Murdich Minnow Fly Tying Video
Posted on March 4th, 2021
The Murdich Minnow is one of the most popular smallmouth bass flies these days. The variation I tie using a synthetic hair/flash blend for the tail and one of several “body wrap” materials in place of the original flash chenille body is my favorite swimming baitfish imitation for all moderate-sized warmwater predator fish: smallmouth & largemouth bass, small pike, large crappie, white bass, hybrid stripers, etc.
Other good color combos for the Murdich Minnow run the gamut of popular warmwater fly and lure colors: chartreuse/white, “fire tiger,” brown over gold, or really any of the color combos that you’ll find Rapalas and similar long, slender plugs made in.
Tie on the fly using a non-slip mono loop to allow it to swim, using either a floating line or a sink-tip depending on the depth you want to reach. As tied, the fly has a very neutral buoyancy and will sink quite slowly, giving it a “near topwater” action when fished without added weight.
Hook: #2/- to #4 long-shank ring eye such as MFC 7050, Gamakatsu SP11-3l3H, etc.
Thread: 3/0 or heavier to match desired body color.
Tail: SF Flash Blend in white, yellow, chartreuse, or other baitfish color.
Cheeks: Ice Fur to match tail.
Body: Lion Go For Faux or similar “faux bunny” yarn twisted together with UV Polar Chenille, wrapped forward, and trimmed to shape.
Markings: Use Prismacolor or Pantone or Sharpie Markers to color the fly as desired. All colors should have a red hotspot.
Eyes: 1/4″ to 5/16″ stick-on eyes secured with gel super glue and UV resins.
Glass Caddis Pupa Fly Tying Video
Posted on March 4th, 2021
Here’s a green Glass Caddis Pupa in honor of the Mother’s Day Caddis hatch. Feel free to alter the basic color scheme to match whatever caddis you need to imitate. The glass beads on the Glass Caddis pattern provide a three-dimensional, segmented appearance with lots of sparkle.
Hook: 1x short, 1x strong scud, #14. Here, Dai-Riki #135.
Beads: Four chartreuse 11/0 glass seed beads slid onto the hook, then bound down slightly separated from one another up the hook shank.
Thread: 8/0 olive-dun.
Abdomen: Beads and olive squirrel dubbing.
Head: Two strands natural ostrich herl.
CDC Emerging Dun Fly Tying Vid
Posted on March 4th, 2021
The Gray CDC Emerging Dun is a biot-bodied CDC and synthetic-winged mayfly emerger originally developed as a spring creek fly to imitate Blue-winged Olives. Parks’ Fly Shop ordered it in much larger sizes than standard as an emerger for the various species of Green Drakes present in the Lamar drainage. It is most useful in this purpose in sizes 12-16.
Hook: #12-20 1xl or standard-length dry fly or light nymph hook (nymph hook used here).
Thread: 8/0 olive-dun.
Shuck: Gray crinkled synthetic yarn (Sparkle Emerger Yarn, Zelon, etc.).
Abdomen: Gray-olive turkey biot wrapped over a thread underbody.
Wing: Natural gray CDC (medium dun if natural unavailable) and same material as tail.
Head: Gray dubbing.