Here is another cool pattern from Brian Smolinski of Lunds Fly Shop.
I have been wanting to come up with my own streamer pattern for trout for a while now. I wanted something simple without too many materials. Yet, I wanted something that would have a ton of movement in the water. Most importantly, I wanted to create a pattern I could chuck into a pool or deep hole that could get down towards the bottom even in a speedy current.
I am a little afraid to admit this, but I used the Pass Lake Streamer as inspiration for this fly. It seems the name “Pass Lake” sparks something in fly anglers in the Midwest. Yes it can be a very productive pattern, but it seems to be also a point of contention (especially among fly tyers). I have read and overheard so many disagreements on the “proper” way to tie a Pass Lake, and weather or not a fly tied this way or that way could be called a Pass Lake or not (or is it a Rio Grande King!)
So to avoid any of these debates I knew that if I was going to tie my own version of a “Pass Lake” it had to be outside the box, so the Bunker Buster tube fly was born. Tube flies are amazingly easy to tie and you end up with
patterns that are not bound by the geometric constraints of the hook’s shank. Normal Vise jaws can easily be adapted to hold tubes by simply clamping a needle or a pin in the vise and sliding on a tube made from plastic or metal.
Materials:
Base: 1.8mm Plastic Tube
Head: Large Red Tungsten Cone
Weight: 3/16” Brass Bead
Thread: UTC 140 Black
Body: Woolly Bugger Flash Chenille – Black
Tail: Hot Orange Schlappen
Collar: Hot Orange Schlappen
Wing: Cream Craft Fur
Instructions:
1 – start by heating the end on the tube with a lighter creating a lip on the end of the tube and slide it onto a needle secured in the vise jaws
2 – slide on a 3/16” brass bead on to the tube (it may need to be slightly drilled out depending on the brand of bead)
3 – start a thread base behind the bead an tie in the a schlappen feather by lashing down the tip of the feather
4 – palmer the schlappen around the tube a few times while pulling back the barbs over the bead, tie off
5 – tie in the chenille and wrap to the front of the tube and tie off and trim excess (save the rest of this feather for later)
6 – tie in the remaining section of the schlappen feather and palmer a few more wraps, again pulling the barbs back as you wrap. tie down the schlappen and cut off the rest
7 – cut a clump of craft fur. while holding the clump securely, pull out any fluff or “under fur”. then trim from the bottom to shorten the fur slightly an make a clean edge of fur
8 – tie in craft fur with the butt end facing rearward and push them right up against the palmered schlappen.
9 – before the craft fur is tightly lashed down spin the fur around the tube so it is evenly surrounding it. then make a few tight wraps flaring the butt ends of the fur
10 – push the fur back and while bringing the thread in front of the fur, make several wraps up against the bundle of fur pushing it back without wrapping on top of the fur (hollow fly or reverse tying style)
11 – make a small head of thread, finish and cement
12 – slide the tungsten cone head onto the tube, covering up the thread. then cut the tube just beyond the cone and heat the end with a lighter. this will flare up the ends of the tube securing the cone
