# Favorite Flies



## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

Sup boys. How about a little fly talk for the fly nerds out there. What is everyone's go-to fly for redfish? I love hearing about and seeing what works for people in all different habitats. Go-to's for other species also welcome, pictures STRONGLY preferred!


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

Gurglers










and Redfish Lizzies










One floats, the other suspends.


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

articulated streamer
mink
tied from unweighted to large lead eyes
1 1/2" to 5"
tied with up to 13 pieces of mink. 
personal opinion it's better than marabou
most "catching-ist" fly I've ever tied.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

TexasAg07 ties these. It’s a Lach’s Shrimp


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I like everything I tie, most of the time


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## Loogie (Jul 24, 2019)

These are by far my favorite and most versatile crabs for reds In the flats. Size #6 hook


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

100% Favorite fly is a modified redfish crack.


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

bead chain ducer


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## tigerfly (Apr 4, 2019)

Where the heck are you guys fishing for redfish where you can use a fly without a weed guard???


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

tigerfly said:


> Where the heck are you guys fishing for redfish where you can use a fly without a weed guard???


Not in the weeds!


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## Jred (Sep 22, 2013)

tigerfly said:


> Where the heck are you guys fishing for redfish where you can use a fly without a weed guard???


In da mud


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

tigerfly said:


> Where the heck are you guys fishing for redfish where you can use a fly without a weed guard???


99.9% of my bay system.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Jred said:


> In da mud


Gotta keep it high and up outta that shit. Can’t let your fly get dirty.


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

FlyBy said:


> Gurglers
> 
> View attachment 189096
> 
> ...


Nice weed guards on em!


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

mro said:


> View attachment 189098
> 
> articulated streamer
> mink
> ...


Articulated is something I have not began to attempt yet. In your opinion mink has a better action in the water than marabou?


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> TexasAg07 ties these. It’s a Lach’s Shrimp
> View attachment 189099


That looks like a red killer for sure. Might have to try some of these myself


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

permitchaser said:


> I like everything I tie, most of the time


Well la tee dah!


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

Loogie said:


> These are by far my favorite and most versatile crabs for reds In the flats. Size #6 hook
> View attachment 189112


A classic


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

MatthewAbbott said:


> 100% Favorite fly is a modified redfish crack.
> View attachment 189120
> 
> View attachment 189119
> ...


These are absolute beauts


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

BrownDog said:


> View attachment 189121
> 
> 
> bead chain ducer


That’s an interesting critter for sure


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## tigerfly (Apr 4, 2019)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Not in the weeds!


Weeds aren’t as much of an issue as oysters are where I’m from!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

tigerfly said:


> Weeds aren’t as much of an issue as oysters are where I’m from!


The grass is thicker in summer around my usual areas with the occasional shell pad. I like to fish the open holes.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

hugestflyfisherman said:


> These are absolute beauts


They work really well on these guys too…


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## Featherbrain (Nov 5, 2021)

MatthewAbbott said:


> 100% Favorite fly is a modified redfish crack.
> View attachment 189120
> 
> View attachment 189119
> ...


What hooks are you using for these sir? Great looking flies btw!


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## karstopo (Nov 28, 2019)

Borski Bonefish sliders and Redfish crack. No weed guards for me either and I fish a lot of oyster reef.


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

karstopo said:


> View attachment 189158
> 
> View attachment 189157
> 
> ...


Pretty stuff. LA has lots of stuff to snag on lol


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Featherbrain said:


> What hooks are you using for these sir? Great looking flies btw!


Those are SL12s’ #4 and SC15’s #2. Pretty much the same size hook.

Edit: I’ll tie them up to a #1 and 1/0 though.


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## Featherbrain (Nov 5, 2021)

Yea those SC15s are small in a #2. I was tying on tiemcos and B10S both in a size 2 a lot, so I ordered the SC15s #2s and boy was I surprised haha.


