Duh.
 |
| This bass couldn't resist the new worm fly. |
How stupid can I be?
Bass anglers have been using plastic worms for age to fool
fish. Those multi-colored plastic creations have taken literally tons of bass
over the years.
I'm sure plenty of fly anglers have used worm patterns to
fool bass.
Not me!
I bought a few worm flies at Bass Pro Shop in Fort Myers and
used them a few times. I cast them for 15 minutes or so along Alligator Alley,
an area that is home to lots of bass.
But I have yet to get a hit on any of the commercial worms
flies.
So, I took matters into my own hands. I designed and tied my
own.
 |
| Early prototype of the worm fly. |
I surfed the Internet for ideas, but I really didn't see any
flies I liked. I found some that used rubbery stuff designed to be
used as legs on freshwater and saltwater flies. I found worm flies in which the
body was fashioned by braiding chenille or other materials. I saw worm flies
that employed chamois for the body.
I settled on zonker strips. I knew these rabbit fur strips
would be lively in the water and easy to work with.
I had a few bass "stinger" hooks around. I slipped
one into my vise and began creating.
The fly is simple, easy to tie and, as I found out, deadly
on bass.
Hook: 1/0 Stinger
Thread: black
flat-waxed monochord
Tail: 4-5-inch
black zonker strip.
Body: Black
opalescent Estaz
Head/nose: Black
conehead
Weedguard:
50-pound test monofilament
Tying steps
1. Add conehead
to hook and place hook in vise
2. Tie in thread
just behind hook eye and build up thread to seat conehead.
3. Tie off
thread, clip and push cone forward to eye of hook.
4. Reattach
thread and wrap entire shank.
5. Tie in mono
weed guard at bend.
6. Tie in zonker
strip about half inch away from cone.
7. Tie in Estaz
and wind forward and whip secure.
8. Bring mono
forward and tie it behind cone.
9. Whip finish.
These flies are quick and very easy to tie. I can whip out a
dozen in less than an hour.
The beauty of these flies is that they can be tied on any
size hook so that you can adjust to different fishing situations.
I also tie them using bead-chain eyes and with no weight at
all.
I headed to Webb Lake at the Babcock-Webb Wildlife
Management Area south of Punta Gorda to give the new worm flies a try. My plan
was to cast them for at least an hour. I want to give them a fair test.
Didn't take long to hook up. First fish was a nice speckled
perch (black crappie). I later added 13 bass up to about 1 1/2 pounds.
When I got home, I tied up a few more using the stinger
hooks and coneheads. My first prototypes consisted of Aberdeen hooks and bead
eyes.
I wanted a larger profile fly that would sink a little
quicker.
The next day, I put them to test.
Strangely enough, I started fish a Myakka Minnow and then
switched to a No. 10 popping bug. I caught a few fish before switching to the
worm.
I hooked a bass on my first cast, but lost it. I landed
small bass on my next three casts.
I was impressed.
On the day, I caught and released 15 bass to about 2 pounds.
The fly is pretty easy to cast, although you might need a 7- or 8-weight rod for the task.
I cast it out, let the worm start to sink, then strip it in
slowly and somewhat erratically. If you're paying attention and your line is
tight, you can often feel the bass take the fly. If not, you'll know you have a
fish when your line goes tie.
I know the new fly will produce some big bass.
Now, I've got to name the new creation. Isn't that what fly
tyers do? I'm thinking I might call it the Webb Worm because I caught my first
fish on it from Webb Lake. I haven't decided on that name, but it's in the
lead.
I plan on "field testing" the new fly several more
times over the next few weeks.
Maybe be then I'll have caught a trophy bass and come up
with a final name?
No comments:
Post a Comment