Soft Bodied Soft Hackle Streamer

[Mataura mayfly]

Feather streamer tied on fluro backing with a snelled hook.
Just something different, but I imagine it would be a sod to cast as the backing with the weight of the hook will cause it to twist and tangle around the feathers and leader....... least with my style of casting I could just about guarantee it!

[hankaye]

Mataura mayfly, Howdy;

That would find a comfortable home in the JAZZ FLY forum
were it unlocked. It's gaudy enough ... , ,
meant in a sincere manner

hank

[Mataura mayfly]

Thanks Hank! I seem to remember mentioning somewhere we should have a similar thread to the Jazz Fly one, just for the "out there" creations all of us come up with time to time.

Oh, I can do way gaudier that this..... the proof is within reach of this keyboard!!

[Roadkill]

Great looking fly! The profile reminds me of Apte Tarpon flies.

[Ron Eagle Elk]

Jeff,

A lot of flies with a "stinger" hook at the rear fashioned much the same as yours are pretty common for steelhead fishing here. Usually I toss them across the river with a two handed rod, but have fished them with a single and don't get the tangle you're thinking about. Oh wait....is there a front hook shank on your's? It looks like there may not be. Now that's an interesting concept. I tend to attack a rear "stinger" hook with a loop of backing material or spider wire so the hook can be changed when it gets dull or bent out of shape by a huge steelhead.

[Mataura mayfly]

Just the stinger Ron, no front hook. The "body" is tied on a small piece of craft tube that the backing goes through and then back again to form the eye and knotted behind the tube. Had a heck of a job getting the backing through twice and still manage to get it onto a needle for tying , but you kind of have to so the tube does not slip back to the hook.

[letumgo]

Fantastic fly, Jeff! I fish with a few patterns similar to this, but tyed on cotter-pins or standard hooks. Give this a go and let use know how it casts/swims. I am betting you will be happy with the results.

[William Anderson]

Jeff, I can easily see how that would come alive streaking across a pool. I'd love to see the follow up pics when you're out fishing this one. Nicely done. I like your construction technique with the backing. It's a good looking streamer.

w

[Mataura mayfly]

Thanks William, I have not fished it yet, 50 mile an hour winds over the weekend put paid to that. I have a lot of concern to the backing looping over the wing, or leader and causing one heck of a mess. Must learn how to spey cast! The good ole 20 backcast dry fly method ain't goin to work here!
If I had my thinking cap on I could have run the tubing from the knot at the eye to damn near the hook eye and it might have kept things more stable whilst still avoiding the longshank hook being used as a lever to "get out of jail" by the victim.

Of course twisting feather wings were the main problem that caused the Mataku style of winging streamers and the main reason our Kiwi lures differ from your American streamer.

Oh, and thanks to macro photography I now have some worries about the cracking sidewall on the spare tyre of my truck!