The hot fly

Solitario Lupo

Moderator
I cut these with a double-edged razor along the lay of the fur. Will they work? If so should I dye the skin portion black?
How long of a piece does each fly get?
When cutting them make them as thin of a strip as possible. If going for a tail no more than the hook shank and about a half. You don't want them just grabbing it and let go.

If wrapping it on a hook. Start wrapping it and every wrap leave a little space.

As for color just a waterproof marker will work. Or you can dye the whole thing with rit dye.
 

Melvinp

Well-known member
That’s a great start now 50 more lol and as Lupo said the current will make a difference but now you can add floatent you need a good floating fly to start with
 
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Don

Well-known member
The hooks arrived. They seem okay but I'm not too terribly impressed. We'll see. I like it as a size 4 and barbless but I worry that the upturned shank isn't all enough. This is about all I could find in 4. Found some 90* but they were very short shanks and I don't care for that so much.

I'm still waiting for the dead Possum. Then I'll get started.
 

Melvinp

Well-known member
Found out one thing about using possum hair on this pattern it acts like a sail and is harder to throw.
 

Melvinp

Well-known member
Hey, I wonder, uh oh, I have tied a number of flies that I couldn't cast very well even with my fiberglass 5wt......can't load it. So what would you say if I tied this down to a 6 or 4? I could fudge something together but I want to get it right. Since Im ordering this stuff in I can choose whatever. Thoughts?
Allot of the stuff you, Nippy and Sol tie is too much for my equipment. Some of the #12 Jig wooly buggers that Nappy ties worked well for me when I tied them.
Fiberglass is usually soft or slow action so you need to slow your cast down (doesn’t mean a thing on distance) just style biggest problem is wind resistantance the puffier means more wind slowing it down
 

Don

Well-known member
yes, what you said, puffier. the Possum arrived last night, Look out Fishes!
 

Solitario Lupo

Moderator
Don there’s all kinds of styles on casting. A smaller fly can take a pause on a back cast as a bigger fly make take two or three pauses. Also if you wanna throw a little bigger fly on smaller gear than learn a backcast that will work for you.
Your fly dries out on a cast so instead of backcasting it threw the air let line out on your back cast like casting it forward and sit a sec or two in the water then cast forward. The fly should soak some water up and might be less wind resistant.
 

Don

Well-known member
Oh I got this Gentlemen but the fact is it still takes allot more skill and if I make the fly smaller or the rod and line heavier then it will also be a big improvement. I can adjust and hook up a corolla to pull a landscape trailer as well but eventually, over time, that will exact a toll.
 

Don

Well-known member
Now for the good news, RIT works well, Look at this silly Braun Wabbit. Soon as it dries I'll begin the possum fly. Natural above, dyed below, Fluff on right.
 

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Melvinp

Well-known member
Lol I was crunching some #s this fly cost me about 1.50 each to make well I guess better than loosing a 7 dollar rapala on the first cast of course this doesn’t include my labor lol
 
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Don

Well-known member
wow, you mean, can't be, impossible, you can count and you can fix trucks? You're just a professional old country bumpkin.
My o My though, do I have a deal for you. I'd be willing to sell you (at a 30% loss understand) the first few off the assembly line for a $1.05 each plus labor TBD.
Hey these are cool flys. And while the wire bunny tails need lots of work I feel that even this first one is pretty fishy. Thanks for the tutorial. I'll keep working on it till it improves somewhat. Thanks again.
 
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