The Eyed Snake Fly

  While reviewing old fly files copied from the web or scanned from old magazines earlier this week, a few patterns jumped off the screen and shouted "TIE ME".

  The first, The Eyed Snake Fly, was originally tied for surf casting for stipers and features a cylindrical body of spun deer hair, an ostrich herl  tail, and the unusual addition of dumbbell eyes to make the fly float lower on the surface.

     The first one was tied on a large saltwater hook, the others tied on smaller bronze hooks with marabou added at the butt..

    These should appeal to bucket mouths and big toothies.

  The next pattern that demanded attention was The Killer Jim, another saltwater fly used for stripers. I've scaled down the proportions for fresh water and eliminated the zonker strip.

    Simply a marabou tail with a bit of crystal flash and a body of pearl mylar tube. This one was tied on a #4 baitholder hook and suitable for small to medium predators. Tie it with different colors, add weight and eyes or go up or down in size, the combinations are infinite.

  The third fly is an old Irish salmon fly called The Gosling.

  Hook - 3x long #6

  Tail - 4 pheasant tail fibers

  Rib - gold tinsel

  Body - caddis green ice dub

  Hackle - orange saddle

  Collar -chartreuse mallard flank

  This fly was designed to imitate a large swimming mayfly nymph and as such is not limited here to just trout and salmon but a full range of predators. Anyways... this is what I've been doing for the last week, while winter reasserts itself for one final gasp.