Filling boxes

Only four nights sleep and we’re off to Ireland, well actually it’s three and a half, because we’re leaving very early Saturday morning. So it’s time to fill my boxes with the flies I think may be useful. I will certainly have more than enough pike flies, but some patterns can use some additions, so I’m still tying.
(Click on any image to enlarge)

Some flash flies for example.

They’re all about 16-17 cm long, tied on a Gamakatsu LS-5213N (a very good hook by the way), size 6/0.

The flash I used is Polar Flash. This is very nice stuff to work with. Every ‘colour’ is actually a blend of different colours of flash. It’s thin, soft and it moves fantastically in the water, without being ‘too flashy’.

And they’re very easy to make. Just tie in a tail, then a brass wire dubbing brush with the same material, glue on some eyes, fill the gap between the eyes with some UV stuff and you have a very durable, great moving fly.

 

Last week I came across this stuff in one of my closets (black/purple Christmas tinsel).
I bought it more than a year ago, and then I just forgot about it.

 

But it’s an interesting colour, so I tied me a couple with this stuff as well, both on a single hook and a tandem version.

 

Some small (8-9 cm) EP baitfish patterns. Nothing special, except maybe the hook choice. These are ‘high ties’, so I wanted a very short hook shank, but not a circle hook (I don’t want to start a discussion, but I really don’t like fishing with those), so I used these carp hooks.

 

Normally I use these carp hooks as a trailer hook for flies like this.

This fly has been hanging on my board for several weeks, it only needed some UV stuff between the eyes to finish it.

 

The same with these two tandem flies, they have been hanging there for several months. All they needed was some epoxy on the head and over the sequins I used for the eyes.

And I’m sure I’ll find some other stuff as well with minimal work to complete, so…