Pike/Muskie Swap

[steelie]

Its probably about time I hosted a swap, and there is nothing funner to tie than really, really big flies, so let's have a pike & muskie swap. Although we probably won't get this many, I'll limit it to 15 people, so we don't scare anybody off. There is alot going on with the other swaps, and these flies while not extremely difficult, can take alot of time, so I will remain open on the deadline for now, but you'll have at least 6 weeks or so. Its open to everyone, wether you've done this type of fishing or not, so for those of you that have wanted to try it out, this will be a great excuse to pick up some huge hooks!

Trout4X, consider yourself "suckered in" on this one, you're in.

[Trout4x]

Steelie nice try, I am out of this one! You are out of my league on this swap!

Trout4x is out of this swap!

[steelie]

wuss!

[cheech]

I'll support this one. I'll try to get MWS in too. I'll either tie some wool minnows, or a pattern I like to call Tony the Tiger.

[shazerblaze]

I'm in too. I'll get back with the pattern. It will probably be some bunny strip something or other -- weedless. Let's go.

[Aussie Fisho]

If you're allowing international participation, i'd be interested in having a go.

Since your Pike are freshwater and ours are saltwater, let me know about preferred hook size and i'll do some research and comply with a suitable pattern, which i'll advise about ASAP.

[steelie]

Welcome aboard mate! I'd love to have a little something from down-under in my fly box, so your in! I would say prefered hook sizes would be from size 2 all the way up to 4/0, even bigger would be fine if you would like. I'll probably be tying mine up on a 2/0, either the mustad stinger or tiemco 811S. So you have pike in saltwater down there, how big do they get?



Trout4X, see what you'll be missing out on - Australian Flies!!!!!

[Aussie Fisho]

Geez Mate, you can have all the Australian Flies you want, there's blow flies, cattle flies, house flies, march flies, may flies Damned flies and those (swot), big green bellied suckers that squish everywhere when you hit 'em).......!

Righto' then, I'm in, i'll do a bit of research on a suitable down-under-pattern and let you know what it will be over the next few days.

As for Aussie Pike, similar shape of fish i suppose at a glance, but probably not as big as you guys are dealing with. I've used pike as live bait occassionally in the Far North of Queensland.

[MOKE]

Welcome aboard!! It will be nice to have a little international flavour in our forum!

MOKE
(from southern California)

[steelie]

come on in guys, I know there's more of you out there! I will leave it open until the 11th...........

[Trout4x]

Steelie be glad you have 4 guys committed, you could always have 15 sign up and 11 drop out.

You are hosting a swap that is going to be limited on people that will actually fish for them.

[Hopper Luv]

I'll join, I'm not sure what I'm going to tie yet but I will let you know later.

[Brown Bonkers]

Many times I've watched those tiger muskies swim right up to my boat on pineview. They look like a crocodile coming at you. Can any of you show me how to tie a duck fly? What weight rod do you use for braided steel line?

[steelie]

Here's who we have so far:

1. steelie
2. cheech
3. shazerblaze
4. Aussie Fisho
5. Hopper Luv

Just think of all them great big flies, how can you resist?

[shazerblaze]

We need some more people. Come on folks. It's a whole lot of fun tying such huge flies. An fishing for pike/muskies -- good stuff. I just finished 10 big bunny flash flies.

[steelie]

What is everyones feelings on weedguards? - I have no problem putting them on, but normally I don't on my own flies, seems like they just get ruined on the first fish, but then so do the flies half the time. Either way, it doesn't matter to me if you want them.

[Caddfly]

If anyone needs ideas for weedguards (which ones/how to attach) I know in Flyfisherman mag there was an article, I think in the March issue...

[steelie]

OK, I'll leave it open until friday the 11th, so if you want in, get in now!!!!!!

[Aussie Fisho]

Righto' then, after crawling around from one end of the web to the other, i've got a pattern i've used downunder that i've never named. It's tied up on an Aberdeen in size 1/0 with a bit of zonker, a bit of flash and a bit of bulk, so it has all the the things that should say "EAT ME" to a Muskie. Let me know the closing date and an address to send the "Muskie monsters" to and i'll get mobile on tying up these oversized fur balls!

At least, if they don't catch a Muskie, they will catch a Barramundi if you go on holidays downunder.

[steelie]

Sounds like that fly will work great Aussie, I'm closing it tomorrow, and will send out some e-mails after that.

So if anyone wants in, you'd better hurry!

[steelie]

Well it looks like we didn't drag out anymore tiers - they don't know what they'll be missing! We have a total of 5 people:

1. steelie - probably a "Big Kahuna Burger" (perch)
2. cheech - Wool Minnows or "Tony the Tiger"
3. shazerblaze - Big Bunny Flash Fly
4. Aussie Fisho - Downunder "EAT ME" Fly
5. Hopper Luv - Undecided

I'll set the deadline at May 9th, 4 weeks from today. Should be no problem with only 5 tiers, but if it is let me know, I'm easy.

Even if you are tying something smaller, send your flies in a big container, the fly I'll be tying is about 7" long, and you might get bigger. Throw in your return address and some return postage, Aussie Fisho, yours will probably cost a little more and take a little longer to ship, I'm sure your aware.

Please respond to steelie@attbi.com to confirm, and I'll send you my address.

[Trout4x]

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH guess I will have to catch the next swap, toooooooooooo late!

[Hopper Luv]

My flies are in the mail!!!

[steelie]

Hopper Luv, your flies are in, they look great!

[Aussie Fisho]

G'day all,

Well my flies are tied, decided to modify the pattern a bit from the downunder version, so i've tied up a 6 inch beast of a fur ball on a popper hook in long shank 2/0 with big eyes and a chartreuse collar and back, with red and white fibre body, flash belly and red grizzly cock saddle featured sides.

Steelie, i just need a mailing address so i can get them off, it will take around 2-2 1/2 weeks to get there through customs and be delivered to you if i use air mail.

Email paramed64@bigpond.com

Hope everyone had a great and safe easter.
Aussie Fisho

[Aussie Fisho]

Greetings all,

My Flies are in the mail, should reach the states in a couple of days, but about another week or two to clear customs and be delivered.

Steelie, the extras are for your box.

[shazerblaze]

Hey Steelie, I emailed you but I haven't received gotten your address. Email me at shazerblaze@yahoo.com. Thanks, and the flies will be in the mail.

Shae J

[steelie]

Shazerblaze, your flies made it, they look great! Thanks

[steelie]

Aussie Fisho,

Your flies made it. They look Great! Definatly a fly that will get the attention of our pike. And thanks for the extra flies, its neat to see what people from different parts of the world fish with, what species do you go after with them? And thanks for the Australian cash, your money is way cooler than ours - my daughter has already stolen it from me and put it in her scrapbook.

To all,

One more set to come in and I will ship them out, got a little over a week to the deadline.

Steelie

[Aussie Fisho]

Steelie,

I 've given them a go for Murray Cod which is a BIG & slow fresh water predator down here, with some limited success, used similar for Barramundi with great success and also used that same pattern for large Flathead down here on the estuary flats.

I did however make a few slight alterations to better suit a toothy critter like a pike by using a slightly longer hook than i'd normally use.

The other included flies are a small selection of what i use down here mainly in the fresh water for our Native Bass, Golden Perch Tarpon and in the salt for Bream, Mangrove Jacks ( ssp. supersonicus mangroveus lovingus steamtrainus) and other species.

Wasn't able to get US $ at short notice here, thus the new edition in your daughters scrap book to cover return postage costs!

Cheers Mate
"Harry" the Aussie Fisho

[steelie]

All,

Still waiting on word from cheech, he's been quiet lately so maybe he is out of town? I'll give him a few more days.....

Steelie

[cheech]

My flies will be sent today. I did a bouface type thing. Yellow tail, white body, prismatic eyes, and epoxy head. The tail should wiggle ever so slightly in the water.

[steelie]

Sounds great, can't wait to see them. Flies will be mailed ASAP after I get cheech's.

[steelie]

Everyone,

All flies are in and they all look great! They will be in the mail tomorrow. Thank you all for participating in my first hosted swap, it went smoothly. And thank you all for the extras. They certainly are some fine flies, everyone that chose not to join surely missed out.

Thanks

Steelie

[Aussie Fisho]

G'day All,
Looking forward to it steelie, thankfully, my tying is improving daily...................well, it had to.

Look forward to having a go at a bass fly swap if one gets up and running in the future.

Cheers all
Aussie Fisho
http://groups.msn.com/FlyFishingDownUnder

[steelie]

Hopper Luv,

I need your address again, I know you sent me a return envelope, but it is now MIA, sorry. Everybody else's are in the mail.

steelie

steelie@attbi.com

[Trout4x]

I am one of those that wish I would have.

Steelie brought the flies to work and showed me. I wish I would have.

[steelie]

I did not send a recipe with my fly, so I will post it here. The flies are pretty self-explanitory though:

"Big kahuna Burger"
(invented one night while watching "Pulp Fiction")

Hook: Mustad 37187 1/0
Thread: Kevlar
Weedgaurd: Wire, bent to shape, tied and superglued to shank
UnderBody: Layered Supreme Hair
Olive
Chartruese (striped with black marker)
Orange (sparse)
Overbody: Olive Flashabou
Eyes: 12mm doll eyes
Head coated in epoxy, or softex. This was the first time I used softex on this fly, I think I'll go back to epoxy.

A few notes: I was not sure what weight rods everybody uses, so I tied them as thick and long as I could forsee anybody ever using, If it is too much for whatever rod you are using, or after a few hours when your arm gets tired, just cut off an inch or two and thin them out as well - thats what I do. This was the first time I used a wire weedgaurd on a muskie fly, it may get mangled by the toothy critters, if so then it can also be easily cut off with a pair of wire cutters, If this happens let me know for future referance.

steelie

[shazerblaze]

I look forward to the flies. My only problem is that I won't be able to get out in the near future for the pike. Oh well.

[cheech]

Steelie- I got the flies today. They look sweet. I'll have to make an excuse to go use them now. I also realized that I forgot to send you postage $$. Tell me what I owe you.

[steelie]

Cheech - don't worry about it, I'm not. the extra you sent is payment enough, that thing is sweet. Maybe someday you could show me how to spin hair, I've always struggled with that.

[cheech]

Fair enough... Spinning hair has been much easier since I got good hair and a hair packer from Dennis. I also have been using gel-spun thread that carpman showed me. It is a dream to work with.

[Aussie Fisho]

Well Guys,
the flies made the big FLYT across the world and arrived on Friday. They look great. I'll be out christening them with some fish saliva at the local dam this afternoon. Steelie, please let me know how those flies go for the local stuff. I think the big kahuna burger will frighten the local bass into submission, but will be a certain hit with our Cod in the Dams.

Thanks for hosting this one steelie.

Cheers,
"Harry"
http://groups.msn.com/FlyFishingDownUnder