Muskrat & Moorhen....

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DOUGSDEN
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Muskrat & Moorhen....

Post by DOUGSDEN » Thu Jul 21, 2016 9:03 pm

Good Evening Fellow Forum Members!

I wanted to bring you another classic wingless wet fly called the Muskrat and Moorhen! I am not exactly sure who the inventor is and I am sure that I have copied it from.....somewhere! I have tied and used this fly for quite a few years now and it is a fooler for big fish particularly in the fall when the water turns over and 7 & 8x tippet become the norm! I cannot say that it immitates any specific fly that is known to hatch in our area. On trout waters.....please folks, tell me what you think! I have been using it lately in the early evenings over some hard to fool 10" bluegill that, for some reason, want to hang around the surface! A low approach and a delicate cast yield much! Enjoy and let me know what you think of it and how it fishes for you!

Image

Muskrat and Moorhen
Hook: Tiemco 102Y in sizes 13-15-17-19. As you know the 102Y is a fine wire dryfly hook with a black finish, extremely small barb, and a wide hook gape. The fine wire lets the pattern settle slowly in the water column which seems to add to its attractivness! If you were to grease this pattern with floatant, you could fish it as a dryfly at least for a while!
Thread: Danvilles 6/0 waxed. The color I can only describe as "golden yellow". Regular or flouresent thread would prob. work just great but I have never experimented with these! Let's give them a try!
Tag: Four to six turns of the same tying thread but with a slight taper as you head towards the body. It helps to unwind the thread until it's nearly flat as you form the tag.
Body: Medium Gray muskrat belly fur with any long guard hairs pulled out. For the most part there are not too many guard hairs on a muskrats underside but if there is, pluck'm! I have been using Hareline Dubbin's Sheared and Blended Muskrat Belly. Really good stuff esp. for the smaller sizes! The dubbing is applied moderately but squeezed down and rolled clockwise tightly to form a noodle right on the tying thread! This is wound forward without much help and left rather shaggy. A few strokes from Ruards velcro "scratcher" works great to get that just right fuzzy look!
Hackle: From a Moorhens wing - the upper wing covert matched to the size of the hook you have chosen! Suitable substitutes for Moorhen include Jackdaw or Starling! Two turns at most and maybe three if needed! Sparser is betterer!
Head: As small and unnoticeable as possible! A micro-drop of head cement thin enough to penetrate the new head you just created!

Notes...If you tie and fish this pattern, please post your pictures on the forum for all to see and enjoy! I know that I would get a kick out of it! I will try and do the same! D.
Fish when you can, not when you should! Anything short of this is just a disaster.
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letumgo
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Re: Muskrat & Moorhen....

Post by letumgo » Fri Jul 22, 2016 6:12 am

That is one classic looking fly. Beautiful job Doug. I love the overall color scheme. Very subdued tones, like a natural insect. I love the Tiemco 102Y hook. I first started using these hooks after reading Sylvester Nemes imitations book (can't remember the exact title at this moment - but a great book).

I was surprised when I read what thread you had used. Initially I was thinking this was Pearsall's silk, which had been waxed. Have you tyed any with silk? Does it make any difference in the effectiveness of the fly?

Thank you for sharing this with us.
Ray (letumgo)----<°))))))><
http://www.flytyingforum.com/index.php? ... er=letumgo

"The world is perfect. Appreciate the details." - Dean
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tie2fish
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Re: Muskrat & Moorhen....

Post by tie2fish » Fri Jul 22, 2016 6:33 am

That's really nice, Doug. Combining two proven materials such as muskrat and moorhen is bound to improve one's chances, and you have done a great job with them.
Some of the same morons who throw their trash around in National parks also vote. That alone would explain the state of American politics. ~ John Gierach, "Still Life with Brook Trout"
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Roadkill
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Re: Muskrat & Moorhen....

Post by Roadkill » Fri Jul 22, 2016 10:11 am

Nice looking fly!! I think I might have to try it in a touch dubbed version showing color all through the body. ;)
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hankaye
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Re: Muskrat & Moorhen....

Post by hankaye » Fri Jul 22, 2016 3:38 pm

Doug, Howdy;

Well, ... now ya went a done it. :D .
Great looking fly and the thoroughness of your detailed write-up leaves no room for asking
questions. My favorite form of resolving any blank spots that my Swiss cheese like brain thinks
need filled in.
Excellent job in all regards thanks ol' Bud.

hank
Striving for a less complicated life since 1949...
"Every day I beat my own previous record for number
of consecutive days I've stayed alive." George Carlin
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redietz
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Re: Muskrat & Moorhen....

Post by redietz » Fri Jul 22, 2016 9:40 pm

Roadkill wrote:Nice looking fly!! I think I might have to try it in a touch dubbed version showing color all through the body. ;)
You could call it something different; like 'waterhen bloa'.

Nice looking fly. It would certainly catch fish here during April.
Bob
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William Anderson
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Re: Muskrat & Moorhen....

Post by William Anderson » Tue Aug 02, 2016 6:46 am

Doug, that's a pattern to stock up on in rows. Nicely executed and a material combination that has proven out lots of times. I hope you score big with this one.

And a beautiful shot as well.
"A man should not try to eliminate his complexes, but rather come into accord with them. They are ultimately what directs his conduct in the world." Sigmund Freud.
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chase creek
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Re: Muskrat & Moorhen....

Post by chase creek » Tue Aug 02, 2016 7:16 am

OH< MAN! I gotta head for the vise again. This one is a real looker, and the detailed description is GREAT! This one looks like it would annoy a lot of fish. :D
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tjd
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Re: Muskrat & Moorhen....

Post by tjd » Sun Aug 28, 2016 7:58 pm

Doug,

Great looking pattern, classic and classy!

Best,

Tim
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