Muddler Herring

[mgustav]

I wanted to create a blueback herring pattern that would stay on top so I based it on the spun deer hair of the muddler series of flies. Just add dressing. The tail is tied flatwing. Anyone have experience with spun deer hair in the salt?http://www.panix.com/~pg/muddlerherring.jpg

[striblue]

Nice Job...Good Idea spinning hair on a flat wing style...have not seen that combo... I spin alot of dear haer and elk hair in my saltwater flies...I either spin or clump it and pull down..here are two. The first is cut down with a razor..the other with sissiors as Catherwood would only do.

[striblue]

...and this one is after Catherwood:

[osprey]

I tie and use Armand Courchaine's Muddler Deciever. It has produced on a few nights when nothing else would, most productive swung in the current of tidal rivers and with saddles tied flat.

[thynnus]

Spun deer hair flies are my favorite. They work extremely well at night(black) - push a lot of water. They are also pretty durable, I have a few that have been around quite a while. They only bad thing is that they are very messy to tie.

[mgustav]

Thanks for the replies. Lots of ideas to work with.

[rel]

mgustav- I tie a muddler using the eel punt as the basis of the fly and have very good luck with it. On your fly you might try palmering a webby white saddle over the butts of the hackles to give it alittle more depth in profile. Just be careful when trimming the head that you don't wipe out the "belly". Ron

[mgustav]

rel-
Thanks for the suggestions. I can imagine how the palmering would fill in the transition between the head and tail. The eel punt was my go to fly this Fall. The webbier the better.
Do you dress the head to float on top or do you let it fall and then rise on the swing?

[rel]

It seems like every time I tie a deer hair head they want to get soggy and sink but not fast just a n ice hovering sink rate. I like them for their ability to move water and also the larger head helps cut down on foul hooking the bait if its thick. Ron

[mgustav]

Why don't you grease the head?

[Nauti Buoy]

Try cutting a "trench" along the top of, and close to the hook shank, with scissors after you have spun the deer hair, but before you finish it. Then install a rattle with goop in the trench and let the goop cure thoroughly. Then tie in some bucktail, color to suit, over the top of the rattle to hide it. Spin some more deer hair to finish off the nose of the fly. Be sure to leave enough room behind the eye to tie in the bucktail and the final clump of deer hair. The goop will attach securely to the deer hair fibers. Try this in black as well and you'll have a great night fly. ;)

[rel]

Originally posted by rel
It seems like every time I tie a deer hair head they want to get soggy and sink but not fast just a n ice hovering sink rate. I like them for their ability to move water and also the larger head helps cut down on foul hooking the bait if its thick. Ron I do grease some if the fish are feeding off the top but with a floating line the fly stays just under the surface unless Imend the line to sink the fly deeper. Ron

[tonal]

Interesting fly, you mention fishing on top, would you call it a popper?
Slightly off topic, what vise is that in the photo?

thanks

[mgustav]

Just let it swing through the current with a twitch or two. Let the fly do the work.
The vice is a simple and cheap thing that Bill Balan makes. But it can handle 20 midges up 6/0 streamers.

[striblue]

If you want your Deer hair to act as a popper just cover it with epoxy then hard as nails and you have a surface popper.

[mgustav]

I'm going to keep this muddler thing alive with a Muddler Sand Eel with a three feather flatwing tail.http://www.panix.com/~pg/muddler-sandeel.jpg

[rel]

Originally posted by mgustav
I'm going to keep this muddler thing alive with a Muddler Sand Eel with a three feather flatwing tail.http://www.panix.com/~pg/muddler-sandeel.jpg Another good one- alsdo doubles as a silverside-from my experience. Ron

[tonal]

I'm curious what size hook are you using in this pattern?

thanks

[mgustav]

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