great arcticle by frank mihalic

[njfisher]

To any of you pluggers out there

Frank Mihalic has a new arcticle in the fisherman magazine this week. The fly he shows how to make works really good as a teaser. He is doing a series of how to tie different fly's and if you are interested in making teasers, you should check them out.

[Frank Mihalic]

Thanks much NJF!
If you liked the last few editions of The Fisherman, your gonna LOVE the next 6 ;) !
The next editions will show how to tie flys created by Bob Popovics and Steve Farrar.
They will indeed work wonders as a teaser!
I hope they also help bridge the gap between types of tackle. After all, the fish are still the same! Whats the difference if we use spinning, casting or fly tackle? We all learn from each other, right smile.gif ?

and by the way, if you like the writing, why don't you check out my seminar titled
"Inshore Grand Slam" at the AC Boat Show on Friday, February 6th at 4PM.
Thought provoking, easy tips and tricks to help you catch fish that you never thought of before!
I hope to see you there.

[ 01-15-2004, 07:45 PM: Message edited by: Frank Mihalic ]

[sweet release1]

frank ,if i had the same info years ago it would have taken me a lot less time to get get the thread out between my fingers and crasy glue :D :D good reading keep up the good work,matt

[Frank Mihalic]

Thanks Matt.
I rememeber searching the web and the local library for saltwater fly fishing and tying info. MAN it was frustrating! Nowadays, the SJCFA has a meeting and I look at our library of books, videos, dvds that help teach the sport and say, WOW we have come very far! Advanced and beginners are taught to tie by some of the worlds best. Guest speakers that LOVE to help others succeed at our challenging sport freely share their knowledge every month!
...and I still glue my fingers together every so often ;) , so it seems that you are in good company.
For me, tying is simply a way to enjoy the sport even more than catching a fish! I don't think for a second that a well tied fly is an art form.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid94/pee5b14d1408ade29e8023e8c8f1a0a4a/fa365cd1.jpg

It only does it's job when a fish eats it!

Fly fishing is still fishing for me. Just as some use a spinning outfit to cast their plug or jig, I prefer to use the longrod when the conditions and quarry permit.
It's not scary, or more complex than that.
The fish are the same, it's simply the challenge that becomes so much greater, and the catch so much more enjoyable!
Hope to meet you at the shows.

[sweet release1]

yea i here you,fly fishing for me ,made the whole world of fishing a differant place.much more of hands on thing and more personable.with the temps outside and the lawoff from work,i will be tying some flies in the near future :D man i love to tie the patterens that take 30 minutes or more,just really puts me where i need to be,good fishing ,matt

[Frank Mihalic]

I will be tying alot of Hollow Bucktail Deceivers for the spring and fall! They caught an awfull lot of fish for me.
Creas flys became a go to fly also for topwater work....
Crszy!

[njfisher]

Frank,

I'm looking forward to reading them! I used to fly fish a long time ago. For the past twenty years I only take out the vise a few times a year, for teasers or for tying bucktail etc. to lead heads jigs.

Looking forward to the crease fly you mentioned, saw a couple of pictures but never saw one close up. have you caught any albies on one?

[Frank Mihalic]

NJ.... Creasies will not be included in this series :( ...but is you let me know if you will be at a show, I will bring my materials and show you how to tie one. They are really easy and lots of fun to tie.
Here a pic of a few of my crease flys to hold you over...
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid93/p8bd077961fd1a64d31b1673854db48f1/fa3d806b.jpg

I have been perfecting the body shape and finishes for some time. I finally have them very close to where both the fish and myself are both satisfied ;) !

[ 01-17-2004, 05:26 PM: Message edited by: Frank Mihalic ]

[njfisher]

Frank,

Very nice!!

What are you using for the colorization? Water proof markers?

I've seen pictures of some that used reflective multi-color Mylar, and those flies were almost as beautiful as some brook trout that I used to catch up in northern New Jersey backwater streams.

I swear to you those brook trout had every possible color in the rainbow - big oval shaped blotches of yellow, green, blue, reds - all blending into black and that brilliant white leading edge on their fin tips!

I had alway thought that Rainbow trout were the most beuatiful fish, until I saw those wild colored brookies.

[ 01-17-2004, 08:40 PM: Message edited by: njfisher ]

[Frank Mihalic]

Glad you like the coloration.
Transfer foil over the foam. Then its marker that is blended to a subtle hue. Final colaration like the red gill spots and other marks are done next and do not get blended, so they stay sharp. Add a coat of thined epoxy, and you have it!
It is sound tough, but is actually very easy and fun to do. Frankie did the coloring of the yellow fly nearer the bottom. He named the color "The Yellow Demon". Great name, I thought!

[njfisher]

How fast do you fish them?

[Frank Mihalic]

I fish them as I would a popper, except they have a more subtle pop....
I fish them as slow as I can, as long as they are in "the hot zone".

[njfisher]

Frank,

Thanks for the info and the pics! It got me in the mood and yesterday I pulled out my stuff and tied up a bunch of leadheads for my buddy's birthday.

It's time to start making some teasers for this summer.

