Tying Brush Flies

[smp005]

I've watched countless videos on tying brush flies... One question still stands out for me...

On a 6/0 hook for example, how LONG is the fly overall on average? I struggle with gauging the length beyond the hook bend on these.. I mean it looks like everyone is tying them about twice the length of the hook but some look like 3 times the length..

Just looking for opinions....

Scott

 

[delopez]

Preference, actually fishing it, and overall action is what you would basis that on... If the fish are just nipping the tail, shorten it, or tie a stinger off the back. However, if you shorten it and the action looks terrible make adjustments. Same thing applies when you're adding materials properly to make the fly keel correctly...

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---------- Post added at 08:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:29 PM ----------

Another thing that I'll add... Think about the materials that you're using. In my example, it's simply flash in two colors, buck tail, and ostrich herl. Had I been using strictly buck tail, I would've went down in hook size and longer in buck tail length. The reason? Stiffer fiber and moves better with a bit more "clearance." Personal opinion, maybe, but that's my personal experience talking with bucktail... Someone else may have acquired a "Bambi" tail of "soft and flowing nature"...

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[camelbrass]

Brush Fly on a 6/0. Not tied by me unfortunately, one of Jono Makim's creation. Gives you an idea of scale.

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[hambone111]

depends on species.

i tie some big brush streamers for largemouth and smallmouth for the larger rivers here in my area size 1/0. These are fished deep and mostly for big hits so the flies are about 1.5x shank length or little longer because they are gonna get hit hard by big fish. smaller stuff for generic patters like on a size 4 i tie it just the length of the hook off the back because youre gonna get everything from a 10"bass to a 18" bass hit it and you dont want all tail strikes.

As i understand it if youre going for like real deal predatory fish like pike and what not, they hit for center mass so you sort of worry less about them just picking tails off the back and not getting strikes.

but as mentioned if youre getting too many tail strikes you either need a second hook or to trim the tail.

I love that one with the hackle tails. i need to recreate that !!!

 

[Rip Tide]

I've never heard of "brush flies" but I tie a lot of big streamers here for the northeast salt.
Big flies on big hooks that carry a lot of bulk actually need to be weighted (as in a keel of lead strips) to get them to cast well and ride up-right.
Casting those are not fun to me.
And if you're not having fun, then why are you out there in the first place?

If you're not carrying a lot of bulk.... and you should do everything possible to avoid that...the only reason to use oversized hooks is for the added hook strength.
I don't know what kind of fish you're targeting, but a 6/0 is likely way over kill.
Where I fish, an 8inch fly is all you will ever need . Even if the baits are larger. And nearly any 8inch fly will ride easily on a 2/0 hook or even a 1/0.
(I do tie a 3/0 bendback but that's only because it needs the additional weight to ride upright)
:icon_idea Keeping your bulk and hook weight down is paramount to having a fly that you actually might want to cast more than once or twice a day.

Here in the northeast salt, flies are tied to give the illiusion of great size.
Even the Clouser Minnow was originally designed to appear as if only the shoulders and back of the "bait" was visible and the region under the lateral line was just implied.

Bob Popovic's "hollow fleye" series are just that..hollow.
They're reverse tied (like a thunder creek) so that the material is forced out from the hook shank.

"Flat wing" style flies, like that one pictured in post 3 are the norm here in southern NewEngland.
The "Rhody flatwing" is my go-to fly for most of the season. And I never tie then on larger than a 1/0.
There's no point to it. You're keeping your material bulk to a minimum and a 1/0 is a plenty strong hook with a lot of gape.

hollowfleyes

Flatwings

hollow flatwings !

 

[camelbrass]

The brush fly in large hook sizes is a go to fly for Giant Trevally who 99% of the time hit the head of the fly. I use them up to 8/0 but have seen 10/0 being used successfully. As a species they are generally attracted to large baits, the bigger fish will often refuse smaller baits particularly when they're ambushing prey on a reef.

Regards,


Trevor

 

[pnc]

Brush flies as I know them are made from material called brushes. Fibers about an inch to two long. Wire down middle about a foot long. Don't see any of that in previous posts. Are you referring to such as I described ?

........ pc

 

[smp005]

Brush flies as I know them are made from material called brushes. Fibers about an inch to two long. Wire down middle about a foot long. Don't see any of that in previous posts. Are you referring to such as I described ?

........ pc

Basically yes... I'm tying them for GT fishing on CXI this fall. I'm using EP fibers and then 2" brush for the head. The brush is on a stainless steel wire - pretty cool stuff to work with.

I always worry about them being too short or too sparse so I have a tendency to tie them long and thick assuming I can always trim...

Gonna tie a few with saddle hackles as well I think..

 

[silver creek]

Brush flies as I know them are made from material called brushes. Fibers about an inch to two long. Wire down middle about a foot long. Don't see any of that in previous posts. Are you referring to such as I described ?

........ pc

Craft Fur Dubbing Brush - Fly Fish Food -- Fly Tying and Fly Fishing

Fly Tying Blog - EP Brushes - Dakota Angler & Outfitter Black Hills Fly Fishing

YouTube

 

[dennyk]

If short hits and action of the fly are a concern, could you maybe tie up a couple articulated flys with a backset and upward hook.

Tried this on some of my bass flys with very good results.

Denny