Fly Tying step by step tutorial

Ive been sick for the last few days with strep throat along with a fever and other cold symptoms and after sitting around taking medicine and watching TV for 3 days,  I decided to do something productive and catch up on some fly tying since I wasnt able to get out on the water. I have meaning to do a few fly tying step by step tutorials for my blog and figured this would be a good time to start. To me fly tying adds an extra element to the sport of fly fishing because you can take a hook, some feathers, hair(real or synthetic), and thread and combine them to create something that mimics a bait or prey species and use it to deceive a predator fish into thinking its food. Also it allows you to use your imagination and the hundreds of natural and synthetic tying materials and create something new that the fish havn't seen.

This first pattern is one that I've been using with success this winter along the Cape Fear Coast for redfish. Its black and purple and shows up really well in dark or stained water. It is basically a modified version of a seaducer and is a great shallow water fly as it lands softly and has alot of action underwater. It can be tied in many different sizes for any salt or freshwater fish that feeds on shrimp or minnows.

This particular one I have been using is tied on a size 1 Gamakatsu SC15 hook and is about 3 inches long.

Materials:
Gamakatsu SC 15 size 1
UTC Ultra Thread 210 in black and optional fl. fire orange
Bead Chain Eyes - size large in gold color
Craft Fur - purple
Schalppen feathers - black
Flashabou Accent - gold color
Tying tools- scissors, bobbin, hackle pliers, needle nose pliers with wire cutter, and whip finisher

Start your thread and create a base from the eye of the hook to just past the hook point

Cut a patch of purple craft fur and pull off any underfur that is attached and place to the side. At the same time cut about 8-10 strands of the gold flash accent the same length of the craft fur. From here you can combine the craft fur and flash together like I did in the picture or you can attach the flash on top of the craft fur after its tied in.

Next tie the craft fur to the hook

Once the craft fur and flash is secured cut off a pair of eyes from the bead chain with wire cutters. Tie the eyes in just in front of the craft fur.

The next step is to pick a wide schlappen feather and attach the top of the feather just in front of the eyes and then work your thread back to the eye of the hook.

Attach your hackle pliers to the schlappen feather and begin palmering the feather around the hook shank, keeping the wraps close together to build a thick body. Use your fingers to keep the fibers from getting wrapped under each other.

Continue wrapping to the eye of the hook. Tie off the schlappen feather and trim excess.

From here you can continue using the black thread or switch to the fl. fire orange color. Using the bright color is simply to help track the fly in the water and is not neccessary to catch fish. From here use one hand to fold the feather fibers back over the fly and work your thread about 1/8 of an inch towards bend of the hook. This forces the feathers fibers to lay back over the fly. Finally whip finish and trim your thread and coat with a drop of head cement.

This is a simple to tie but effective fly and one that I have used with good success over the last few months...just look in the mouths of these 2 fish.

I will try to get a few more tutorials done on other patterns soon.

The weather is still mild along coastal NC and fishing has remained very good so tie up a few flies and bring them down to test on a few Cape Fear Coast redfish.

Capt. Allen Cain

http://www.sightfishnc.com/

February Redfishing

This past Saturday I had Dr. Bob and Pete join me for a half day of sightfishing redfish. I guided Dr. Bob in the Cape Fear RedTrout tournament for Cystic Fibroses last October where he and partner James helped us take home the Most Redfish Division. Joining Dr. Bob this time was his friend Pete. We started the day at our first spot with a good falling tide and calm winds but with lots of cloud cover. Cloud cover meant finding fish and getting a fly shot would be tough. Knowing this Bob and Pete picked up the spin rods with weedless soft plastics and within a short period of time I located the group of around 100 fish slowly pushing wakes in less than a foot of water. We managed to get one fish out of the group before they spooked. Due to the clouds it was tough to see them until they started moving away from us and because they were spooked we couldn't get them to eat again. I decided to run us to another spot where I had located another group of 50-75 fish on a shallow flat just a few days before. These fish had just moved into the area and hadn't been run over by trolling motors for the last few months and weren't quite as spooky. I pushed the guys up on the bar where I thought the school would be and we watched as part of the school started pushing water coming straight at the boat. Both casted and resulted in another hookup. After a quick photo we were back on the hunt. Again after poling up on the bar we watched the fish again push water straight at the boat, and with two quick casts to the front of the school both Bob's and Pete's line came tight. First double of the day. Another couple photos and releases and we at it again. Unfortunatly the fish at that point had figured out our strategy and stayed out of range in slightly deeper water. With time running out I ran the guys to one last spot that had been holding fish all winter. We searched for the fish for a while with no luck. I had just about given up thinking they had moved when I noticed some nervous water in a small creek mouth. As we appoached the creek the water started moving and I told the guys to cast just in front of them and immediatly they both had another double on. Great way to finish up the day. Thanks Bob and Pete, I look forward to fishing with you guys again.

