Tag Archives: trout

Favorite Patterns

Mohair Leech

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Hot Fly For Opening Day

When fishing lakes, ponds, slow moving backwaters and other placid water fishing you cannot go wrong with a leech pattern. Leeches are one of the reasons that pond fish have the potential to grow larger than their cousins in the river. For a hungry trout, a single leech packs some serious protein. The pattern I am about to tie was taught to me at the Sparse Grey Matter – Fly Tying Fest. It will work great on opening day, fresh stocked Brook Trout love the color red. A few weeks later when the Rainbow are stocked, they will lust after the same fly. Fish the Mohair Leech similar to a Wooly Bugger.

Materials

  1. Mustad Size 12 STD Dry
  2. Cyclops Beads 7/64” Brown Olive
  3. Lead Wire .015
  4. Uni Thread 8/0 Red
  5. ¼ OZ. Dyed Red Marabou
  6. Krystal Flash Pearl Red
  7. Mohair Yarn Roe Red
  8. Rabbit Dubbing Red

Steps

  1. Take the hook and place the Cyclops Bead on the point, smaller opening will face the eye of the hook. Push the bead along the shank, forward to the eye. Secure the hook and bead into the vice.
  2. Using the lead wire, wrap ten turns on the shank of the hook. Cut off excess wire and push coil forward along the shank until snug inside the larger opening in the bead.
  3. Start the Red thread behind the lead coil on the shank. Create mound to hold lead coil snugly in place. Now wrap the thread over the lead coil to bead, then wrap back along the shank until you stop directly above the barb.
  4. Select a nice piece of Marabou, there should be a thick tail area, lacking stem.  Using your thumb and forefinger starting at the stem, smooth the feather back to the end. Repeat this action a few times until the feather is all aligned in the same direction. Using thumb and forefinger pinch a section 2/3 of the shank length. Tie in at the pinch with four wraps. Remember to start holding the pinch in front of the shank and use the force of the thread to align the Marabou to the top of the shank.
  5. Now hold the Marabou up and slightly out of your way. Wrap the thread forward along the shank to the beginning of the lead coil. Do not attempt to build up body, this is unnecessary and will be completed in the future with Mohair Yarn. Cut off excess feather and return thread to tail at tie in position.
  6. Select two pieces of Crystal Flash Pearl Red. Tie in at the 2/3 length on the front side with two wraps of thread.
  7. Now loop the remaining Flash material out towards the eye back along the far side of the shank. Tie in with two additional wraps. Cut the four pieces even with the tail.
  8. Cut off six inches of Mohair Yarn, tie in with four wraps on the top of the shank where you tied all other pieces in. Wrap thread forward to the bead.
  9. Now wrap the Mohair Yarn forward up the shank in the same direction as the thread. Continue to the bead head and then tie in, cut off excess.
  10. Select a pinch of Red Rabbit Dubbing, Dub onto thread, creating enough for about three turns of dubbing behind the bead.  Dub the three turns, this creates a nice presentation and hides the thread wrapping.
  11. Whip finish and it is complete.Purchase One Here
Wild Trout Streams

NJ Wild Trout Streams

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The State Legislature of New Jersey has designated 35 of the most pristine streams in the less populated areas of the state as “Wild Trout Streams.” Up to 175 similar waterways exist throughout the state, smaller in size and more difficult to access, they are classified as trout producing waters. “Wild Trout Streams,” support the natural reproduction of trout within their banks thus are well protected.  In addition to development buffers, special regulations apply such as artificial lures only and a 12 inch/ two per day limit, effectively protecting the rare populations within these waters. If you are lucky, a few of these locations harbor Heritage Brook Trout; the ancestral relatives to the stocked brook trout of today.

Saturday was unseasonably warm and the Moose Knuckle crew ventured to a purposefully undisclosed location. Many of the streams are at higher elevations (for NJ) as wild Brook Trout require clear, cool and highly oxygenated water. This trout stream is surprising. It thrives in swampy low lands, backyards and long since abandoned farm fields; a true testament to the smart growth management tools used by the town and state government.

Pulled this guy out on a gold Panther Martin

Fortunately, in February there are no briars or thistle; come May this stream is inaccessible courtesy of the dense underbrush that colonized the fallow grazing land surrounding the muddy channel. Fishing was slow and remained that way, the sun disappeared behind the clouds as soon as we arrived. The trout were not cooperating with our intention to momentarily capture them. A gold Panther Martin helped end the skunk; when the sun poked through the clouds, the gold glint attracted an aggressive Brook Trout.

The quarry was stacking up at the tail end of the pool, along an undercut bank prior to the narrow fast riffle where the water exited. They would respond only to lures that dragged along the muddy bottom, risking a snag on the tree roots. Above is a picture of one of the little guys, we promptly released him to where he came. As note, please be gentle with these wild trout; de-barb your hooks, wet your hands before handling and release as soon as possible. Practice catch and release here, it takes longer for these Brook Trout to grow a mere 12 inches than any hatchery trout.

This blog is the first of an ongoing blog. If you are interested in learning more about Wild Trout Streams in New Jersey or a guided fishing trip on one of these streams send an email to mooseknucklefishing@gmail.com.

Favorite Patterns

Orvis 20 Fly Special

Orvis 20 Fly Special $9.95 and Free Shipping

I stayed late at work on Tuesday crunching some numbers and attempting to complete all the complicated tasks I had been putting off since last Friday. Under normal circumstances this would seem like not that much fun; however this time before I left I did a quick check of the various fishing blogs I subscribe to. Low and behold a Google Ad pops up indicating, “Orvis 20 Fly Special, $9.95 and Free Shipping.” Being the number cruncher that I am, the math indicated less than 50 cents a fly! Orvis basic patterns run for $2.75 at a dealer or on their website. Needless to say I casually made the necessary purchase.

Today I came home from work and in my mailbox waiting for me was the package! I wasted no time tearing into it and evaluating the merchandise. Upon opening I decided tomorrow morning, as soon as the daytime warmth starts, I am going Wild Trout Stream fishing; the forecast is calling for a large wild trout. Returning to the merchandise, the basic collection here will get any beginning angler started or buttress the massive fly collection that us pros maintain.