Experimental Tying / Several different styles using the same hook

[letumgo]

Carl sent me a small package of Gaelic Supreme Hidden Rudder Hooks this week. Today I spent some time playing around with them, to see what I could come up with.



CDC Caddis Imitation:


Tenkara Style Damp Emerger:


Swimming Nymph (unweighted):


Swimming Nymph (weighted = left) & (unweighted = right): The weighted version has several wraps of lead wire in bend at the midsection. The added weight will help the fly swim hook point upwards (keel down) and hopefully cause the fly to swim up and down on the retrieve. (at least that's the plan, but yet to be proven).


Weighted Swimming Nymph (top down view):




I've never fished this style hook, and wonder if the shape will make it hard to hook fish. Visually, I really like the shape of the finished flies. Having the angled mid-section provides an interesting slant to the hackle wound in that section. I could immediately picture using this for dry fly patterns (inverted/hook point upwards/with hackle splaying forward at an angle.

Thanks Carl. I enjoyed playing around with these hooks.

[DUBBN]

I would love to swing a few of each, this Spring.

Well done Ray!

[letumgo]

Wayne - I’ve got a couple hooks left, and will tye up a few for you to test out. I will include them in your return set of swap flies.

I wanna try one with our favorite ingredient… good ole muskrat fur.

EDIT - Here are the Muskrat versions (these are yours Wayne).

[DUBBN]

Ray , holy smokes they look good! It will be extremely difficult for me to not use them as nymphs before the caddis start emerging.

Those hooks are too precious to use banging around rocks on the river bottom.

Thank you so much!

[DOUGSDEN]

Masterfully done friend! These have a really cool look to them and most certainly will hunt! I too received from Carl (Thank you Carl!) some of these Gaelic Supreme beauties with the invitation to create something special! Dang Ray, you beat me to it! I cannot do the beautiful things you have done with these unique looking irons (a sincere compliment to you Ray!) but I still accept the invitation! I need some thought time for sure! I have these hooks on my bulletin board and I keep looking at the bends! Hummm......
Yours from the den,
Dougsden

[jcwillow777]

Very nicely done. If I were a trout I'd eat em!