Got me a new tube a couple weeks ago. Been sitting in the Tubetorium while TD did his magic. Picked it up yesterday and busted a bottle of champagne across it's bow this morning. Didn't expect to do much following yesterday's storm and last night's full moon. Turned out to be a pretty good outing. Managed five kitties all brought home for the smoker. Fished the dike towards the feedlot for a couple of hours, turned around and fished back. Three were caught on my favorite red and black chrystal bugger. Other two liked FLIGS tipped with blue eyed left handed chub minnows. Weather was nice with a slight breeze out of the northwest. Guess I'll save my skunked excuses for next time. Pat, thanks again for the racks. Everything worked with a few minor adjustments.
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[#0000FF]Nice. Too bad you didn't get to use any of your ready prepared excuses. Oh well. Skunk will happen...maybe sometime. Hope not.
Glad you like the pimping. Once you get everything the way you want it you should have a good fishing machine.
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nice tube Fatbiker and Pat did a great job on the modifications
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[#0000FF]I forgot to ask. How did you like the smokitty...or is it still in your pocket?
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It was excellent, especially when the filter finally burned off. Getting ready to say some for the fridge and smoke tomorrow.
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Nice Larry. That seat looks a bit slick, hope you don't slide off of it....[
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The Dud really knows how to pimp a ride !! ENJOY !!
Nice Ride. BTW, do you know what the water temp was? Did you see anyone else catching fish? Anyone catching wipers yet on jigs etc.? Thx.
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Water temp was 59 degrees. Saw one other boat, but parking lot was empty when I arrived and left.
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Nice set up!
What does your black and red crystal bugger look like? Always like new fly patterns.
Mark
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[#0000FF]Black and red are a dynamite combo for several species. Don't know what the fish sees but they seem to like that combo.
I have been tying black and red buggers for years, and also make them in marabou jigs. For a couple of years I have been making "Diablo Rojo" (Black Devil) patterns on my "hot head" flies. Here is a picture.
[inline "DIABLO ROJO HOTHEAD.JPG"]
The body is a red/black variegated chenille and the black marabou tail includes some fibers of red and black Krystal Flash. And, as you can see, I like to tie mine on red hooks.
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Thanks Pat! I'll have to tie some buggers up in that color.
Mark
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[#0000FF]I thought Larry might chime in with his version. Still might if he can stay out of his new tube long enough.
I might mention that there are a lot of versions of black and red patterns. If you have the materials you can experiment with your own.
Probably my first "close encounter" with black and red happened on Utah Lake back in the late 1970s. I was flinging flies for lust crazy white bass about mid May. I had a tandem fly rig...one bright pattern and one red and black. I was catching quite a few white bass...on both flies. As it began to get darker in the evening, some walleyes moved in and I got three or four nice ones...all on the black and red.
That pattern was on about a size 4 streamer hook. It had a black soft hackle collar and a black marabou tail. The body was "claret" poly body material. A very simple pattern but one I have used in many places successfully since then.
With all the fancy new tying materials we have these days our creations are limited only by our imagination...and our budget. The "crystal bugger" patterns in many colors have become popular for many species. But a simple solid color chenille with solid color hackle and tail still works too.
I don't have a picture, but one effective pattern has been one with a black body and a red Krystal Flash "shell back" tail. This is a picture of that pattern in a black/chartreuse version.
[inline "BLACK GREENBACK.jpg"]
Another has been with the red and black mottled chenille...with a hot red head. As in this picture.
[inline "BLACK RED MOTTLED.jpg"]
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Thanks again Pat. That flash back pattern looks interesting. I also have some Arizona seal dubbing in black/red I will have to experiment with.
Mark
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I tie one very similar to the bottom one with the hot red head. I have had really good luck with the tiger trout on that pattern.
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[#0000FF]I also do well on tigers with a purple with a red head. Purple is an underappreciated color for walleyes and wipers too.
[inline "PURPLE REDHEAD.jpg"][/#0000FF]
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Here's a picture of my favorite Willard colors.
Silver
Chartreuse
Black and red Pearl
Black, red, purple speckled
Black and red
Chartreuse and silver will both take a sharpie be marker. Picked up three cats and a small mouth on my version of a fire tiger today. I always tie them with lead eyes. Eye color doesn't seem to matter but the extra weight keeps them down and adds jigging action when you strip. This time of year an sz 8 streamer hook seems about right. Mid June I switch to sz 6 and will let them grow to 4s late in the summer. When it starts cooling off I work sizes back down. Stripping speed semms to matter. If you think you're stripping too slow, but not occasionally hanging in the rocks. Slow down.
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