Thanks for vid Davie. Big trout CRUSH this fly. 'My soul soars' sippy sip trouting is fine and I do plenty of it. But if you are in the mood for CRUSHING hits this is THE fly for it..
Thanks Davie. Close match to the gudgeons we have in our streams in Australia. Tied this in a dark brown upper and a cream underside. Was rewarded with a perky little wild brown at Dinner Flats at Ebor.
I usually switch to spinning tackle in situations where a streamer is called for. It's just been more productive for me and saves my shoulder. So I'm going to be sacrilegious and use this pattern on a long shank 1/8oz jighead for early season smallmouth. This is a beautiful elaboration on a tried and true style of zonker jig tying. P.S. actually I think I way also wrap a natural zonker alongside the olive and use brown hen hackles for the fins to give it a more realistic mix of olive and brown 🤔 Wish me luck!
Davie. This pattern is on a par with Oliver Edward's sculpin in my opinion, excellent tie. I would love to see your interpretation on the 'killer shrimp' that is now taking over a few stillwaters in the UK. Many thanks, your work is much appreciated here.
This is a great fly to go very deep with! I caught my largest Cutthroat trout on this bugger! While I was fighting him a bigger native Bull Trout started chasing my Cutthroat Trout around the pool nope I had to net him as well. It was an experience!!!
Very useful, simple fly to have in the box in a variety of colours, sizes and weights. I've even taken to using rabbit strips as a substitute for maribou in my zoo cougars. And as you say Davie, you can substitute deer hair, wool, dumb-bell eyes, you-name-it for the fish skulls.
Och Aye the noo Jimmy. That be a really good fly (said in my best Scots accent imitation :)) Love the hair dryer idea. A fact in fly tying is that steaming does amazing things on vitalizing and sculpting flies. Looks like spit and hair dryer is a lot quicker and easier.
Hi Davie, I was never one for streamers but after watching a few vid's it would be nice to check out some big water and give em a go!! 2 questions really, 1. what sort of rod & line is best suited? 9-10ft 7/8 weight or switch? and secondly...any experience on using these on loughs early season? I'm thinking Black, Claret & Olive on a Di6. although i know nothiing of Schulpins so i need to do a David Atenborough on them!! any advice?
Hi Aidan, A 10ft 7/8 weight would handle this fly ok if I was going to fish it but I have to be honest I have only tied these for friends and requests from here on youtube rather than for myself...I have tied a couple extra for myself so if I do get a chance to give then a go l'll let you know how I get on and if you do then let me know how you get on. All the very best Davie..
Davie - do you have a preference on why you tie the strip down instead of piercing the strip through the hook point like a alot of sculpin patterns that ride hook point up seem to do?
Hi Zak B, I have no preference to tying the tail in as both ways work just as well though a friend of mine prefers the way I did it in the video as these were for him.. All the very best Davie..
Ariel Zambianchi - translation (I think) Dear Davie, this would be the ideal fly for the big brown trout migration on the upper Limay River here in Patagonia.
A beautiful bug and a simple tie. I’m going to tie a few with the largest size helmet as a goby imitation and give them a go on Lake Ontario smallmouth bass.
Hi Brett Hoehn, It was the Mini size that I used in the video so I have attached a link to them for you to see... All the very best Davie.. www.fullingmill.co.uk/Fish-Skull-Sculpin-Helmet-Olive-Small-UK
Hi Dylan, I have listed all the materials for you to see, the hook was a Tiemco TMC811S size 6.. All the very best Davie Hook, Tiemco TMC811S size 6 Thread, Uni-6/0 Olive Tail, Barred Olive Rabbit Strip Body, Wound Barred Olive Rabbit Strip Fins, Dyed Olive Grey Partridge Head, Fish Skull..Olive Sculpin Helmet
Hi Marc Leonard, There's many patterns that are tyed using rabbit in this way as it's very mobile and easy to do, another way is to remove the hair and put it between a dubbing loop which helps reduce the bulk of the skin..In smaller flies i would use the dubbing loop or I would just dub on the rabbit then brush the fibres out with a velcro brush..I hope this is of some help to you.. All the very best Davie
Hi KFS 486, I'm sorry to say I rarely tye these flies but I have attached a link to the same flies being sold by Fulling Mill as they are tyed in much same way.. All the very best Davie www.fullingmill.com/s.nl?search=sculpin
