Crease Flies

[StriperSniper]

All:
I'm thinking of tying up some crease flies this winter so I'd to get some input on who likes them and how you fish em.

[AlderBrookFarm]

I tied some in several sizes and up until a couple of weeks ago had only caught a few fish on them. I thought it was tail too long, wrong color, fishing it wrong....then I used them on blitzing blues at the insistance of my guide for the day. The albies weren't cooperating but the blues were there and the water was clear so we were sight fishing them in a way. What a blast. Fished them on an intermediate line and short 1' strips or let it rest, strip. It depended on the fish that was after it and how many were after it.

[mizt]

What type of foam do you use or holographic type. I will be experimenting with some this winter also but I like the ones at bps with the holographic shine stuff. Is it locofoam?

[AlderBrookFarm]

I don' t know. I bought my original kit from Joe Blados, the guy that invented the crease fly. It's sticky backed white foam with thin mylar paper of different colors that you stick to the foam. You can find the foam in Walmart or AC Moore or whatever craft/fabric places are in your area. Do a search and you'll see we've had a lot of discussion on where to buy what for crease flies on this forum.

[AlderBrookFarm]

duh...now I see you're in FL..I did try them in the Keys last year and caught a small cuda on one.

[Sentience]

I tie a lot of crease flies. they are a blast to fish with. in a blitz you can even just let them float there and they will get hit. i have caught all four species of the northeast on them - the most fun being the tunoids because if one misses the fly several more will hit it in succession (all in like two seconds.)

i use blados' kit and it works well. do not use the orvis kit. it is awful - for some reason the glue comes off on the foil instead of the other way around. the loco foam is really easy to use, but the flies don't look quite as good (that could be just to humans though) and the foam doesn't have as much flash.

the only complaint with crease flies is their durability. sometimes a fly might last for only one fish if it is especially hard hit or it is a blue or something. i notice on blados' flies in the stores that his foam is thicker and more durable (more rubbery) than the foam in the kit. i would really like to get my hands on some of that. i might look around this winter.

lastly, i recommend using holographic markers on the foil before the epoxy. it makes them look way more realistic.

[striblue]

Here are some that I changed slightly by cutting down the head into a more fish shape and epoxied in Feathers under the epoxy instead of the permenent marker. Also used maribou for the tails instead of the bucktail.

[striblue]

Here are some that represent different bait patterns... copied from Veverka's book on his article on Blados. You really don't need the kit if you go to Micheal's and get the foam and some super glue and cut them to shape... The sticky holograph is hard to find...but you can always just cut down some regular flash sheets and glue them on ,then epoxy over...or try other material. Try large saltwater flashabou as well and glue them along the length...or even silver paint!

[AlderBrookFarm]

I was putting the mylar/shiney paper to the sticky side of the foam and superglueing the body to the hook and then together. It's alot easier to find the sticky backed foam than it is to find the sticky backed paper. I agree with the durability issue. Some last for several fish and others for one. I did fish with one that was pretty beat up cause it looked like a fish that had been spit up or chomped on, just let it float and quiver once in a while and it got slammed pretty hard.

[jo53mo]

Pearl Craft store has all the sticky back paper in all kinds of designs.
Joe

[StriperSniper]

Ahhh....Thanks Joe..I have the Blados kit and I tied up a few using some precut forms...I like em, just my luck I most likely have to wait till next season to try em out.

I'm gonna post a few pics to get some opinions when I get a chance.

I have noticed that they don't last very long or is there a way to make em more durable ?

[striblue]

Here is a little fat peanut bunker crease fly... never tried it though.

[jo53mo]

Striblue,

What type of glue are you using on the creases?

Joe

[striblue]

By the way... that pic did not come though...but I just looked back and the fly is already posted back in the forum.... I simply will use any kind of super glue I have handy. I enjoy tying the mini ones as well ... you really have all kinds of forms you can play with... they don't all have to be the standard fly...you can make them pop or dart or slide...

[striblue]

For example...this one is just a little over an inch long...like a lot of the peanut bunker I see in Chatham. But I still grab the regular bait fish patterns to fish...Just never got around to trying these little ones ..although I have used the bigger patterns... I once made one 6 inches long... real awkward and heavy though... now it just sits in a case.