Sunday 17 April 2011

Pike flies


After all those trout flies, it felt really good to tie something ‘big’ again. I can’t help it, but when it comes to fly tying, pike flies still give me the most pleasure and satisfaction.

 


















If you visit my blog regularly, then you’ve seen a lot of these flies already. In the past, I’ve received a lot of questions concerning the head of this fly. And there are two reasons why most people don’t want to start tying flies like this. One, I mostly use polypropylene fibre, which for most people is a little hard to get, or you have to use EP Fibre (which is the same thing but a lot more expensive). Two, the amount of work that you have to put into them.

So, I made these heads a little different (and easier). I used a brass wire dubbing brush with white Mirror Image (from H2O Products), blended with the same flash material I used in the tail (which is Polar Flash), and coloured it afterwards with Prismacolor and regular permanent markers.

Due to the conical shape I make with tying thread underneath the head, I can use a bigger amount of brass wire to make the head. So this fly will sink immediately. I’m already making the same pattern with a deer hair head, to make a floating diver, but that will be for a next post…

4 comments:

Jeff said...

I like tying deerhair heads but don't always like the buoyancy of it. Good idea for neutral or sinking flies. Great stuff!

dave lindsay said...

great looking flies

Midge Man said...

Any way you cut it, you're flies are beautiful. Always love stopping by for a look!

the lonsome piker said...

Thanks a lot, that’s quite a complement, coming from you guys!