The week before I fished with a few buddies while scouting some water I hadn't fished in a few months. The first few places didn't hold any fish but on our last spot we found a group of redfish hanging out with a huge school of large mullet. The redfish were easy to distinguish from the mullet as their carolina blue tails glowed in the clear wintertime water. A few days later on a trip to another new spot we located the school on which I guided Bob and Pete to. We sightfished a couple of fish on fly from each group before leaving them alone for later charters. This winter had been very mild and the fishing has remained very good.  Don't miss your opportunity to experience the clear water wintertime sightfishing along the Cape Fear Coast.  Call today to book your trip.

This weekend The Fly Fishing Show will be at the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. This is one of the largest fly fishing shows in the US and the largest in NC. The show is Saturday and Sunday. I will have a booth at the show so if you're there stop by and say hello.

Capt. Allen Cain

http://www.sightfishnc.com/

More pictures

Wintertime Sightfishing

The wintertime sightfishing along the Cape Fear Coast has been exceptional this year with the mild winter we have had so far.  The redfish are schooled up in the creeks and on shallow mud flats and the water is crystal clear.

On Friday I had anglers Brian and Jeremy on board for their first ever redfish trip. Brian and Jeremy are both accomplished anglers and have fished everywhere from their homestate of NY for trout and steelhead to Alaska, Belize, and the Bahamas. The goal for the day was to get each of the guys their first redfish, Brian with fly and Jeremy with spin rod. I knew it was going to be a good day when Brian told me has caught bonefish, tarpon, and permit on fly, as I knew his casting abilities would allow him many shots at fish and be able to deal with the wind. The day started out calm without a breath of wind and quickly warming temps. After arriving at our first spot, I gave Brian a fly rod rigged with Millers Mighty Minnow fly and Jeremy a rod with a Berkley Gulp shrimp. The fish in this location have been fished to quite a bit by other fisherman and very spooky so I wanted a fly that landed softly and a plastic lure with some scent in case they refused the fly. Within 40 yards of where we started we ran into the first group of around 30 fish laying on top of an oyster bar warming up in the morning sunlight. Unforturnatly they saw us first and spooked. We worked these fish for about an hour allowing them to calm down and then slowly approaching them again but they would never allow us in range with out spooking. We had been watching a small group of dolphins working the outside edge of the flat and assumed they were chasing redfish as well. I figured those dolphin were the reason these fish were spooked and decided it was time to find a fresh group of fish but told the guys keep their rods ready until we were off the flat. As I poled the boat towards where the dolphin had been splashing around earlier my boat accidently hit an oyster bar I tried to slide over. With that sound the water 50 ft. to our right errupted with about 60-70 redfish hiding in a small pocket of water behind the next oyster bar over. They were just laying there hiding from the dolphins until we spooked them. I instructed Jeremy to make a quick cast with the gulp while I spun the boat to give Brian a fly shot. Jeremy immediatly hooked up and with a quick flycast and a few strips a fish inhaled Brians fly. A Double hookup and each guys first ever redfish.  After a few pictures and a little celebration we began to look for the fish again. We ended up finding them but between us catching 2 of their buddies and pushing them out of their hiding spot from the dolphins patroling the edge of the flat  they were extremely spooky.  With the wind beginning to pick up I took the guys to another flat that has been holding a huge school of fish but when we arrived the SW wind had the water very choppy and dirty and made spotting the fish almost impossible. With the wind picking up and time running out we called it a successful trip and great way to start the 2012 fishing season.

