What have you tied today?

[corsican dave]

just bear in mind that the zonker tail can foul the hook if it's tied on the point side of the shank. or are there two tails there, one each side of the point (double bunny style)? I stick the hook through the zonker before tying it in if i'm doing it point up. you don't get quite as much movement, but it doesn't foul as often :lol: i'm probably telling you stuff you already know, of course.... :roll:

[rannoch raider]

Ah! Good point Dave, I never really gave that a thought. I've tied in a few flash fibres along the top of the shank before tying the zonker strip in. It has added a little stiffness but probably not enough to support the strip or stop it wrapping on a point side up set up. I can see that's definitely worth considering on patterns this size and length now that you point it out. 

[corsican dave]

I've also seen people tie in an anti-foul loop (like a weed guard) of mono to reduce the problem, but i'm not a great fan of weed guards. I've lost a few fish with them that i'm convinced would have stuck otherwise. likewise barbless hooks, but that's a down-the-pub discussion sometime..... :

[rannoch raider]

I have never tied a weed guard on a fly / lure yet Dave so interesting to hear your thoughts on them. To be honest I have very little experience of tying large Pike flies. I've tied plenty of saltwater patterns but nothing the size of these comb back synthetic hair fish imitations . Most of my pike have come on the lure rod or going way back, on baits. My fly caught pike have nearly all come on rainbow bashing lures  :worried so any advice on materials, tips on construction techniques etc, would be much appreciated.

[corsican dave]

here you go Jim; I pulled the hair forwards for the photo so you could see the allowance I made for the hook with the looped-up bit at the front. the little one on the top was just something I dashed off to use up a bit of the bunny skin that was left over. I couldn't bear to waste it! there's a close up of the hook through the zonker strip, too

[rannoch raider]

Thanks Dave, I can see the benefit in doing that. Simple and effective! Right up my street.

[scoobyscott]

Bobfly that's the fulling mill but not the grab gape, buzzer or grub hook I think it's called. The pics a bit blurry too but it's a squirrel 'hackle' tied in a dubbing loop. Probably not as much movement as CDC but I think it looks buggy

[Bobfly]

They look like nice hooks whatever they are. I have the grab gape and also one they call their barbless "ideal dry fly". Both seem a good shape with a deeper point to bend for better holding (hope so anyway !).

[bibio1]

400 pages of an unbelievable array of flies. Says a lot about the forum.

Well done cc for starting this.

[Bobfly]

400 pages and counting is one heck of a lot of good ideas and many many flies.