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FISH LIVE FLYS |  I just added a new "Trout Teaser" under "flys" and then "friends flys" that has been hot for me. Greg Saunders "Femme Fatale" version of my Rose Lipped Popper just won the Grand Prize in Feather-Creaft's annual fly tying contest and is to be produced by Rainy's flies in two sizes. Congrats to Greg! It is featured here under "flys" and then "friend's flys". Increase your catch rate by fishing flies that look alive by new keel weighting ideas or a new category of "lipped foam flies". The erratic wobble, darting, bottom bumping, popping, or side-to-side motion makes these flies look alive to promote more strikes. Some were developed to imitate the action of highly successful conventional lures such as the zara spook and mirrodine. One imitates the bottom bumping soft plastics and another is a combination popper and suspended lure. Mostly easy ties with instructions. For information click on "flys" at the top of the page. To see the "in-water" action video "Darting Keel Weighted Flys" or "FlyLipped Foam Flies" of the lipped flies from this website go to the "links" page above. More flies with tying instructions can be found under "flys" above and then clicking on "friends flys". Read fishing instructions in the sidebar for how to get more time with your fly in front of the fish's face by fishing the entire water column. Nothing for sale here, just for fun. Hope you expand on these patterns and make them your own. Enjoy. Doug Rose, SWFL. |
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Doug's Tiny Dancer Fly |  My version of zara spook type action in a simple to tie fly. The secret to this fly's side-to-side movement besides the 60 degree jig hook and rear eyes is the hard coating (tuffleye finish or clear cure goo), applied to the trimmed flat nose. |
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Gumbo Keel Fly |  I was looking to imitate bottom bumping jig head soft plastics that work so well in my area. The combination of the keel weight and foam makes this fly wobble and dart like a live baitfish, crab, or shrimp that I tried to imitate all in one fly (gumbo). The foam keeps the head slightly up and mostly eliminates the need for a weedguard. It also seems to continue motion between strips. |
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Rose Lipped Popper |  My Rose Lipped Popper was featured in Fly Fishing in Saltwaters Jan/Feb. 2010 issue. To read the article click links at top of the page. This easy to tie and cast topwater popper transforms into a suspended lure with great side-to-side swimming action up to a foot below the surface when slowly stripped. Stop stripping and it returns to the surface when using a floating fly line and mono leader. With intermediate and sinking lines it can be used to fish the entire water column. The 90 degree combination of the popper face and lip traps air and results in a much louder "pop" with air bubbles by wrist snapping the rod tip. The lip causes the popper to "dig in" the harder you pull. Let it sit and just twitch it on the surface. What started out as a "Bob's Banger" with a lip attached has developed into a new "pattern" that can be tied to imitate a baitfish, crab, shrimp or spoon. The "pop" gets the fish's attention but many of my strikes come after the fly is stripped sub-surface. The Rose Lipped Popper "Head Attach" uses a split ring to convert existing flies to lipped poppers (page 2 of flys). |
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Tying Instructions
For the keel flys, lipped popper, and head attach can be found on the "flys" page. Click on the picture above the label with "tying instructions". Under "friends flys" (see top of the "flys" page) I have posted more lipped foam fly designs by others with instructions. |
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Fishing Instructions
The Rose Lipped Popper or Head Attach can be used to fish the entire water column, as can the other lipped foam flies shown on the "Friend's Flys" page. To fish as a popper and suspended fly the "Rose Lipped Popper" should be fished with a floating line, mono leader, mono bite tippet and a 1/2 inch loop knot. Wrist snap the rod tip for the loudest "pop" or strip for something subtler. The pop gets their attention but many strikes occur when the fly is swimming sub-surface. For a deep presentation use an intermediate line with a fluorocarbon leader and bite tippet. By false casting a couple times to dry the polar fiber, you can "pop" it once or twice when it hits the water surface and then slow retrieve to swim deep as the lip, line and leader pull it down to three or four foot depth. With a full-sink line, mono leader and slow strips, the fly will stay suspended a foot or two off the bottom in deep holes. With a fast strip the fly will bump the bottom to promote strikes. |
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Bottom Fishing
The Rose Lipped Popper or one of the other lipped foam flies shown on the "Friends Flys" page will stay suspended a foot off the bottom of deep holes when slowly stripped using the correct set-up. I'm currently using a Cortland LLC-13 17 ft. lead core shooting head connected to a 9 wt. intermediate running line and cast with a 9 wt. fly rod. I wrap the fly rod handle with "gel grip" designed for tennis rackets to absorb some of the shock of the heavy line. Also exaggerate the stripping hand during the double haul and use less rod motion. I use a 4 inch piece of Cortland 50 lb. braided mono as per Lefty's book "Presenting the Fly" to smoothly connect the two fly lines. Attach 4 feet of mono leader and 2 feet of mono bite tippet. The floating foam fly keeps the mono leader suspended off the bottom when slowly stripped, approximately 1/3 the combined length of the mono leader and bite tippet while the lead core head keeps you down. The lip gives it movement and pushes water while close the bottom. Strip fast to bump the bottom and promote strikes. "Deep Holes" in the Charlotte Harbor area where I live means 10-20 feet deep. |
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A BIG THANK-YOU:
To Dave Scott for teaching me to fly fish(and still is). To John Quimby for taking me out in "really skinny water". To Dale Haskell that showed me how to catch fish on topwater. To my Uncle Wilbur Rose for passing down his "Herter's" Vise. To Captain Jamie Allen, Captain Greg Bowdish and Captain Andrei Stroman for teaching me to fly tie, and more recently my friends Dave Brody and Dan Ferraris. To FFF Master Dusty Sprague for fly casting help and his encouragement to promote my flies.
To Greg Saunders, Mr. "FlyLipps" for our idea exchanges and his expansion on my lipped popper fly. To Brock Apfel for sharing his expertise and for giving me the opportunity to meet and spend time with Lefty Kreh. To Captain Frank Ciurca for his article in Fly Fishing in Saltwaters and photos.
To my son Doug Jr. who created this website ......Doug Rose Sr., SWFL |
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