[snichols]

If you guys think Frank's flies look good in the picture, you should see them up close....wow.

I have used quite a few of his creations with great results. Although I also flyfish, I used his deceiver/teaser while plugging and it worked great. My girlfriend even scored a bunch of schoolies using that technique.

If you want to learn more, check out his seminar or better yet, visit one of our SJCFA meetings. (We have one tomorrow night)

[Got Bass?]

Us guys who like to plug and throw jigs can learn alot from fly fisherman about lure pesentation.An article I read by Frank improved my fishing considerably.I like to watch how fly fisherman work a stream.A rip is similar to a stream and I've had some luck working my lures like a fly fisherman.Can't wait til spring so I can experiment with it some more.Good Fishing.

[Frank Mihalic]

I'm glad I was abel to lend perspective...and I hate to tell you this, but I am a dyed in the wool saltwater guy :D ! I rarely, if ever touch a river or pond, and have certainly never done the hoity tioty kind of purist sweetwater stuff as in a certain movie.
Our vision of saltwater is on such a HUGE scale, especially when compared to freshwater structure..
Freshwater structure is a downed tree. Saltwater structure is a 400' freighter ;) 10 miles offshore!
You are very correct in that, fishing with fly tackle makes a fisherman so much more in tune with his surroundings. Current, tide, light have never had such an impact on my presentation...and the thrill of a fish eating your fly as the line is in your hand flashed me back to my childhood. As a young boy, I crabbed and fished every morning in Brigantine, often catching Fluke on a handline....The thrill has never gone away! In fact, fly tackle has brought me so much more enjoyment from the sport that I love.
Come to a SJCFA meeting, :cool: or to a seminar....Ya think you saw some stuff? I got a little more wheere that came from ;) !

[Got Bass?]

Hey Frank,I to was blessed as a youngster growing up on the end of a lake that had a dam and a spillway that was only yards from my house.Every fishable day I had exellent fishing,often while hiding from the school bus.I started with handlines with hot dog or bacon for bait,then spinners and eventually a fly rod.My dad would cut strips of rind from a slab of bacon and I would cast them on a fly rod.No doult I was a better fisherman then than now.Your comments about your youth got me thinking about it ,thanks.

[Frank Mihalic]

We need to enjoy the journey!

[Fly Ty R]

Fishing a rip with fly tackle is usually more productive than with other tackle. Reason: Flies and fly tackle are meant to be fished in current, and they often work better in that environment. A controlled dead drift is tough to do with a plug, but with a fly and fly line, it's pretty easy. Conversely, spinning/casting tackle works much better in calm water, where fly tackle takes a bit of work.

[Got Bass?]

Thanks, I have a 7wt. and I was told to use sinking line for stripers.I was also told it may be too light to turn a bass in a current.But I'll try it,I can always chase them.Good Fishing

[snichols]

Got Bass,

I have a 9 wt and it is usually too heavy for most of the fish that I catch, although on a few occasions, I have needed it.

I intend on getting a 7 wt this spring for most of my fishing but I will keep the 9 wt handy for when the bigger fish are around.

[ 01-24-2004, 08:12 AM: Message edited by: snichols ]

[njfisher]

Originally posted by Fly Ty R:
Fishing a rip with fly tackle is usually more productive than with other tackle. Spoken like a true purist.

I disagree, and so do the literally thousands of fish that I have caught with lures and bucktails off in the rips formed at jettys from Raritan Bay to Cape May.

Probably the most productive way to fish a jetty is with a jig (not my most favorite way, but it is productive).

A controlled drift is easy to do with a light leadhead, and if you are using bucktail or plastic, it is very easy to "match the hatch"

And if you really want to catch fish, bait out produces anything else!

But it is fun trying all methods of fishing and that is what I do all the time.

I tie teasers to use just for the fun of it. When I fish I use whatever method I think will produce the best at that time, or just because I feel like using a certain method to see if I can get bites that way.

[ 01-24-2004, 08:39 AM: Message edited by: njfisher ]

[Frank Mihalic]

It is my opinion that:
A purist is somone who beleives that he is better than others for fishing with a certain type of tackle.....ie...The Orvis Man...

Truth be told, we all have ideas and opinions about which is best....limited only by our skills and patientce. At the end of the day, You are the one who makes yourself happy, and if you need to catch the most fish to be happy, than bait is the way to go...
For me, It's watching a bass try to eat my poppper as it gurgles next to a grassy point during a high water sunrise( in May, of course)!

[njfisher]

And for me, it is watching a fish come up and hit any type of top water lure that I am fishing, and if it attacks one of my home made teasers ahead of my top water lure - that's great too!!

There is nothing like watching the strike happen on the surface, no matter what type of tackle you are using, is there?

Doesn't matter what size the fish is, does it?

[Frank Mihalic]

The hunt is always more fun than the kill!

[njfisher]

Frank,

(In my best Homer Simpson imitation)

HHHHMMMMMM, SURF CANDY!!

They sure looked good!!

[Frank Mihalic]

I hope you liked Bobs Banger this past week! It is one of my favorite flys to fish.
Candys are a killer fleye, huh?