Hair/Foam Bug

[The Mad Duck]

I had a lot of success this past summer with a foam Japanese Beetle,catching a lot of both Bass and Bream on it. I was sitting here one day thinking about something along the same line,but bigger, hoping it might work on Smallmouths when I get a chance to fish for them next spring.
I took my Japanese Beetle pattern and kind of super-sized it and added a spun deer hair head to it. Tied on a #2 0r #4 SS Mustad hook

 

[bigjim5589]

That will catch various types of fish! :thumbsup:

I used to tie something similar commercially, but didn't go with any spun deer hair. This was a size 6 hook I think, and I was using the old Mustad kink shank popper hooks, which have a bit longer shank length. The tail was a small clump of hackle fibers.

I also tie a good number of Deceivers & similar patterns so I saved the bottom sections of larger hackles, and used the fibers on small flies like the one shown. Simple flies catch fish!

 

[kentuckysteve]

Nice looking flies!
I tie a few similar flies and the lm bass and white bass like them really well.




This one is a bit different but tied small it is great for bluegill and larger is a great bass fly.

 

[gillage]

I had a lot of success this past summer with a foam Japanese Beetle,catching a lot of both Bass and Bream on it. I was sitting here one day thinking about something along the same line,but bigger, hoping it might work on Smallmouths when I get a chance to fish for them next spring.
I took my Japanese Beetle pattern and kind of super-sized it and added a spun deer hair head to it. Tied on a #2 0r #4 SS Mustad hook

View attachment 20056

I would be interested in seeing the original Bass/Bream catcher.
Can never have too many of those flies in your box !

 

[The Mad Duck]

Without going out to the boat shed and grabbing one from the box, Here is a photo with the Japanese Beetle in a Breams mouth.

 

[The Mad Duck]

A little better photo of the beetle pattern I tie. I've also had great success with this pattern on a Trout stream. We Beetle Bomb rock ledges and the Brown Trout love them.

 

[dennyk]

Of all the patterns I've fished for Smallmouth Bass the flies that have produced the best for me are a combination of foam and "wiggly legs"! I've done better on lighter colored patterns like yellow, white, light green and tan then I have on the darker patterns for some reason. Pictured below is a Largemouth I got while smallie fishing. The fly is one of my favorites!

Good Luck!

Denny

 

[FlyFisher23]

That looks great, i suck at spinning deer hair, so i will tie that without the deer hair, but it looks like it would work!