Competition Worthy Streamers

[Mark Hanes]

I know Dejon and I had thrown the idea around on that kinds of streamers we thought should be in an competition anglers streamer selection.  We really could not come up with a solid list of say 5 to 10 streamers that would be considered must haves.  So what does everyone think?  I know as a group we should be able to come up with a solid list of streamers.

[Nick Naclerio]

The Wooly Bugger of course and the Slumpbuster are my two favorites. I tie some of them very heavy with tungsten cones (for comp use beads) and lead underbodies. Both flies have a decent amount of lift built into them so even when very heavy they don't just sink straight to the bottom. I usually fish them on my Euro leader and just change the tippet to 3x (sometimes I don't even bother). Because they are so heavy you can Euro cast cast them very well even in the wind. They also are very easy to track even in a heavy wind. I fish them upstream, across and down and they all work on the Euro leader. I just keep them on a tight line and watch the sighter.

[Domenick Swentosky]

I fished that way just last Sunday, Nick, with Slumpbusters and a small crayfish that I tie.  I ended up catching fish on the dropper and not the streamers though, but I was messing around with my rig and casting more than fishing. 

I love good sculpin imitations, and my best by far is one of my own with a deer hair head, magnum zonker strip and dubbed body.  I little black krystal flash and a red collar.  Olive catches more than all other colors combined for me.

Check out "Chuck's Sculpin."  My pattern is very similar.

Domenick

[Daniel Ansbach]

The Ausable Ugly and the Sirloin both developed by Rich Garfield, a friend and ADK guide, are two patterns that are excellent producers in heavy or off-color water...

[Todd Oishi]

You simply MUST have a few of these in your boxes...

[Adam Wellington]

Todd,

Thats a nice looking streamer. I have one question, what is the pink in the spun head? It looks like marker but then I noticed that the k-flash in the wing is pink.

That looks like it is relatively easy to tie, I always tie muddlers the "old fashioned" way and curse the turkey tail and wings. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Mark Hanes]

Great stuff guys!

I really think the old Woolly Bugger has a lot of possibilities.   The color options are endless an with some of the new materials on the market you can really come up with some killer looking flies.  This is really one area I have been working on at the bench this winter. I just hope a few of my crazy ideas end up working!

[Todd Oishi]

Todd,

...I have one question, what is the pink in the spun head? It looks like marker but then I noticed that the k-flash in the wing is pink...

I dab the deer hair with a little red permanent marker, which seems to make it a little more effective at certain times and depths. I also tie a version that has a few wraps of red tying thread (creates the illusion of a red "gill" or hot-spot) right behind the spun deer hair head. The pattern in my photo has been used, so some of the red has washed/bleached-out over time and usage.

This is a very reliable and commonly used pattern for cutthroat in my neck of the woods (its a British Columbian pattern named "Murray's Rolled Muddler).

[Nick Johnson]

I tie all of my streamers. Most of them are all things I came up with on my own. I like throwing stuff that a fish has never seen and if that doesn't work I have some that i've tied that imitate sculpins. It really depends on where you fish as to what streamers going to be more effective. I'll have a camera within the next couple days and I'll post up some of the streamers i've used that have really worked for me.

[Todd Oishi]

Thanks for offering to share them with us Nick. I look forward to seeing the photos! 

[John Killinger]

Probably isn't legal for comp but I bet this works! Have yet to try it, which means I take a break from euro nymphing.

[Daniel Podobed]

I have always been a pretty big streamer fisherman, and finding the galloup-esque articulated patterns has blown that up even more. Giant flies, giant fish. *not best thing for competition i hear*. I'm not aware of the fips mouche regulations off the top of my head in regards to articulation or multiple hook flies, but I'm guessing they are illegal.

Taking all of them out,

Woolies, standards plus new riffs. Salmon color schemes on trout have saved more days to count the past two years, where the standards have gotten no reaction. Purple body, pink tail, orange body, purple tail, etc, let your creativity go.

Slumpbusters, i think standard fishing of those has to be altered as well, depending if you can fish tandem streamers, i think i read you can fish a maximum of 3 flies in a rig though. still hazy learning those rules.

Double bunnies- about 3 color schemes will cover most of what you need.


Marabou leeches. Big, nasty streamers, *mine with articulation push 7"*

I don't fish deer hair streamers, or classic streamer patterns too often, but black nose dace, baby brown trout, baby rainbow, etc, are all must haves. Same thing with the marabou muddler, grey ghost, micky finn, and the clouser would round about an extremely well rounded box.


Depending on the water you are fishing, you could easily narrow your selection down to 5 streamers. Size of fish, cover, water, species, bait fish, etc.

I wouldn't go to any water without a wooly set, buster set, or leech. just my style though.

[Pat Weiss]

Zonker.