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Yes indeed now is the time to fish cutthroat in the valley. I had a great day yesterday on a favourite bit of water. Most of my fish were 15 inches or better. There are numerous streams and sloughs that will produce and with the cold weather the Fraser itself should start producing very soon. Many techniques will work and all the standard patterns will give strikes but think eggs and flesh flies. With the weather being as it's been lately look out for midge or mayfly hatches. You might be surprised.
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Again with the flesh flies (see crappie discussion ... er, the discussion about crappies). I'm having a hard time visualizing a flesh fly - are we talking just an elongated strip of something flesh-coloured, tied to a hook so that it wiggles and sways like a piece of dead meat (whatever that looks like) ? Or are there more elaborate patterns ? Or, any patterns at all for that matter ?
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any tan or cream coloured 'blousy' material will make a good flesh fly. Rabbit strips are perfect. I prefer a winged one like a zonker. Wooly buggers in cream or even white are another good choice. Cutts do eat the stuff (rotted salmon meat) - you can smell it in their flesh!
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Here's a real easy tie and cheap aussi (two materials). BM Alaskan Flesh Mustad 79580 2,4,6 Beading wire Zonker strip (flesh coloured, beige, cream...) Chenille (purple, pink, red) Wrap hook with chenille and matuka rabbit strip wing (zonker style). Let chenille hang out the end of the hook 1" or so. Weight if desired. Fish upstream and across current, tumble along the bottom (if possible, depending on substrates). Enjoy!
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Merci. Makes sense now. Ralph, I'll have to take your word on the odour of cutthroat flesh. These days, when I get back from a stream, everything smells like dead chum anyway, including me.
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Could one of you guys help me out? I live in the interior and will be down to the lower mainland this weekend (25-26), i would REALLY like to get into a couple of cutthroats, and realize it is usally a matter of finding them, but I have tried unsuccesfully several times over the last couple of years. (beleive me, the unsuccesful part was not from a lack of trying). Anyway, where would you guys suggest starting this time of year. Email me if you like. Thanxs in advance. Les.
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here's another old fav of mine: The Spruce Bunny Hook: #6 or #8 3xl Rib: medium oval gold Body: back 1/3 red wool, front peacock herl Wing: cream or light tan rabbit fur strip Hackle: 2 turns badger can be weighted if desired - this gives the fly a jigging action haven't used this pattern for a while - I caught my 1st steelhead on a fly using this pattern on the Alouette. Also caught fish on the Coq'. It worked for cutts and gave me a great day for good sized 'bows on the Skagit. It occurs to me the light rabbit wing should allow this streamer to double as a flesh fly - plus you get a releiable all 'rounder. Think I'll tie a few up tonight!
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My favorite Cuthroat fly--Works on searuns and residents. I have used it to catch cuts all over Vancouver Island (From the Oyster River to the Gorge in Downtown Vic) Works well in thousands of spots in the Harrison area and Fraser Sloughs. I copied it around 10 years ago from a guy in Victoria, I changed it a little-- Hook: number 6 or 8 long shank-silver with a straight eye. Tail: brown wood duck and gold,pearl,chartreuse crstallite--tied long enough for shellback. Body: twisted strand in two colors of yellow and grey frost bite. Ribbing :Fine gold wire. Tie the tail in leave enough for a shellback.Tie it like a fullback. Build the body long and tapered, wider at the head. Tie the shellback the full length, then come over with ribbing. Put on two "stick-on" eyes, green, red or silver. Then paint body with 5 minute epoxy twist while still on your vice for a few minutes until set. This fly is indestructable. Works really well as a stickleback and chum fry. Also works for coho and pinks (Tied in PInk) in the Harrison. Just post if any of this is unclear, not going fishing tommorow (need rain), so I will check back. Bert
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This one may be familiar to all, but if not - try the conventional Mickey Finn, but add a short butt (tag) of red floss behind the silver tinsel body; then rib the body with silver wire. The wire serves a dual purpose - a bit of added weight, and protection for the tinsel body. Any others out there ? I'm making notes ...
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