The last week of 2011 I spent some time on the water friends Jimmy, Kary, and Kary's son Jake.

Kary, Jake, and I spent the 29th on the water duck hunting and fishing. Kary and Jake had never been duck hunting so I invited them down to hunt the saltmarsh in an area I had been seeing a few black ducks, gadwall, and buffleheads. Unfortunatly there wasnt much flying that morning but we did get to watch a small group of redfish swim in and around our decoys. To bad we didnt have a rod or camera, they were in the boat about 200 yards away. At one point I pulled the jerk string on the decoys and fish scattered in all directions in the decoys, it was a very cool sight. We decided to call the hunt and go chase some fish. We explored some new areas and found fish laid up warming in the sun and spooky so we left to find others. On the next group Kary made a cast to a fish cruising down the shoreline and the fish aggressively attacked the fly. On our way back we learned why the first school of fish were so spooky, they were being fished hard by other groups of fisherman. This brings up an important point, this time of year you shouldnt fish the same school to hard or they will become very spooky and move. You should catch a few and then move to the next school of fish.

On the last day of 2011 I joined friend Jimmy Wright for a short fishing trip on my old boat. Jimmy bought my previous skiff from me and it was nice to get out and fish on it again. With the wind blowing 15mph and forcasted to increase we knew we would be spending the day fishing protected creeks. We located a couple groups of fish and managed to get 4 redfish and a small speckled trout to finish up the year before having to get back and prepare for the new years celebrations.

Winter is the time to come fish the Cape Fear Coast if you want to sightfish large schools of fish in very clear water. Whether you're a fly or light tackle angler, don't hesitate to book your adventure.

Capt. Allen Cain

http://www.sightfishnc.com/

Scouting Trip

Friend and angler Wes Aiken joined me on the boat to do a little scouting for some upcoming charters and what we found was nothing short of phenomenal. We started the morning poling some very shallow tidal creeks, some of which were only as wide as the boat. Within the first 50 yards of poling we spotted a pair of redfish laid up near an oyster bar. Unfortunately they saw us around the same time and before Wes could get a shot with the fly rod they spooked. The water is very clear this time of year and as they swam under the boat we noticed one fish had a red lure hanging out of his mouth. We continued up the creek and as we came to the next bend we noticed some fish pushing water chasing shrimp. As I started to spin the boat giving Wes the perfect shot we noticed another fish tailing and finning coming down the shoreline just past the group of fish. Wes made a cast and one of the fish saw the fly line and spooked causing the other 3 to spook. They turned and went up the creek so I poled Wes a little closer and gave him a shot at the tailing fish. He made the cast and immediately the other group that spooked turned and came right at his fly and the tailing fish. Within a few strips of the fly the tailing fish raced forward to beat the other fish to the fly and Wes was hooked up to his first red drum of the day. After a few quick pictures we released that fish and continued up the creek finding more redfish eating shrimp and laid up around oysters. We decided to leave these fish alone and explore new areas. As we poled up and down many of the other creeks in the area we found many singles and small groups patrolling the creeks but no big groups of fish. By this time the tide had began to come in and I decided to make a run to an area that is almost dry on low tide. After slowing the boat to idle near the mouth of the creek I noticed fish pushing water further up the creek in mere inches of water. We switched positions with Wes taking the push pole and giving me the bow with the fly rod.  Wes poled me up the creek and we watched as redfish pushed into a small narrow ditch leading up into the spartina grass. As we got within range of the ditch we were amazed at what we saw. There were 12-15 fish feeding in this ditch that was less than 6 feet wide and about 18 inches deep. After missing an eat on a topwater fly I switched to a small shrimp fly and one cast later had a fish break away from the group and eat the fly 15 feet from the bow. We continued up the creek to a small lagoon in the spartina grass and found more than a dozen other fish tailing around digging for crabs and cruising with their backs out of the water. With Wes back on the bow he made a cast to a single fish in a small pocket of water and was hooked up within one strip of the fly. After another photo and release we left the rest of the fish alone for my anglers in the upcoming days and decided to call it a day.With the unseasonably warm air and water temperatures combined with clear water the sightfishing right now along the Cape Fear Coast is exceptional. Don't wait to book your fly or light tackle fishing trip or purchase a holiday gift certificate for that angler on your holiday list. 

Capt. Allen Cain

http://www.sightfishnc.com/

 

Fall Fishing Report

I know I've been bad about keeping up with my blog lately. Between being on the water everyday possible fishing to chasing ducks around NC its been a busy fall, but I will try to keep you better up to date with whats going on along the Cape Fear Coast.

Fall fishing has been very good this year. The speckled trout have really start showing up in big numbers over the last few months and we have been catching them on artificials and flies. Most of the trout I have caught lately are ranging in size from undersized to up to 4 pounds. We have been catching them from Topsail Island to the Cape Fear River. The inlets have been holding some of the bigger fish but we have got a few way up the creeks. For artificials we have been using 1/4oz. jigheads with DOA Cal Shad and Jerk Bait in pink, electric chicken, greene, and silver mullet. Mirrolures are also working well. For flies we have been throwing clousers, small decievers, and other custom shrimp flies on sinking and intermediate fly lines.

The Red Drum fishing has been good all year but over the last month they have really started schooling back up and are very aggressive. Just recently I have witnessed the same school tailing, backing, and crushing shrimp on the surface sometimes so aggressively that the were coming out of the water. All this in less than a foot of water. This is the time of year when they will form large schools ranging from 20 to 200+ fish. They will congregate in shallow water eating every shrimp, crab, or minnow they find. The water is also clearing up and will continue to remain clear throughout the winter. Combining the clear water with the large schools of fish makes for some of the best and most exciting redfishing of the year. Red drum are more temperature tolerant that other fish and can be caught all 12 months of the year. For the redfish I have been throwing topwater plugs and weedless soft plastic shrimp imitations and for flies we have been using poppers, shrimp, and light weight minnow patterns. Redfish, usually, aren't as picky about the fly type as they are about presentation and movement of the fly.

I would also like to thank Dr. Bob Adams and James Weathers for fishing with me in the Cape Fear RedTrout Celebrity Tournament and congratulate them on winning the Most Redfish Division. The Redtrout is a catch and release charity tournament held to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. Held in Wrightsville Beach at the Blockade Runner Hotel anglers and guides fished for two days for redfish and speckled trout. The fishing was good on day 1 and Dr. Bob and James caught an impressive 12 redfish with one being undersized as well as numerous speckled trout with 4 being legal. It was so good at times that I couldnt keep up with measuring and photographing the two fish in the boat before they were hooked up again. At one point we had a upper slot redfish and 3lb. trout in the net at same time.  Day 2 fishing was a little slower at first as we only picked up a few trout while waiting for our school of redfish to show up....which they never did. Although disappointed our redfish didnt show we still managed to finish up the day getting into good numbers of specks but unfortunatly most were undersize with only a few legal size. Due to fishing being so good I cut our timing to close and we were disqualified Day 2 for being 1 minute late to check in. Although we DQ'ed the second day, Dr. Bob and James's performance on day 1 got us the win in the Most Redfish Division. Congrats guys and look forward to fishing with you again.

Fishing should continue to be excellent throughtout the remainder of the Fall and into early Winter for redfish and trout. If the weather remains consistant it could translate into an exceptional year for winter sightfishing for redfish. I will also be offering gift certificates starting this year so call or email to purchase a great gift for the angler on your holiday gift list. Dont wait to book your fishing trip as the fishing along the Cape Fear Coast is as good as it gets right now. 

Here are some pictures from the last few months

opening day of duck season