Tailing Loops

I guess that's not always true. Some flies really do just go horribly wrong and you have no recourse but to get out your X-acto, strip the hook and start over. I usually like to toss the non-hook wreckage into the trash with a satisfying flourish and a few choice words.

But if the fly is still structurally sound, and its more of an attractor than an imitator, I'm of the camp that says you might as well keep it and try it...you may have just created the next big thing.

As you may have guessed, I'm posting this because I just did this same thing a few nights ago while trying to teach myself to spin hair. I'd scrapped 3 flies that night by overcrowding the eye, and each time, I'd do it again. Finally, in frustration, I tried spinning the hair first, mid-shank, just to see how it'd work.

Well it worked great and once I saw how nice it looked, I decided to build a ridiculous, brightly colored streamer around it. The resultant fly looked cool, like it would catch fish, so I plan to fish it the next time I think its appropriate. It may already be a standard pattern I'm not familiar with too, so if this turns out to be your original pattern, let me know.






Trip Minnow

Hook: 4x long streamer hook, Mustad 79580 or equivalent

Thread: Black 3/0

Tail: Fl. Orange Marabou

Body: Gold mylar tinsel

Head: Spun Deer Hair, dyed Fl. Chartreuse

Wing: Black bucktail w/ 4-10 strands of krystal flash.

Beard: Red bucktail

This may catch nothing, or it might be the next big thing. I encourage anyone to give it a try! I'll be using it in murky water.