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## MatthewAbbott (Feb 25, 2017)

Featherbrain said:


> Yea those SC15s are small in a #2. I was tying on tiemcos and B10S both in a size 2 a lot, so I ordered the SC15s #2s and boy was I surprised haha.


Absolutely, but they are sticky and find a way in between teeth.


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

Featherbrain said:


> Yea those SC15s are small in a #2. I was tying on tiemcos and B10S both in a size 2 a lot, so I ordered the SC15s #2s and boy was I surprised haha.


Agreed, starts getting real delicate with those fellas (I don’t wanna hear it trout guys lol)


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## mfdevin (Jun 18, 2020)

my favorite flood bug. It’s simple, durable, and it just works. As far as bait fish go, it’s hard to beat a bead chain clouser, or any smaller baitfish/shrimpy patterns. I like small, softer landing, swimmy simple stuff.


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> TexasAg07 ties these. It’s a Lach’s Shrimp
> View attachment 189099


Smack as an FYI montana fly company is now added this to their catalog they aren’t quite a badass as my originals but they seem to work the same from my tests with them. Let me know if you can’t find a dealer that has them and your want some.


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

mfdevin said:


> View attachment 189169
> View attachment 189170
> 
> my favorite flood bug. It’s simple, durable, and it just works. As far as bait fish go, it’s hard to beat a bead chain clouser, or any smaller baitfish/shrimpy patterns. I like small, softer landing, swimmy simple stuff.


I like this guy


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## Whatthechuck72 (Sep 24, 2018)




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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

Whatthechuck72 said:


> View attachment 189175
> 
> View attachment 189179
> 
> ...


We see you flashing that sweet ass ring chucky


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

hugestflyfisherman said:


> mink has a better action in the water than marabou?


Different in that the fly has action from both strips of mink, and action of the fur attached to the strip. Marabou vanes are much longer than minks fur and have their places that mink won't do..
I added a note of how I ty them below. The strips also have a tiny bit of mass so at the pause in a strip reacts differently and the whole fly "flows" from the head to the tail.
It is also the easiest big fly I ty to cast.










Individual mink hairs are finer than a vane of marabou.
Mink in the picture is called micro mink strips( the width of the fir strip is narrower than the regular mink strips). I use both sizes for my mink streamers and I've never seen anyone else use mink in a fly like mine (could be that's just not a very impressive looking tie  )

The tail is 4 strips, short one on the bottom, little longer for the sides and a little longer still for the top strip. Add a little flash, then wrap a strip around the hook shaft like wrapping a hackle to the hook eye. Attach the shank to the hook, then tie in just like the tail except the length of the bottom strip now being tied is long enough that the end that flows back to the hook is cut so that only the hairs touch, add the sides and top, then a little flash and wrap to about 1/2" to 3/8" inch from the eye, tie just like the tail but leave out the bottom strip or not. Most I tie with various sizes of lead eyes and I've a half dozen with out any lead. I usually add a single mink wrap behind the lead eyes or I build up some thread and glue some eye's on. Until this year I epoxied the heads on some, switched to LiguidFusion.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

texasag07 said:


> Smack as an FYI montana fly company is now added this to their catalog they aren’t quite a badass as my originals but they seem to work the same from my tests with them. Let me know if you can’t find a dealer that has them and your want some.


I do need some more!


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

permitchaser said:


> I like everything I tie, most of the time


Do the fish like “everything” you tie?😎


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

mro said:


> Different in that the fly has action from both strips of mink, and action of the fur attached to the strip. Marabou vanes are much longer than minks fur and have their places that mink won't do..
> I added a note of how I ty them below. The strips also have a tiny bit of mass so at the pause in a strip reacts differently and the whole fly "flows" from the head to the tail.
> It is also the easiest big fly I ty to cast.
> View attachment 189171
> ...


Great stuff! I also like Finn Raccoon.


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I do need some more!


Moisten your knots before cinching!😁


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

For bulls the Basic Bitch (the real Huge Fly Fisherman has caught lots of bulls on these out of my boat).
For spring/summer duck pond fishing Kirk’s Shrimphead. Throw in a few crab patterns, kwans and seaducers and I’m good.


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## The Fin (Sep 28, 2021)

The Fin said:


> Moisten your knots before cinching!😁


Just messin with you!👍


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## Loogie (Jul 24, 2019)

Some Drum crack!


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

Loogie said:


> Some Drum crack!
> 
> View attachment 189229
> View attachment 189230


Pretty


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## BrownDog (Jun 22, 2019)

hugestflyfisherman said:


> That’s an interesting critter for sure


I promise it’s a thing. Soft landing, easy casting fly too.


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## tigerfly (Apr 4, 2019)

mfdevin said:


> View attachment 189169
> View attachment 189170
> 
> my favorite flood bug. It’s simple, durable, and it just works. As far as bait fish go, it’s hard to beat a bead chain clouser, or any smaller baitfish/shrimpy patterns. I like small, softer landing, swimmy simple stuff.


whats the body? Mylar tubing?


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## Featherbrain (Nov 5, 2021)

Looks like cactus chenille. I could be wrong though..


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## mfdevin (Jun 18, 2020)

tigerfly said:


> whats the body? Mylar tubing?





Featherbrain said:


> Looks like cactus chenille. I could be wrong though..


Estaz grande chenille, trimmed down to shape


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

Loogie said:


> Some Drum crack!
> 
> View attachment 189229
> View attachment 189230


Do those ride point up or down? I would assume down given the weed guard and not enough lead to flip the materials.


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## Tankerfly (Jan 22, 2021)

TCB Crab in purple/green. This particular fly has 2 tournament wins and dozens of fish before I retired it


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## Loogie (Jul 24, 2019)

Jason M said:


> Do those ride point up or down? I would assume down given the weed guard and not enough lead to flip the materials.


They ride hook point up. if dragging over grass it tilts when grass pushes it hence weedguard.


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## brody3112 (Feb 18, 2021)

Loogie said:


> Some Drum crack!
> 
> View attachment 189229
> View attachment 189230


Killer. Does that orange crystal chenille veil keep the sili legs from fouling?


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## PaytonWP (Sep 17, 2020)

redchaser said:


> For bulls the Basic Bitch (the real Huge Fly Fisherman has caught lots of bulls on these out of my boat).
> For spring/summer duck pond fishing Kirk’s Shrimphead. Throw in a few crab patterns, kwans and seaducers and I’m good.
> View attachment 189197
> 
> View attachment 189198


what size / brand hook are on those? Looks beefy.


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## Surffshr (Dec 28, 2017)

I like these…


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## redchaser (Aug 24, 2015)

PaytonWP said:


> what size / brand hook are on those? Looks beefy.


Gamakatsu SL12s 1/0 for bulls. I'll use SC15's for the summer/backwater marsh stuff but got tired of having them get bent by bigger fish.


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## flyfishingvet (Jul 2, 2018)

I really like a deer hair slider type fly with tungsten eyes.


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## hugestflyfisherman (Jun 10, 2021)

flyfishingvet said:


> View attachment 189435
> 
> 
> I really like a deer hair slider type fly with tungsten eyes.


She thiccc


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## Zaraspook (Aug 3, 2017)

No question…, favorite fly for sight fishing reds in the marsh has to be a gurgler. There is no match for seeing a red rise out of the water to eat a topwater fly.


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## Whip (Apr 23, 2021)

BrownDog said:


> I promise it’s a thing. Soft landing, easy casting fly too.
> 
> View attachment 189240
> 
> View attachment 189241


Nice looking Boykin.


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## crabsNshrimp (Nov 3, 2021)

I like crafty shrimp. Pretty good for multiple species.


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## Codeman120992 (Nov 27, 2021)

Zaraspook said:


> No question…, favorite fly for sight fishing reds in the marsh has to be a gurgler. There is no match for seeing a red rise out of the water to eat a topwater fly.
> View attachment 189470


Oh I agree about the gurgler. But for tarpon as well. In Puerto Rico i was fishing some golf course ponds in the resort where we were staying and I was slamming juvies on a big black gurgler early morning. Nothing like the slam on top water.


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## mmcintyre44 (12 mo ago)

Redfish crack: dumbbell eyes, craft fur, rubber legs, ep brush, flash, stripping, and stout weed guard.


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## Eric-C (Aug 1, 2020)

Bend It Flies “Shrimp Slurpee”


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## Artlow12 (Jun 8, 2018)

mfdevin said:


> View attachment 189169
> View attachment 189170
> 
> my favorite flood bug. It’s simple, durable, and it just works. As far as bait fish go, it’s hard to beat a bead chain clouser, or any smaller baitfish/shrimpy patterns. I like small, softer landing, swimmy simple stuff.



What material is the body of that fly? I have one that I have bought that is similar just a different color pattern, but I would love to be able to tie a few of my own.


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## mfdevin (Jun 18, 2020)

Artlow12 said:


> What material is the body of that fly? I have one that I have bought that is similar just a different color pattern, but I would love to be able to tie a few of my own.


Estaz grande chenille wrapped tightly, then trimmed to shape


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## Whatthechuck72 (Sep 24, 2018)




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## Whatthechuck72 (Sep 24, 2018)

Coyote shrimp I have been using with success along Texas coast


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## ZAWHITE (Dec 21, 2017)

Drum Beater


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

ZAWHITE said:


> Drum Beater
> View attachment 215501


That is money


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## OrFish (5 mo ago)

Chartreuse Clouser. For everything, everywhere all at once.


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## Fliesbynight (Mar 23, 2020)

OrFish said:


> Chartreuse Clouser. For everything, everywhere all at once.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lots of flies on this thread are great and well tied but many are species/region specific.

If I had to choose only one fly to use forever it would be a chartreuse over white Clouser Minnow. If I got to add a second one: Bucktail Deceiver in chartreuse veiling white.

Those two flies will catch anything that eats other fish anywhere on the planet.


Well, not on dry land.



In the water is my general meaning.


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## mfdevin (Jun 18, 2020)

Fliesbynight said:


> ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 
> Lots of flies on this thread are great and well tied but many are species/region specific.
> 
> ...


I too catch tons of fish on the chartreuse clouser and it’s friends. My largest two redfish were caught on olive over chartreuse bead chain clousers. While I love tying all kinds of patterns, my box is always stocked up on a variety of clousers, deceivers(and variants), gurglers, and kwans.


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## Featherbrain (Nov 5, 2021)

^^^ agree 110%. If I was forced to choose one fly for the rest of forever for all species it would be chartreuse over white. Olive over white strong 2nd.


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## mfdevin (Jun 18, 2020)

Featherbrain said:


> ^^^ agree 110%. If I was forced to choose one fly for the rest of forever for all species it would be chartreuse over white. Olive over white strong 2nd.
> View attachment 215946


Some damn fine clousers sir


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## Sbass70 (8 mo ago)

Has anyone tried a clouser tied with EP Fiber?


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## mfdevin (Jun 18, 2020)

Sbass70 said:


> Has anyone tried a clouser tied with EP Fiber?


I tie them with sf fiber occasionally, you have to trim up to shape you want


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## Sbass70 (8 mo ago)

mfdevin said:


> I tie them with sf fiber occasionally, you have to trim up to shape you want


 cool Im going to tie up a few


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## Loogie (Jul 24, 2019)

Sbass70 said:


> Has anyone tried a clouser tied with EP Fiber?


They work well,


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## Sbass70 (8 mo ago)

Loogie said:


> They work well,


 Looks great ! Im guessing the same principle applies to use as little material as possible.


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