So what's your favorite junk fly, where is your line?

[ia_trouter]

Disclaimer, it's my hope this thread is not the place to rant at length, but it's OK to state the line you won't cross if you are careful with your words. My intent is not to start an e-brawl.

To me a real fly is as close to 100% fur and feathers as possible. I break my own rules sometimes, because I make my own rules as long as its legal and ethical. Legal and ethical are not always the same thing IMO.

My favorite junk fly has to be the wooly bugger. It's my go to when the water is muddy. I use foam flies for panfish and bass like it doesn't even matter. Foam hoppers are ridiculous effective. I do consider fly fishing for species other than trout "real fly fishing".

Not a fan of mop flies, eggs and bobbers, but knock yourself out if that's your thing. My line not to cross is beading trout. I highly disapprove and that's my prerogative whether it's legal there or not. Heck it's legal to dip net game fish some places and that's not fishing either. Most all of us have a "line" or we'd be spin fishing, or fly casting nightcrawlers and minnows when that's working.

Anyway, I consider myself pretty open minded but I think it's OK to have personal rules.

 

[pheldozer]

mops have been a reliable 'skunk saver' for me over the last couple years, but they only get tied on in emergencies.
i draw the line at attaching rubber worms to big jig hooks with tying thread. not squirmy material, actual rubber worms that were made for spin fishing applications.

 

[Fly2bTied]

What is "beading" Trout?

 

[bigjim5589]

I don't consider them as a "junk" fly, but I'll toss a Clouser Minnow at most anything that swims. It's a style of fly that can be tied in various ways. The last trout I caught, which has been several years was on a Clouser Minnow type of fly tied in a small size & with fox fur & Polar Flash. The fly had pink bead chain eyes too. Some folks consider them a jig, but as long as I can cast it with my fly gear, and it's meets the following definition, to me it's a fly.

My definition of what a fly is, & what fly fishing is, follows what the state of MD uses for their definition as it applies to regulated fly only waters. It's broad in scope, but IMO, covers the intention of using flies & fly fishing very well.

"

• You may only fish with artificial flies and streamers constructed in a normal fashion using natural and/or synthetic materials, which may include feathers, fur, hair, tinsel, thread, fiber, plastic, cork, wire and rubber on a single hook with the components wound on or around the hook. Specifically prohibited are the use of molded replicas of insects, earthworms, fish eggs, fish or any invertebrate or vertebrate either singly or in combination with other materials, or other lures commonly described as spinners, spoons, or plugs made of metal, plastic, wood, rubber or similar substance or a combination of these.
• You may only fish with conventional fly fishing tackle, fly rods, fly reels, and fly line with a maximum of 18 feet of leader or monofilament line attached. Any method of angling when the fly is cast directly from the reel is prohibited. The use of spinning, spincast, and casting reels is prohibited.
• You may not possess or use any natural bait, or live bait, or any device enhanced with a scent capable of catching fish."

Of course this only applies to Special Regulation Trout waters in MD, but I've found it to be a good basis for defining flies & fly fishing for my own satisfaction. Like ia_trouter said, I'll stray some for fish species other than trout, but not often very far from this.

Personally, I believe this should not be something that folks should argue about, and should set for their fishing purposes. The trouble often starts because not everyone thinks in the same terms. This is why there needs to be such definitions for regulated waters. People can't be trusted to use their judgement unfortunately.

 

[jeep.ster]

Any fly that's not a dry fly is junk. I do use the nimps though and when someone asks what's on my san juan rig, I usually say just a bunch of junk. It's my pet name. Did I cross the line?

 

[rfb700]

Junk fly or not the Wooly bugger is my go to in more places and situations than I care to count. Love that thing.

The line in the sand I won't cross is dynamiting fish. While effective I just don't see it as ethical, at least since I lost three fingers on my right hand.

 

[weiliwen]

There's folks out in Washington that use heavily weighted lines to get heavily weighted flies down to catch ling cod and such. That's beyond my line. But if I can cast a fly it's okay. I've considered casting very small lightweight spoons, just to see if it works.

