Back to the Saltwater flies for me this month
This is one i fancy would find favour with Perch and Pike as well as the troots though
Not to difficult to tie either and just a wee bit different to the norm. I mean if we use rapala's that have sound making devices then why not make flies in a similar way.
I've tied the "Rattle Rouser" in its lightweight form, but you could add dumbell eyes or even a weighted underbody if you wanted it to be heavier
Hook: Varivas 2610 ST-V size 2
Under Thread: claret or red (fl green for the chartreuse version)
Head thread: White
Body: Orvis easi-body braid in natural pearl
Under wing: white bucktail
Over wing: tan bucktail
Topping: Root beer Krystal flash
Eyes: 1/8" red prism stick on eyes
Rattle: A small worm rattle. (i got them in the states)
Step 1: Place hook in vice.
Step 2: Start with the red thread and wind down the shank to a point in line with the barb.
Step 3: Tie in Body braid securely and cut to length leaving a decent amount for the tail and take thread back up the front of the hook.
Step 4: Select the rattle and smooth off any edges with a file or sand paper.
Step 5: Insert rattle in the braided tubing.
Step 6: Push rattle as far down tubing as possible.
Step 7: Tie down the front of the tubing making sure the rattle cannot slide inside.
Step 8: Trim end and whip finish.
Step 9: Varnish the head and separate the strands at the tail.
Step 10: When head varnish is dry, invert the hook and start the white thread.
Step 11: Select some white bucktail about 2 times the body length of the fly, remove the under fibers and tie it in as a wing.
Trim the buts and keep head smooth.
Step 12: Do the same again but this time with some tan bucktail approximatley the same length.
Step 13: Take a few krystal flash strands and tie in on top, tips of flash should be roughly the same length as the wing.
Step 14: Make head nice and smooth then whip finish and apply some head cement.
Step 15: once the cement is dry apply a small eye to each side of the head.
Step 16: Apply a nice coat of Epoxy to the head area, enough to fill the gap at the bottom and place in a fly drier to turn while the epoxy sets.
Step 17: When dry the fly should look like this, with a nice smooth bullet shaped head.
The fly will fish upside down and has a keel effect keeping it straight in the water, if you want to add dumbells you would do it at stage 8 and they would be on the actual top side of the hook directly in front of the braid. I like it light, it is easy to cast and still sinks pretty quick, would be a great Pike fly i think, in bigger sizes
You can tie it with green thread and Chartreuse Bucktail instead of Tan as well, for another really good saltwater combination
but any combination you fancy would be good, i like the tan one, it fooled a lot of seagulls down in OZ so it must look like a fish
Cheers
Sandy
