the sting?

[corsican dave]

okay, here's a potentially contentious subject: to sting, or not to sting?  :?

here's a pattern hot off the bench with an "intruder" style loop for a stinger hook. I've omitted the hook so as not to offend those of a nervous disposition :lol:
[attachimg=1]



most pike (for which this fly was designed) will take a prey-fish across the body, not from behind

so your thoughts, folks? ethical, unethical, should be banned, might increase hook-ups, will damage fish etc?

i'm fairly ambivalent on the subject; they're in common use for salmon & steel-head in the states, and most people wouldn't think twice about using one on a sea-trout lure. or would they.....?

[fergie]

Why not a single hook stinger. I cant see it doing any harm.
Barbless even.?

[rannoch raider]

As you know Dave, some of the pike flies being fished these days are well over 6 inches in length. A lot of mine are quite a bit longer and are rigged to carry an additional 'wiggly tail' which can add another three inches. I think if you are fishing such flies then the stinger might provide a better hook up rate although I haven't caught enough by either method to offer any real evidence  on that. There are a few pike fishers just across the North sea who tie and fish the longer flies. One of them Nicolas Bauer, believes that the stinger catches a great many more fish for him and that most of his pike are hooked in the scissors. Indeed Bauer catches fish on a video and takes fish on the stinger hooked in this area. Another fisher and fly tier from the same area is on record as saying that the stinger has its followers and that he himself has used it and has caught fish with it. However, he no longer fishes it as he feels that some pike can be hooked deeper in the throat area by the trailing hook. He does concede that he may not get as many hook ups without the stinger but he is happy to accept this for the well being of the fish.
My thoughts are that I will continue to use a short stinger tied on stiff titanium wire on longer flies. The stinger will ride about two thirds of the way down the fly rather than on the tail. My stingers are all short shank singles, all have crushed barbs and I don't expect any problems with either deep hooking, hook removal or damaged fish. I think it would be a bigger issue if people were fishing a trailing treble.

[seamab]

I've used the wee trailing trebles for sea trout and there wasn't any more damage to the fish than normal. I've de-barbed them if there's a lot of finnock or smaller fish around.  Incidentally Dave, what length of leader do you use for chucking the big flees out?

[corsican dave]

Incidentally Dave, what length of leader do you use for chucking the big flees out?

about 8" of wire and between 18" to 4' of 25lb nylon depending on fly/presentation. the really big (6"+) but light patterns aren't easy to cast with longer leaders and will dump rather unceremoniously if you're not spot-on with your timing or in windy conditions. trailing hooks can be an issue, too  :lol:

[JimJams]

http://www.wideopenspaces.com/pat-cohen-revolutionizing-fly-tying/

Thought you might like this Dave!

[corsican dave]

nice! sweet pattern  :
love the "revolutionizing" bit tho'; how many times have we heard that? :roll:
unfortunately my spun deer hair is nowhere near as neat as that, so i'll have to stick to scruffy spinning & ear-plug foam  :lol: