# Unconventional material and a fly rod



## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

Recently read (again) the Ohio Fly Fishing article on using spinners and other unconventional material when using a fly rod. Not gonna call it fly fishing as to not start a brew haha with purist but was curious whether others have used things like spinners and other uncommon material for their "flies" delivered using a fly rod and fly line. Seems to me a very very small spinner would work instead of using a bead head for things like wooly buggers without adding too much weight and wind resistance. Dunno. thoughts?


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

I have used small jigs with a fly rod before with success. I am also guilty of tipping my flies with a worm lol. I've only ton that once or twice though.


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## toobnoob (Jun 1, 2010)

fishinnick said:


> I have used small jigs with a fly rod before with success. I am also guilty of tipping my flies with a worm lol. I've only ton that once or twice though.



I believe they call that "garden hackle" 

Before the 50's a spinner fly was not that uncommon. It worked back then and should work today. I would think adding a spinner to a fly that you intend to swing through current would be very effective. I've caught plenty of fish basically "swinging" a mepps through riffles with spinning gear.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

I think they still sell those spinner-flies. I never used them but I guess they're supposed to be pretty good.

Just remembered, a few years ago I was steelhead fishing on Conneaut Creek, and the fishing was pretty slow. I came across these two guys that were fly fishing and were hooking fish on almost every other cast. So since I only had one hookup all day and these guys were getting them left and right I asked them what they were using. They were using Gulp 2.5 or 3" minnows! They let me try one out and I immediately hooked up. This fish quit biting soon after that though(they probably blammed it on me lol.). Before that day I never used Gulp in my life, and now it is one of my go-to plastics for a bunch of different species, including steelhead. I used it on a fly rod that day with just a plain hook, but now I only use it on a spinning rod with either hook and splitshot or on a jig head.


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## bruceride (Aug 1, 2011)

Check out Joes Flies

http://www.joesflies.com/

There are unweighted versions and weighted versions. I've used both with great success on an UL spin set up, but I have been tempted several times to try the unweighted ones on a fly rod. Says that's what they are for 

The chartruse ones work great on crappie in the spring.


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## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

Will have to get some of that fly hardware. Thanks for the link.


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## wabi (Jun 14, 2008)

You just might increase the chance of catching a fish on those days when a "fly" isn't working. 

I hope I do not start a heated discussion on what "fly fishing" is or isn't. 
As long as it's legal I'm not above trying it, and ethics should be a personal decision. 

As for me, I would rather use a fly rod than anything else. I haven't used a spinning outfit for several years now, and use baitcasters only when targeting large catfish on those evenings when I'm tired and just want to sit in a folding chair and watch the scenery and listen for the "clicker" on the reel to alert me of a bite.

I've tried "garden hackle" and scents on flies and there are times when they spell the difference between catching a couple fish or getting skunked.

I have the materials to make spinners (blades, beads, etc>) on hand and just might make up a few to try. I'm betting a small blade on some stiff mono in front of a streamer just might work well in a good current flow.


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## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

wabi said:


> You just might increase the chance of catching a fish on those days when a "fly" isn't working.
> 
> I hope I do not start a heated discussion on what "fly fishing" is or isn't.
> As long as it's legal I'm not above trying it, and ethics should be a personal decision.
> ...


Did a small test today. Went out to my local river/stream and fished for a couple of hours. The first hour I used nothing but a clouser and a wooly bugger with a strike here and there but no solid hookup. I then put an inline spinner in front of the wooly with a few small red plastic beads. I had 3 solid hookups (smallmouth bass) within 20 minutes. Just saying...

The weight difference was nill since I switched out between a bead headed wooly and a clouser to a non-bead wooly and the spinner.


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## fishon (Apr 20, 2004)

My name is Frank and I am guilty of this

... when I get nothing all morning, I have used a 1/64 ounce jig and a berkly gulp minnow ( the kind in a jar ) on slow ,off days in the late spring and I recently have casted a small rebel crawdad on the new predator 6 weight. it was awesome...LOL I nailed som nice smallies on rock and hog this past month in thte same runs and holes as me drifting or stripping /swinggin the usual flies in an hour before?


