Float-N-Fly Minnows

Tied a group of float-n-fly minnows this week.  I plan to fish them in the local river this winter.

My favorite sage green craft fur forms the back of each jig.  Barred-brown, grayish-white, and sparkling-tan fur comprises the bellies.  Pearl, pearl red, or fluorescent fire orange krystal flash adds sparkle laterally along the sides of the jigs.

I wanted natural-looking minnows, so chose subdued colors with somewhat earthen tones.  All jigs are tied on 1/16-ounce ball head jigs with #4 black nickel sickle hooks.

Simplicity

An easy jig to tie and it catches crappie.  No need to worry about craft fur taper or adding flash.  This jig fishes very well for me.

Materials:

• A 1/16-oz. ball head jig with a #4 black nickel sickle hook from Grandpa Bob's
• Rosey's Powder Coating - safety blue 90% gloss
• Orbit Powder Paint - clear
• Extra fine glitter - silver
• UNI Thread 6/0 - red
• Targus Foxxfur - flo. chartreuse

Targus Foxxfur has good length.  Use its scraps from other jig ties.  Plenty will be left over when tying small crappie jigs.

Baby Bass Chartreuse Jigs

For crappie:

Materials:

• UNI Thread 8/0 - red
• Rosey's/Harbor Freight Powder Paint Mixture - safety blue 90% gloss and yellow
• Acrylic paint for eyes - black and white
• Krystal Flash - black/pearl
• Hancock Fabric's Deluxe Craft Fur (bolt) - sage green
• Targus Foxxfur - flo. chartreuse
• Ball head jigs (1/16 ounce) with #4 black nickel sickle hooks
• Ball head jigs (1/20-1/24 ounce) with #4 bronze Aberdeen hooks
• Devcon 2 Ton Epoxy for topcoat

Skirted Super Flash Fly

Faceted beads in the tail make this one interesting in my opinion.  The clear beads give off quite a bit of reflection under fluorescent and incandescent lights.

Materials:

• Eagle Claw 249WA-3/0 Weedless Hook
• Googly eyes (2) 4mm
• Coats & Clark Trilobal Polyester Thread (40-wt.) - electric red
• Hareline Dubbin, Inc. Crazy Legs - black/red tipped
• Caron Glimmer Chenille Yarn - black
• Card Basics Coated Beading Wire (7 Strand, 0.3mm) - silver
• Hammered Colorado blade #1 - silver
• Ball bearing snap swivel #10
• Bullet Weights Rubber Grip Sinker - 1/8 ounce
• Faceted beads - red and clear
• Sinful Colors Professional Nail Enamel - clear nail hardener
• Loctite Super Glue Gel Control

Green Apple Flash Fly

Designed for use with light/ultralight spinning equipment.  This fly is weighted with a 1/16-oz. rubber core sinker.  Its silver blade will spin on the fall as well as during the retrieve.  Strands of baitfish emulator flash provide a shiny fluorescent chartreuse attractant over the chenille body.

Materials:

• Eagle Claw 249WA-3/0 Weedless Hook
• Googly eyes (2) 4mm
• Coats & Clark Trilobal Polyester Thread (40-wt.) - electric green
• Hareline Dubbin, Inc. Baitfish Emulator Flash - fl. chartreuse
• Caron Glimmer Chenille Yarn - apple
• Three translucent beads - chartreuse
• Card Basics Coated Beading Wire (7 Strand, 0.3mm) - silver
• Colorado blade #1 - silver
• Ball bearing snap swivel #10
• Bullet Weights Rubber Grip Sinker - 1/16 ounce
• Loctite Super Glue Gel Control
• Sinful Colors Professional Nail Enamel - clear nail hardener

Suede Leather Fluke

Purchased more suede leather remnants recently.  Included are gray pieces which I've never used before.  So for my freshman effort with gray, I designed this.

Materials:

• Eagle Claw 249WA-3/0 Weedless Hook
• Tandy Leather Factory Suede Leather Remnant - gray
• Coats & Clark Trilobal Polyester Thread 40-wt. - lt. slate and electric red
• Googly eyes 4mm (2)
• Coats Metallic 60/40 Nylon-Polyester Thread - silver
• Tulip Glitter Puffy Paint - silver
• Tulip Puffy Paint - black
• Herrschners Bulky Chenille Yarn - gray
• Loctite Super Glue Gel Control
• Sinful Colors Professional Nail Enamel - clear nail hardener

Brown Boa Bottom Walker

Materials:

• Brass dumbbell eyes - 1/36 ounce
• Realeather craft lace (latigo card, 1/8") - chieftain
• Bernat Boa Yarn - dark mink
• Eagle Claw 249WA-3/0 Weedless Hook
• Coats & Clark Trilobal Polyester Thread (40-wt.) - chona brown
• Bullet Weights Rubber Grip Sinker - 1/16 ounce

The rubber grip sinker is crimped to the hook shank behind the eyes.  A sapphire or emeryl file rounds off any sharp edges on the sinker.