Spinner bait fly

[clm]

https://youtu.be/OBddrc9hM-g


Might have been shared before...but wow...the build process and results are impressive

[J. Rentch]

Wonder what weight rod you would throw for this fly?

[PigPen]

Thanks for sharing. I never considered twisting a spinner bait up like that on a fly rod. Not sure what the advantage would be over a spin or bait caster unless you could only bring one rod with you. My guess is I'd use a 6 weight. And also some head and ear protection to avoid some gaudy jewelry. On lakes I like 2 spinning rods and a fly rod usually with a popper or terrestrials.

[Mark]

Purists might say that's not a fly. They may have said the same thing about the Clouser Minnow since a Clouser has lead eyes. Or they may have criticized cork and foam poppers because they are not spun from deer hair. Fly tying has come a long way from the Elk Hair Caddis which is tied from all natural materials. Now fly anglers freely use tinsel, lead wraps, metallic cones for heads, plastic baffles that imitate the lip on a crankbait and spinner blades. But we also catch more species than a choosy trout looking for a precise match with the insects it is eating.

I think the spinner fly in question would be heavy and air resistant and would certainly require a 6 wt. rod or higher. I also think the jig spinner we call perch pounders or Big Nose Spinners here would be much easier to use. But then, there is something different and special about catching fish on a fly rod.

In my kayak often carry two fly rods, one pre-strung with a surface fly and one with a streamer. I'll also carry two or three conventional rods.

Last night, tiring of chasing a finnicky tidal bite, I visited an Eastern Shore pond. I was surprised by the excellent water quality. I thought the pond would be slimed over with algae. It was not. In fact, while my radio kept interrupting with storm alerts of 60 mph wind and hail not that far to my south, this is what I was experiencing:

P1030837 (2).jpg

A perfect setting.

I had an OK evening catching 6 bass and two bluegills, most on the fly.

The bass below hit a Bendback Minnow which is good to use in weedy areas because it rides with the hook up like a Clouser. It is unweighted so it suspends rather than sinking quickly into the vegetation.

P1030834 (2).jpg

This one came up for a popper. It was 13 inches. I caught nothing large.

P1030840 (2).jpg

Here's one of the bluegills that hit the same popper as above.

P1030839 (2).jpg

On my spinning rods I used a soft plastic rigged weedless and caught this bass:

P1030836 (2).jpg

The water was as warm as a bathtub. Each of my catches were holding a little farther from shore than they would have been in springtime.

Given the weedy nature of the pond, I would not have used the spinner fly even if I had one. But in more open waters I bet it would work well.

[DanMarino]

Nice report and photos, Mark! The conditions looked beautifully flat!

[belairfishing]

Mark,

What know are you using - is it a non slip loop knot, or (it looks like) a perfection loop.

Steve

[Mark]

Tom -- Thank you. I was fortunate that the weather chaos described on my radio was to my south.

Steve -- It's a non-slip knot. I know it as Lefty's Loop. I tie it exactly like this video:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q...B08E&FORM=VIRE

I think it adds a little wiggle to my flies and lures.