Flymen Blog
Why do I love tying and fishing big streamers?
The other day I was watching an episode of "The Office" and in it Michael Scott said, "What is better: a medium amount of good pizza or all you can eat of pretty good pizza?"
As weird as it sounds, that got me thinking about fly fishing and the reason why I fish and tie big streamers. With big streamers, you may not always catch fish, but the fish you do catch and the memories will be epic.
Growing up in Southern California I was always fishing for largemouth bass. Before I stated fly fishing, I was throwing big lures, plugs, swimbaits, etc. for bass with my baitcasting rod. Throwing an 8-inch lure was a common thing for me as well as at time throwing a big 12-inch plus rainbow trout plastic swimbait. So when I started tying flies I always thought why not tie big flies like the lures I was used to throwing. To me this made sense, but at that time a lot of people looked at me strangely.
If you enjoy tying and fishing big streamers, the following are some things I'd recommend you keep in mind.
Ultimate Frog Popper tied with a Surface Seducer Double Barrel popper & slider body, Dragon Eyes, and a size 1/0 Kona Big Game Carnivore hook.
It is first light. You are sitting quietly and motionless in an aluminum canoe in the middle of a 10-acre pond full of lily pads trying not to make a sound.
You have spent the last 30 minutes of darkness listening to the insects and frogs begin to quiet down as the sun begins to rise. Thick fog permeates the still air and the water is still as glass.
Every 15 seconds you can hear a bass blow up on an unsuspecting victim. It is summertime now and frogs and tadpoles are one of the most readily available food sources in the lake... Too bad all you have in your box are Clousers, chenille worms, and crawdads. OOPS!
This frog imitation fishes super well... and looks like it will hop out of your fly box on its own.
Ken Capsey's Japeto Frog is easily one of the most fun flies I have ever tied!
The target species for the Japeto Frog is bass (smallmouth, largemouth, spotted), but pike, musky, and even snakeheads are targetable with this fly as well.
When fishing the Japeto Frog, cast to lily pads, moss, grass, weeds, or any structure close to the bank. Typically, fishing a frog pattern is noticeably faster than other topwater patterns, but observe and let the fish tell you the speed you should be moving with.
Fly Recipe
- Feet: Sili-Legs
- Body: Craft Foam
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Front Legs: Sili-Legs
You can follow Ken Capsey on Instagram @pike_picker.
What makes fly fishing the Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota area special is this is the wild native range of warm water species.
When most people think about fly fishing Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, they think of trout. When you think of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, you think of warm water species.
We have some of the best smallmouth bass and muskie fishing in the world. It's all right here, as well as arguably the best carp fishing when it comes to pursuing them in the Great Lakes.
The upper Midwest is such a rad area for fly fishing and there's a very small group of outfitters that are providing guided trips at an elite level. We offer single day and multi-day trips, and if you've never done a multi-day guided fly fishing trip, I'd definitely recommend one to the Midwest. It allows you as an angler to get into a groove, especially if you're a busy person that generally doesn't have a lot of time to fish.
The Faux Bucktail Flatwing updates an old-school pattern with new-school materials.
Replacing bucktail with Fish-Skull Faux Bucktail, adding a mixture of synthetic flash in different textures and colors, and topping it all off with a Fish-Mask brings the Flatwing into the 21st century.
Learn to tie this next-generation fly pattern today!
Fly Recipe
- Hook: Kona Xtra Strong Stinger (XSS), size 1/0
- Tail: Fish-Skull Faux Bucktail
- Tail: Saddle Hackle
- Body: Flat Braid
- Bottom: Faux Bucktail
- Wing 1: Faux Bucktail
- Wing 2: Ice Wing Fiber
- Wing 3: Ripple Ice Fiber
- Lateral Line: Dry Fly Hackle
- Wing 4: Ice Wing Fiber
- Wing (main): Peacock Herl
- Head: Fish-Skull Fish Mask
- Eyes: Surface Seducer Dragon Eyes