Norm’s Crystal Schminnow

Part 1: Sanibel Island Diaries

Mark Beardmore introduced us (MKFF) to Sanibel Island in 2012 for his thirtieth birthday celebrations. These days, the twenties are merely an extension of your teen years with money and more alcohol. As opposed to the twenty-first birthday, the thirtieth is the true adult milestone. That being said, we are gearing up to fish and party island style at the end of April.

Norm Zeigler has popularized Fly Fishing for Snook with his ground breaking book, “Snook on a Fly: Tackle, Tactics, and Tips for Catching the Great Saltwater Gamefish.” The Schminnow is his own creation, developed to mimic the small silvery white baitfish, that live off of the beautiful subtropical beaches of Sanibel Island.

Snook can be sight fished off of the beach while in season; this requires an “ocean style” delicate presentation. Using a heavier fly like the Clouser will splash and risk spooking your prey. The Schminnow will catch the sunlight and float high in the water, enticing predator fish to attack!

Materials

  1. Mustad Signature S71SZ-34007
  2. White Danville Flat Wax Nylon
  3. Black Mono Eyes – Medium
  4. Estaz Opalescent White
  5. White Marabou

The fly is relatively simple to tie and finishes strong out on the Gulf Coast of Florida. It is a general attractor pattern, not mimicking any specific baitfish and necessary in any Fly Fisherman’s arsenal. Norm designated it the Schminnow to indicate the pattern is part shrimp and part minnow. Another variation of this fly is with dumbbell eyes, the weight allows it to pursue species that live deeper in the water column.

Step 1:

Place the Mustad size 2 in the vice.
Place the Mustad size 2 in the vice.

Place the hook in your vice. Attach the thread behind the hook eye; try not to crowd the eye. Build a smooth base as you wrap down the hook shank. I stop just at the barn in order to tie in the White Marabou tail.

Start the thread and evenly wrap back to the barb.
Start the thread and evenly wrap back to the barb.

Step 2:

Tie in the Marabou tail, use four or five wraps of thread, and leave about ¼ inch more than a hook shank’s length of tail. In a later step we will clip the tail. The clipping of the tail to length allows the life like breathing and flexing, during strip retrieve, which truly appears as a wounded baitfish to Snook.

Tie in the White Marabou tail.
Tie in the White Marabou tail.

Step 3:

Clip off the excess Marabou stem forward on the hook shank, at an angle, allowing you to evenly wrap it down with thread. Now wrap back to the barb, tie in the tag end of a five-inch length of Estaz. Wrap your thread forward to the tie in point behind the hook eye.

Clip of excess Marabou stem, tie in Estaz, wrap thread forward.
Clip of excess Marabou stem, tie in Estaz, wrap thread forward.

Step 4:

Create a small thread bump about an eye’s length behind your tie in point. Attach the mono eyes with a series of cross wraps, circle wrap under the eyes in order to stabilize the structure. Add a few turns in front and back for good measure; check that the eyes are stable before moving onto the next step.

Cross wrap in the eyes.
Cross wrap in the eyes.

Step 5:

Evenly wrap the Estaz around the shank, creating body, until you stop just behind the eyes. Tie off the Estaz and cut off excess. Whip finish in front of the eyes.

Wrap Estaz evenly forward, tie down running end.
Wrap Estaz evenly forward, tie down running end.

Step 6:

Using a good pair of scissors, grasp the excess Marabou (over a shank length) in your hand and trim off the excess.

Before Clipping
Before Clipping
Norm's Crystal Schminnow
Norm’s Crystal Schminnow

Look for more of our Sanibel Island Diaries series.

Part 2 – Double Haul

Part 3 – Dock Lighting for Snook

Dispatches From Opening Day

Day 1

Unlike many regions with large natural reproducing populations of Trout, New Jersey has something of a spectacle for “Opening Day.” Normally, anglers prefer to fish in peace and solitude, especially when seeking the illustrious Trout. If you are seeking quiet, relaxation and seclusion, Opening Day is something to be avoided. Realistically, it’s as if the nation’s most densely populated state, hosts a riverside party one-day a year. Once you accept Opening Day for what it is, a spectacle, its actually quite enjoyable.

Waiting for the starting buzzer.
Waiting for the starting buzzer.

The MKFF crew arrived early to find upwards of twenty people assembled in one of our favorite holes. On numbers alone, we were able to establish dominance at the pool, effectively holding the “worm dunkers” at bay as they coveted the prime territory our troops were holding. Nick was hysterical, issuing minute-by-minute updates as to how close we were to 8AM.

Thirty minutes of casting into a moderate sized hole with ever increasing numbers of bait fisherman is enough to drive you mad. The cool temperatures in the previous week had also made the fish a little slow. We quickly voted to move on to less traveled waters.

Not bad for the first Trout of the day.
Not bad for the first Trout of the day.

Around mid-day Mark was able to cast off the skunk, pulling in a nice Brook Trout. Simultaneously, several miles and a few towns over, Mike caught his first New Jersey Brown Trout since moving to California mid-way through last year.

Posing with his cutie.
Posing with his cutie.

Once every bit of water in the state had been walked through uncountable times we decided to stop by Dr. Ed’s party for lunch. Every year he puts together a delicious lunch of Jambalaya, Smoked Trout and Jameson Whiskey. This year Mark added his Brook Trout to the smoker.

Trout getting delicious.
Trout getting delicious.

Day 2

While everyone else slept, (after a long night of Opening Day festivities) I headed back to where we started. There may not be as many fish in the river on day 2; this is fine considering there are many less people. The weather was more cooperative, two days in the mid-sixties really livened up the Trout.

Stockie Number 1
Stockie Number 1

I took the time to set up a quality nymph rig out, using a Flashback Hare’s Ear Nymph and a Pheasant Tail, weighted with a small to medium sized sinker, the Trout wanted to feed! My rig quickly pulled up several small Brown Trout and more surprisingly a Perch!

Stockie Number 2
Stockie Number 2

As I was standing there, taking in the solitude, two children about 10 years old, walked to the other side of the river from me and took a cast. They watched quietly as I pulled up a Trout, no sooner had a minute gone by and they had a Trout on too! The one kid, wearing a pair of short Muck Boots, walks out into the stream and SPLASH, he face plants!. I chuckled to myself, it happens to the best of us, take a bath to land that Trout (He emerged from the water unharmed and holding his Trout).

Perch on the Fly
Perch on the Fly

Stay tuned for updates from Weekend 2.

Behold…Franken-Fish!

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I got out to fish the Pequest River Trout Conservation Area this week.  This area of trout water is open for catch and release fishing before the official opening day, tomorrow April 6.  Several other anglers had the same idea as me, and it was quite crowded in the popular easy access pools.  I decided to try some water with nobody around it, this decision paid off.  I managed to landed this huge breeder brookie.  It was over 20 inches and had massive girth on it.  He followed my size 6 olive monster bugger through the entire run and nailed it at the last minute.

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New Jersey’s trout stream will have plenty of other similar breeder fish as well small 8-9″ guys in it’s trout waters for opening day. Following an article I read in Field & Stream, I will try and focus on these big fish.  The key is to know you are going to sacrifice some numbers in order to land your trophy.  Commit to the plan and it could pay off.  Get away from the crowd and don’t be afraid to explore some areas where there is less angling pressure.  Big Fish = Big Fly is in effect.  This is no time to try and throw any delicate dry flies.  I will be using larger streamers.  If you are worried about numbers, you can drop a small attractor nymph off the tail of the streamer to catch some of the smaller guys.  Most off all have fun and get outside with some friends!!!

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Rippin' Lips Stream to Stream

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