie in soft hackle fibres for legs on each side & cover tie off area with rabbit dubbing. Repeat 2 more times, using shorter hackle fibres than the one before.

Step 6- Lightly dub tying thread & figure 8 wraps around the eyes and pull the scud-back over the thorax area and right behind hook eye and tie off.

Step 7- Add UV resin on top of scud-back and cote with a layer of head cement.

Step 8- Is optional. Colouring the Thorax UV resin, Tails & Antennae with permanent markers.

" I really hope this nymph pattern will catch you the big one "  Thanks.!