Trout Tails - January 10, 2015

Haven't been out a whole lot lately.  Brad and I did head up to NY/Erie during the blizzard in November.  Due to the feet of snow that had been dumped up there, we pretty much had the place to ourselves.  However, low water and cold temps had all the creeks iced over, and the fishing was sloooooow.  We spent most of the time breaking ice to catch just a few fish.   After returning, we did hit the Little J a couple times and caught some nice browns, but I have been pretty much getting ready for Tierra Del Fuego.  I thought I would put up fly tying demo of one of my favorite patterns to use down there for big browns, the Morrish Mouse.  Nothing like watching an 8lb brown circle around and then annihilate a mouse pattern!  

Pattern: Morrish Mouse

Hook:  TMC 8089N  Size 2 or (similar bass hook)
Thread: Ultra Thread 140 Denier (black or brown)
Tail:  Rabbit strip (brown or natural 1/8" standard cut)
Back: Black Closed Cell Foam
Body: Deer Body Hair  Natural (spun)

Secure thread to back of hook shank to bend

Add a drop of Zap A Gap or super glue to the tie in point

Tie in a strip of rabbit a little longer than the hook shank, fibers facing to the back and wind the thread forward to about the hook point.

Cut a strip of closed cell foam about 1.5 times the length of the hook shank.  Trim the one end to a "V" shape.  I prefer thicker foam for added buoyancy, but standard thickness will work too.

Secure the foam to the hook shank.  

Cut a clump of deer hair, about the diameter of a pencil.  I prefer to stack the hair for a neater fly, but it is not really necessary.  Then trim the but ends even. 

Tie in the deer hair with two loose wraps and then pull tight and secure with several more wraps.  Due to the foam and thread at the tie in point, you will be unable to spin this section. 

Rotate the vise and repeat the last step, securing clump of deer hair to the bottom. 

Stroke the hair back and trim off an excess butt ends.  Make a few wraps in front of the trimmed but ends.

Trim another pencil sized section of deer hair and attach to hook with two loose wraps.

Pull the thread tight and spin the hair around the shank. 

Stroke the hair back and secure with a few more wraps.  Trim the butt ends. 

Continue the process of stacking, spinning, and trimming about 6 more times, until you reach a point just behind the eye of the hook.  Then wind the thread to the eye and back to build a tie in point for the head.

Part the hair on the top to the sides, and pull the foam over.

Secure the foam to the hook with several wraps.

Lift the foam and place several wraps in front.

Whip finish and cut off the thread.

 

Trim the head to just past the eye.

Rotate the fly and trim the bottom flat.

Finished Fly

Create your own infestation

Enjoy the results!