FlyKits.net / Chattahoochee Media Group

Sometimes, as when nymphing, you want your flies to sink fast.
     But there are other times that you want your fly to just hang there in the water column so you can inch it along slowly until...until...WHAM! A big bass or a giant redfish or snook grabs it, and the battle is on!
     When you want a slow-sinking fly, the pattern known as the Seaducer is the answer.
    The Seaducer was developed by Homer Rhodes, a commercial snook fisherman, in the 1940s. In the water, it really does seem to defy gravity too!
     Besides being appealing to fish, the Seaducer offers three big pluses: It lands softly in the water, it quickly sheds water when you cast it, and it is FUN and EASY to tie! 
     This Saturday, we'll be tying Seaducers for late summer and fall bass fishing. We'll tie on standard-length or 1XL size 1 to 1/0 hooks; either fresh or saltwater styles will work. We'll also use some strung hackle or "schlappen" feathers plus a touch of flash. As far as feather colors go, I suggest one of two color combinations -- either green/red or yellow/red (and you can substitute pink for the red if you wish). If you'd prefer to go with a classic, opt for white/red or even purple/red. You'll also need some red or pink thread (3/0 is fine for this one) and some pearl or silver (or other color) Crystal Flash or Flashabou. 
     I think you'll enjoy tying and fishing this fly, and I look forward to tying it with you this Saturday. It's one of my favorites!


MATERIALS NEEDED

Hook: Size 1 or 1/0, regular or 1XL fresh or saltwater hook. 

Thread: Red or pink, 3/0 or 6/0

Tail: Long strung hackle feathers or "schlappen" feathers in yellow, olive, white, purple, or other non-red color. Look for feathers with barbs that are a bit longer than the gape of the hook you'll be using. The red/pink feather used at the front should have barbs of about the same length, or maybe a little longer, than the barbs of the main body feathers. The accompanying photo will give you an idea of what you need.

Flash: A few strands of Crystal Flash or Flashabou -- pearl, silver, or a color chosen to match the color of the tail and main body.

Main body: Same feathers used to form the tail, palmered in close-spaced turns.

Front of body: Red or pink feathers wrapped to form a narrow zone of red or pink at the front of the fly.

ZOOM LOGIN:

Saturday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m. Eastern
Meeting ID: 865 2192 2040
Passcode: FlyTying18

To help you tie Saturday's pattern, here's a set of abbreviated instructions! You might want to copy them and print them out for use during our Saturday tying session. Leave room to take notes!

1) Start thread an eye diameter behind eye.
2) Wrap a smooth thread base to the bend of the hook.
3) Tie in four tail feathers, as discussed in class, so they extend beyond the bend of the hook for two to three hook lengths. Bind the feathers down along the hook shank, stopping an eye diameter back from the back of the eye. Then trim away the excess and return your thread to the bend of the hook.
4) Add a few strands of flash on each side of the tail.
5) Form the body by tying in and palmering additional feathers (same color as the tail) from the bend forward toward the eye. This will require several feathers -- tie in and palmer one, tie it off and trim, then repeat as needed. Continue until you're about 2 eye diameters behind the back of the eye.
6) Tie in a red or pink feather and form the front portion of the body. You can often do this with a single feather. Then tie off the feather, trim it, and form a small thread head.
7) Tie off and trim the thread and apply head cement to complete the fly.