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## Guest (Jul 17, 2012)

you guys are going to give patricio a heart attack....lol


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## willy (Apr 27, 2007)

At one time i had some really really tiny spinner blades rigged on real fine wire that I got years ago buying some old tackle at a flea market or garage sale, my dad told me they were common and made for fly fishing in the 50's or something, the were nickel plated and you tye them on your tippet and your fly snaps onto the back end, the blade was only like 1/4 in long if that. If you want to make something like that without the weight try some mylar holographic plastic (do a google image search for "irri-tape", my local walmart started carrying it this year) I got some to make my homemade perch rigs with (not fly fishing of course) my logic is it reflects more than a blade,and with no real weight it should flutter more in the water giving my perch rig more action, also it wont rust like flicker snell blades do sometimes if you keep them after using them. I think that might be the ticket for tying flies with a spinner- no different any of the many other synthetic tying materials if you ask me (crystal flash, dubbing, wings, ant foam,junglecock eyes, etc.)and you can cut it/shape it as you wish, even just nip it off on the water if you dont want it on for that day and pattern. I actually got the idea for my perch rigs and went to the local joannes fabric store and bought some halloween decoration for less than $2 and cut that up to use before I found the irri-tape (it's marketed to scare birds out of the garden)
-if this doesn't make sense just think of the silver holographic gift wrap or bags that are bright silver but reflect a rainbow of colors, of course you cant use them because they are paper backed but the other stuff i mentioned is plastic.


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## willy (Apr 27, 2007)

"Not gonna call it fly fishing as to not start a brew haha with purist but was curious whether others have used things like spinners and other uncommon material for their "flies" delivered using a fly rod and fly line"

I wouldn't worry about that too much ARR

Do you mean the "purists" who use synthetic rods, synthetic backing, synthetic mainline, synthetic leaders, synthetic tippets and wear synthetic underwear? ask them how long they need to soak their catgut line and leaders before they can go flyfishing ...

- and with that typed I'm going to split "fish on the fly" before I get beat up, lol


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## toobnoob (Jun 1, 2010)

willy said:


> "Not gonna call it fly fishing as to not start a brew haha with purist but was curious whether others have used things like spinners and other uncommon material for their "flies" delivered using a fly rod and fly line"
> 
> I wouldn't worry about that too much ARR
> 
> ...


I don't think you're going to see much "purist" attitude on this board. I always view fly fishing as a delivery/presentation system. What you put on the end of the line is your business.


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## ledslinger (Aug 24, 2006)

I'm not a purist but i dont throw meat or hardware on a flyrod---it's more efficient to cast with spinning gear---it doesnt matter to me that much if the fish wins once in a while when i'm flyfishing.


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## rickerd (Jul 16, 2008)

One time I was at a farmpond with the owner, our kids were swimming and I saw bass and bluegill taking something off the surface. I only had my 7 wt rod and reel, and my lake tackle box. I took a floating jighead and attached a green twister tail grub to it. I sleighed the bass and gorilla gills for an hour. 

The next day I called my best fly fishing friend to tell him of the success. He was ashamed of me. Called me a bait slinger I think. My defense is that they were not trout our salmon, who cares. It was very fun to McGyver a way to catch them with what I had. I felt no guilt at all.

Rickerd


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## 21938 (Feb 17, 2010)

I remembered I had these guys stashed away somewhere. They are Rooster Tails, fly rod version. They were in my late father in-laws box that I inherited. I don't believe he ever fly fished, but most likely used them in small rivers with light spinning gear. They are pretty small, the Clouser for reference is tied on a #6. I haven't tried them, but would I? Now that I found them you bet! Flashabou, tinsel, mylar, barbell eyes or a spinner blade. You make the call.


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## ARReflections (Jan 7, 2011)

RR Pirate said:


> I remembered I had these guys stashed away somewhere. They are Rooster Tails, fly rod version. They were in my late father in-laws box that I inherited. I don't believe he ever fly fished, but most likely used them in small rivers with light spinning gear. They are pretty small, the Clouser for reference is tied on a #6. I haven't tried them, but would I? Now that I found them you bet! Flashabou, tinsel, mylar, barbell eyes or a spinner blade. You make the call.


I would love to try those rooster tails with my fly rod. Can't be that much weight difference then a clouser.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

my buddy put a lil spinner on the front of a bucktail and flash fly he made and caught a bass with it.


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