Sculpins

[MD_Gene]

I fished the first sculpin I tied using the Enrico Puglisi fiber brushes. I saw the tie on uTube. It makes a gill breathing effect. I got a small brownie on the GunPowder (MD) on my second cast with one. I know that sculpins swim and drop back to the bottom, that’s how I got the brownie yesterday. But is there a way to tie them or fish them without getting hung up on the bottom as much? Or, does that just go with the territory? Thanks in advance.

 

[Ebrant10]

Sculpin helmets, the keel causes the hook to ride point up when tied correctly resulting in less snags.

 

[jkilroy]

Or tie a sculpin clouser style

 

[crs2006]

If you dont have the fish skull sculpin helmets, A generic dumbell weight (non painted ones) on top of the shank with the rest of the pattern tied under the shank will put the fly down fast, and keep the point out of harm's way. They are going to get hung up regardless, point up just makes it happen less.

Another option is to attach a couple BB size split shot to one of the tags of your tippet knot, then tie a knot at the bottom of the tag to keep the shot from sliding off the end.. It will keep the fly off the bottom a bit if its neutrally bouyant, but with a more deliberate stip it will make the fly dive down towards the bottom on the strip and allow it to rise a bit on the pauses. The problem with this is its not all that fun to cast.

 

[Stenonema]

Develop a knack for knowing how deeply you are fishing. I use mends or twitchs to stay in touch with my fly to feel it. Work on developing that sense or feel. I do not believe that there is another reliable way, short of suspending the fly under a bobber, that will prevent you from hooking the bottom.
Place the fly in the water close by and observe it entirely. Then fish it.

 

[jay348]

jkilroy wrote:
Or tie a sculpin clouser style

This.

Most of mine are very similar to this guy...

http://hatchesmagazine.com/blogs/Hatches/2011/07/08/easy-sculpin/

You can also swap out the deer hair for laser dub/craft fur/any other head material of choice. Keep it simple.

 

[sandfly]

you don't need the dumb bell eyes with a jig hook just wrap the shank with lead for weight. won't catch as bad. or tie in a bend back style with lead wrapped on shank.


sculpins only come out for Halloween !

 

[Fishidiot]

jkilroy wrote:
Or tie a sculpin clouser style

Yep - plus 2!

I'm a sculpin junky and tie all my weighted ones with dumbell eyes. As the saying goes, these are so effective there "oughta be a law."

 

[barrybarry]

Jig hooks makes perfect sense. I never tried them but I think I will. I tie sculpins a few different ways. Always with Clouser dumbbell eyes. I use the eyes shape to create the gill flaps rather than as eyes. The broadest area on a sculpin are the gill flaps.

The one on the top is wet. These are tied on 8 and 10 3x.

 

[Fishidiot]

barrybarry wrote:
The broadest area on a sculpin are the gill flaps.
.

Yep - this is a good observation and worth remembering when you're experimenting with fly tying.

Nice ties Barry!

 

[DaveKile]

Fishidiot,

Need a share picture of the scuplins you tie up. They looked real nice and you seemed to do pretty well with them.

 

[beadhead2]

LouM has a killer sculpin pattern

 

[franklin]

beadhead2 wrote:
LouM has a killer sculpin pattern

Yes, it takes baitcasting gear to cast it.

 

[evw659]

I like shenks sculpin in all black, or all olive. The only problem i have with them is that they dont sink that well because of all the surface area created with the head and fins. even with a ton of lead wire, it doesn't sink that all that well.

 

[TLoomis]

I love those sculpin helmets. They ride great in the water, and look awesome. My only problem with them is you need to check your knot pretty frequently. I was fishing them with 4x yesterday and I lost two mid cast because the loop through the hook eye wore out and broke. Knot was still on the tippet both times. Bummer

 

[Crotalus]

I tie upside down on jig hooks AND use the sculpin helmets

Some with rabbit strips and some with marabou (this particular version was on a regular hook)

 

[sandfly]

I tie this and use

 

[franklin]

Nice patterns. How much weight are you adding to your patterns?