QC

A "Quick Crayfish"!

Again, more Asp!

I went again tonight for an hour and a half and stopped counting after 20 or so! All were as yesterday 45-50 cm, with the exception of one 15 cm monster.

Asp on the 4 weight!

Large midges have been hatching every night for the last week and the water has "cooked" with fish. I finally got an hour free last night and gave it a try. I made a few neutral emergers and got 5 Asp between 45-50 cm. They were extremely fast and aggressive so needless to say I missed more than I caught. Not bad for an hour!

Scuds

This year on the lake I'm seeing scuds everywhere. And they're huge! I made these on #6 hooks with again, ideas from Roughfisher. This is a variation of his "Krystal Chenille Scud".

Body - Grey pearl Krystal Chenille*.
Legs - grizzly hen.
Rib - fine wire.

Back - Grey transparent Thin Skin*.

* Tinted with a grey marker.

Night of the Asp

Went Pike fishing a few days ago and I noticed a few Asp chasing very small minnows (1-1.5 cm) under the surface. It soon turned into a feeding frenzy in an area the size of a football field. It went on for almost two hours. And of course I had no flies that small with me! They totally ignored bigger ones. As selective as an old trout!

Distressed Damsels

Again thinking along the line of Carp on a fly I got a few ideas from "Roughfisher". He's one very inovative fly tyer in the field of "Rough" fly fishing. I wanted a familiar carp food that would remain relatively weed free in the flats I plan to fish this year, these should do it. Here are my first two trials.

Hook - Ken Sawada Bartleet Sedge #8.

Tail - olive rabbit.

Rib - gold wire.

Body - olive hare's ear.

Legs - pumpkin barred silicon.

Eyes - gold bead chain.

Thorax - olive Estaz Petite.

Crayfish ?

From the top and side, a variation of a Dahlberg Crayfish on a jig hook. This pattern is hard to find and I don't know if it really comes from Larry Dahlberg himself or not. I'll have the chance to ask him at the Dutch Fly Fair in May. Out of curiousity I asked my wife if this looked like a swimming crayfish to her, she said she couldn't see it. What does she know anyways!

Crazy Charlies

I'm thinking seriously about trying for carp with flies. I hear a lot about it and all positive! I saw a lot of fish on the flats in June last year, we'll see what happens this year.