hoping to do some pike fishing this year, reservoir opens May 7, thought I'd better get some big pike hairballs tied. There is a stinger hook on a trailing wire, hidden in the feathers. Every time I see a pike bite a fish, it clamps down on the middle of the fish first, so think the stinger might improve hookups.

if it actually catches fish it gets a name, either Gaudy Night or Artful Dodger..
loosely based on the pattern Niklaus Bauer ties here.

oh yeah, I like that mouse pattern & Doug, I'm really diggin' that pike fly!

Here's my latest iteration (e.g. tinkering with stuff that doesn't really need much tinkering) of my super simple baitfish pattern. I've got it down to 3 materials and with the dubbed head, that gives me some really nice subtle movement but with the stiffer tail (bucktail), I get a more consistent action I'm after with these little ~4" flies (kinda like a glide/jerk bait which works really well and it's my preferred way of fishing for bass). There's some grey pearl estaz for the body...it subtly comes out in the water, but probably not even necessary).



I fish almost exclusively white. Occasionally, I have fished the chartreuse (and of course, chartreuse works) but haven't ever fished any of these other colors, just wanted to add a little something extra. Oh, I also have done up a black/purple that has a few fish on it as well.

Edit: here are few more popping off my vise recently...


brightened up that top for a touch more visibility (to me)


Even in clear water, when you're sitting down, it's nice to have a touch of extra visibility to see the fly. Plus, it still retains that [mostly] black from below.

Later Skater. Andrew Grillos is the originator. I'm going to try this pattern out in New Mexico.

so what's the dubbed head material ?
for my super simple baitfish pattern, have a zonker body of flattened silver tube, palmered white marabou at the head, and either beadchain or lead eyes. It works well but I like the looks of yours..

took that pike fly out last weekend, casts surprisingly well on a 7wt Fenwick and Orvis Clearwater WF7. No fish though.. got a couple small pike, one on a crawfish fly, another on a basic black marabou/rabbit strip streamer..

i've putting together bluegill clousers on size 8 3366 hooks with lead wire, white plastic beadchain eyes,white bucktail, topped off with grey squirrel and finished with a 1 1/2" of red poly flash for an enticing tail.

A mix of striper flies and some for mackerel, scup, etc. I’m planning on some micro sight fishing in the salt late this summer.

I had a stroke 3 months ago and tying random bass bugs is helping greatly with my rehab.I could not write my name after it happened.The first thing I did after surgery was had my wife drop me at a pond .It took me awhile to cover the 200 yard walk.I was able to get a cast out to 40 feet and got 2 10 inch bluegill.I had to then sit on the bank for 10 minutes I can cast and tie flies now and walk a pretty slow mile.Life is good.I have caught a few bass on senkos on gear but yet to get one on a fly rod.

Well done!!! Looks like a Circus Mouse.

Stim season on the west slope sierra. Here are some that have been fishing well for me. No dubbing, just different body materials. Barred ginger + grizzly hackle, sz 10 eagle claw 100 hook yellow thread.

Mirage body


Peacock over mirage


Pheasant tail

A little 10" Fall/Winter pattern. Ahrex TP605 4/0 with 2 35mm shanks behind to help with the body. Nayat (Snowrunner) tail, mostly bucktail body, titan dubbed head. On my dark patterns, I've really gone to putting the lighter part of the head on top so that it's more visible to me on the retrieve. With my more natural patterns, I'll go with the standard dark over light like an actual baitfish.

Some recent flies

Woodcock and green sz - 14


CDC emerger sz - 18


Diamond braid parachute sz - 16


Jenning's grey fox sz - 10


Freestyle steelhead fly sz - 8

Well done C Man

Extremely well done clarkman23! Those would work great on our river stripers here in eastern Oklahoma.