Articulated Sculpin

I tied a few of these up last spring to see how the Trout in Pine Creek would like them, and they gave their approval after only a few casts.  The Brown Trout seemed to prefer them more than the rainbows, but the rainbows that liked them were bigger than the cookie cutter bows.

I fished this sculpin pattern every way I could just to see how it would fish and if it would foul at all, and I didn't have any problems.  I might change the hook in the rear to something with a larger gap, but it seems to be working just fine.

The materials are fairly easy to acquire and the tying steps aren't too crazy as well.  It's just a little time consuming at first until you get into a groove.

Tightlines!!
   Frank

Deer Hair Caddis

    In this video I am tying and Elk Hair Caddis but I am using Deer Hair instead, so the fly is called a Deer Hair Caddis.  I am also tying this fly with an egg sac in the rear so it looks like an egg laying caddis.  Not always necessary to tie this fly with the egg sac, but when the trout are keyed in on them it's amazing how the same size and color fly won't get as much as attention as the one with the egg sac.

  This is great dry fly pattern that can be tied in quite a few sizes as well as colors to match the naturals on your favorite streams.  Bluegills like this pattern as well.  You can fish it dead drift like a typical dry fly and you can also skitter it across the surface.

Soft Hackle Caddis Emerger

    This is another great caddis pattern that represents the emerger stage in the caddis life cycle.  I typically fish this with a cast slightly downstream and across the stream and let the fly swing to shore....AKA "The Wet Fly Swing."  The trout typically make a violent take on them so there is no mistake if you had a hit or not.

    I also fish this fly as a nymph by adding a little splitshot to get it to the bottom.  Adding just enough weight so the fly rides in the middle of the water column is also a good little trick.  The weight helps get the fly down in the water column and as the fly starts to swing it will rise in the water column, making the fly look like it is swimming towards the surface getting ready to emerge........BAMMMM!! Fish on!!

    Fishing this fly as a dry fly in surface film is another good presentation.  Add some fly floatant to the length of your tippet but do not put any on the fly.  Fish dead drift just like a dry fly and be ready for the rise.  They can be quite splashy at times.  If the fly starts to sink I prefer to use an Amadou patch to remove water from the fly.

    Soft Hackle patterns are great flies to fish and can be tied in a wide variety of sizes and colors depending on the natural you are trying to represent or the quarry you are targeting.  Everything from Blue Gills to Steelehead will take a bite at this style of fly pattern.

Caddis Larvae Step by Step

    Here is a very simple Caddis Larvae Pattern that is great for Trout wherever caddis live.  You can tie about a dozen or more in an hour and they look good in other colors such as Black, Brown, Tan, and various shades of green.

    This is also a great pattern for Steelhead if you fish any tributaries that flow into the Great Lakes.  I would definitely use a 2x strong hook for steelhead so the hook won't bend open on the the trophy of a lifetime.  Don't be shy about trying HOT colors instead of natural colors when it comes to Steelhead.  Sometimes that is all it takes to get their attention.

New Year........New Blog!!

** Happy New Year 2017 **

    It's a new year and I decided to start a blog for "Swarner and Son Flies," so I can share various patterns for Fresh and Saltwater.  All of my flies are available for purchase and if you don't see a particular fly or pattern, feel free to contact me with any questions.  Also, if you have any fly tying questions, I will be more than happy to help.  

    If there is a fly tying technique or a fly pattern you would like me to do an instructional video for, feel free to ask and I will get it done for you.

    My other blog, Great Lake Spey and Dee Flies, will still be available and I will continue updating that blog as well.  It will be more of a seasonal blog when Salmon and Steelhead Season rolls around on the west coast as well as the east coast.

Tightlines!!

   Frank Swarner III