I also don't like bobbers, called "nymph indicators" by some. I won't say I have never done it, but I'd rather not.

Again this is just my line in the sand, YMMV.

 

[ia_trouter]

Junk fly or not the Wooly bugger is my go to in more places and situations than I care to count. Love that thing.

The line in the sand I won't cross is dynamiting fish. While effective I just don't see it as ethical, at least since I lost three fingers on my right hand.

Pretty sure dynamite is organic. Why you gotta be like that? Thanks for keeping the thread light lol.

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[ia_trouter]

What is "beading" Trout?

Serious question?

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[JoJer]

It's funny some of us who would use tinsel or mylar flash, either as a rib or in a bunch as a wing, might balk at, say, a silver or gold spoon made from the same material. I've seen spoons tiers made from plastic glue-on finger nails and small shiny baitfish imitations made from woven tubing, filled with epoxy and shaped to give the fly action like a spoon.
Is a mylar rib one end of a spectrum and the other a 12 wt fly rod +a 12" castaic lake rubber lure on a down rigger? Or perhaps the teaser/taker techniques used for marlin?
This is starting to shape up like the spinner decoy threads on the duck hunting sites.

 

[satyr]

I'm another one of those that thinks anything that isn't a dry fly is a junk fly except that I do like throwing streamers occassionally. Go to fly would have to be an Elk Hair Caddis in most any color but yellow seems to work really well for some reason when fishing it as an attractor.

 

[trev]

Serious question?

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Beading trout is an expression I've never seen nor heard. I can guess you mean using jigs for trout?

 

[patrick62]

Mops, squirmy worm, pellet fly (painted to look like a ladybug hahaha). I use panfish poppers as indicator flies for dry-dropper rigs sometimes.

You still have to tie a "junk" fly on properly and cast it to the right place. It's not a gimme.

 

[bigjim5589]

Beading trout is an expression I've never seen nor heard. I can guess you mean using jigs for trout?

It's a method using hard or soft plastic beads as the attraction, to imitate fish eggs, often under a float, instead of a tied egg pattern. It's a lure, but some use them with fly tackle.

In my definition that I mentioned above, they would not be considered a "fly", first because some are molded, and second they're not fashioned in a "normal" manner by tying around the hook shank. This could be debated.

I've never used egg patterns much anyway, and those I have used, I "cheated" in making some of them. I have bought the small poms from a craft shop & threaded them on the hook, with a thread base & super glued them to the hook. Quick, easy and cheap. I'm sure there's folks who would dislike this "tying" method too. These do however, meet the definition I provided, although that too might be debated. [poke]

 

[pheldozer]

there's a guy up in pulaski who's known for the exquisite nail polish paint jobs he puts on beads

Consent Form | Field & Stream

 

[shirefisher]

I love pulling out my 22$ eagle claw 4 weight rod with 10$ clearance line and whipping out the barely there beat up wooley bugger, donning my carhart, "wading" slacks and fighting a trophy rainbow....

 

[ia_trouter]

there's a guy up in pulaski who's known for the exquisite nail polish paint jobs he puts on beads

Consent Form | Field & Stream

There may be different ways to rig beads but I was especially impressed with staking them inches away from the hook and snagging fish in the side of the face when they hit the bead. Had the privilege of fishing famous water in AK and not a soul throwing a fly at salmon or trout. I am still scarred lol. Enough of that subject.


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[trev]

So, why is a wooly bugger a "junk" fly? The wire rib isn't natural?

 

[Fly2bTied]

Serious question?

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Yes, I have never heard that before until a few recent posts. I ask because I don't know.

 

[Unknownflyman]

I stick with fur and feather, sparse synthetics, Thats what I fish and that's the line. Is this an answer that is not going to rile the masses? will there be adult content and strong language. Is someone going beg to be banned? :wavetowel

PS- I didn't fish any synthetics this year! and caught more trout than ever. Yes say it, give in to the dark side.

I`ll be surfing in from my Northwoods deer stand over the next three days from time to time.:hippie: