dc410
Well-known member
Over the past two years PAFF has allowed me to rekindle some old friendships and make many new ones. The ability to share ideas and experiences is IMO one of the greatest benefits of this on line community.
At the Jam earlier this year at Seven Mountains I got to meet and fish for the weekend with our own lv2nymph. Jack kind of took me under his wing and shared a lot of information with me as we fished the Little J, Penns and Spring Creek that weekend. Jack also clued me in to one of his favorite fly tying materials - mink fur. I received a huge amount of mink fur in various color phases in the mail one day from Jack. Mink fur has some great characteristics in how it looks and moves when in the water. He ties up a beadhead mink nymph that is an absolute "fish catcher". While sitting at my vise recently I came up with another application for the mink fur. Here is how I tie the Bunny-Mink Sculpin.
I tied these on a #4 3XL Nymph hook, straight cut rabbit strip for the tail and back, Mink fur for the body (tied in using a dubbing loop, brushed out and trimmed on the bottom) and clumps of mink fur tied in for the pectoral fins. The head is a size small (olive or brown) sculpin helmet. I wrapped the hook shank with small diameter lead wire to help sink these flies straight to the bottom where the sculpins hang out. They ride hook point up creating less hang ups as they are bounced along the bottom, in between weedbeds and through undercuts. They can be tied in almost endless color combinations to match the sculpins in your favorite stream. If you happen to see some old mink furs being sold for next to nothing at the local garage sale ..... buy them!
Thanks again, Jack. I hope you smash a big brownie with one of these flies.
At the Jam earlier this year at Seven Mountains I got to meet and fish for the weekend with our own lv2nymph. Jack kind of took me under his wing and shared a lot of information with me as we fished the Little J, Penns and Spring Creek that weekend. Jack also clued me in to one of his favorite fly tying materials - mink fur. I received a huge amount of mink fur in various color phases in the mail one day from Jack. Mink fur has some great characteristics in how it looks and moves when in the water. He ties up a beadhead mink nymph that is an absolute "fish catcher". While sitting at my vise recently I came up with another application for the mink fur. Here is how I tie the Bunny-Mink Sculpin.
I tied these on a #4 3XL Nymph hook, straight cut rabbit strip for the tail and back, Mink fur for the body (tied in using a dubbing loop, brushed out and trimmed on the bottom) and clumps of mink fur tied in for the pectoral fins. The head is a size small (olive or brown) sculpin helmet. I wrapped the hook shank with small diameter lead wire to help sink these flies straight to the bottom where the sculpins hang out. They ride hook point up creating less hang ups as they are bounced along the bottom, in between weedbeds and through undercuts. They can be tied in almost endless color combinations to match the sculpins in your favorite stream. If you happen to see some old mink furs being sold for next to nothing at the local garage sale ..... buy them!
Thanks again, Jack. I hope you smash a big brownie with one of these flies.