Foam post Baitfish slider

There are so, so many creative tiers out there - tying some fantastic flies

Some of the stuff you see on the web is mind blowing in detail, in innovativeness or creative use of materials or sometimes all of the above

Some of the materials used, how it is used is beyond comprehension til someone shows you how or provides images

Until the fly tyer comes up with the idea

One creative tyer that comes to mind is....

Jay "fishy" Fullum is a regular contributor to the US based Fly Tyer magazine and the stuff he does is incredible as to the materials and their use – go to their web site or search the web for his stuff

I have been getting the Fly Tyer magazine since I don’t know how long, I have the entire collection of magazines - all that has ever been printed

And the first thing on arrival - I always would turn to would be - Fishy’s regular column. 

Always Inspiring! constantly dragging you to the tying desk to start tying the next innovative fly presented in his regular column

That is not to discount the countless others out there of course

Sometimes you get a one hit wonder like a rock band on the radio with only one song ever that makes the charts

But others are long term contributors

Some tie stuff so weird it is useless but it gives an idea you wouldn't have thought of without them

Now I like to tie flies, it is a big as part of my SWOFFING as any part of this my favourite pastime

But I am not that creative - far from it 

                                  

But rather I can take this one idea and inflame it, take one idea and join it with another

Not all of it works but its fun testing them

Recently I saw an image of a fly - just in passing, wasn’t even looking for a pattern to tie 

The idea was cool, sorry don't know if it was original or the tyers own who tied it - I think it was tied originally for US east coast Stripers

mine:

the webs::

But I thought - that could work. Let’s tie a few 

So here it is

My Foam Post Baitfish Slider 

First step is to slide on your firm tubing that will form a dome on hook shank later

Next is to tie on a foam post  above the hook eye - this is to hold the pattern just under the surface when stationary with the foam post protruding out of the surface.

You will need to hold foam out of the way to tie leader on but no hassle really

I am using a light gauged hook here – it reduces weight allowing fly to be more in the surface rather then be dragged under by the weight of the hook

Then I use some firmish tubing I got from spotlight to help form the hollow head type pattern of a baitfish

I fold this forward to keep it out of the way while tying the rear part of the fly

For this version based on what I had on hand – I tied in some grey crinkle and flash material in at the hook bend

Next I tied in some long olive craft fur – ensuring the grey fibres are covered by the craft fur all the way round the hook shank

Then I add in enough layers of shrimp coloured fibres to form the body of the baitfish

As using a longish hook shank here, it took three bunches of fibres to fill it

Tie in of this main body materials in enough bunches, till the shank is full right up to rear of tube flaring dome   

I then fold back the tubing to form a half dome – this flares the material given a large profile to the pattern

Then I tie in two (or three) bunches of shrimp coloured fibres to form head of fly in front of tubing dome

Tie off thread

Add eyes 

Epoxy head and eyes to give eyes more durability with the toothy type fishes

And your done

The end product is about 10-12cm long

Then let’s go get it wet!