Other species
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{{+1}}Articulated swimmer{{-1}}
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This is a fly which I developed progressively over the period from 2012 to 2015 to fill a gap in my arsenal of flies to target barramundi around Gladstone. As it turns out these flies are also great for other salt water species including mackerel, GT's, queenfish and golden trevally.{{end}}
Last Updated: January 25, 2019
Author: 
Categories: Other species, Saltwater - tropical
Tags: #fishonfly, articulated, barra, Barramundi 
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{{+1}}Christmas Island Special – pink{{-1}}
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There are a lot of colour combinations of Christmas Island Special (CXI) flies that my mates and I have seen on our various trips to Christmas Island and Aitutaki. Some work sometimes and not others and some work more often than not. This is my list of CXI flies that more often than not consistently work.{{end}}
{{+1}}Tidal flats shrimp – tan{{-1}}
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This fly is basically my original mud prawn that I released in 2003 and have now miniaturised and modified so as to represent the sort shrimp that you find on tidal flats in tropical waters. As an aside I note there is anecdotal evidence that there are permit and even bonefish on some of the local Central Queensland tidal flats so the search is on to find them. This tan version is the most translucent of my tidal flats shrimp and is my go to version for crystal clear water.{{end}}
Categories: Flies, Saltwater - tropicalTags: #fishonfly, Bone fish, bones, Bream, Estuary flies, golden and blue fin trevally, Permit, Trigger fish, trigger fish. triggers No Comments »
{{+1}}Articulated swimmer – sunburst with down bib{{-1}}
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This fly is a down bib version of my 'articulated swimmer' range of flies and adopts the "sunburst colours" of a number of popular barramundi lures. Like those lures this fly comes into its own when fishing water that is tannin stained or carrying a lot of sediment.{{end}}
{{+1}}Articulated slow roller – size #1 to #1/0{{-1}}
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I tie these downsized version of my original articulated slow roller fly in sizes #1 and 1/0 sizes and fish them on my #8 weight fly rods with 20lb Maxima Ultra Green leaders. They are an absolute treat for native bass and all sorts of estuary and coastal species including bream, flathead, and mangrove jack and smaller pelagics including trevally and queenfish.{{end}}
Categories: Flies, Other species, Saltwater - estuaryTags: Bass, Bream, Flathead, gladstone, Mangrove Jack, Tropical species flies No Comments »
{{+1}}Cake-n-eat-it – paddle tail soft plastic{{-1}}
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As the name implies these flies are built using a soft plastic lure body. I am happy to call this a fly because I fish it on a fly rod and fly line, cast it, retrieve it and land fish caught on it in the same way that I do when fish a traditional fly made of say fur and feather for say a brown trout in Lake Jindabyne NSW.{{end}}
Categories: Flies, Foam and poly flies, Saltwater - estuary, Saltwater - tropicalTags: Paddle tails No Comments »
{{+1}}Gusto – sunburst variant{{-1}}
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This is my variant of Peter Morse' Gusto fly and is one of my go to flies when targeting barramundi in Lake Awonga.
It's dressed on a #3/0 34007 stainless hook which is quite a heavy hook and that creates an effective "keel" effect. It has a long marabou tail and a dense hackle collar which creates plenty of currents around the fly that really get the marabou moving.
The overall length of the finished fly is around 10cm long.
| Hook | Eyes | Thread | Tail | Tail Flash | Body | Front hackle |
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| Tiemco 34007 stainless in size #3/0 | Spirit River 'real eyes' 7/32" | My preference is white cotton | Yellow marabou blood plume | Sure Strike violet krystal flash - 6 strands | FNF jelly chenille in Picricish colour | One red saddle hackle and one grizzly hackle died deep red |
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Making the tail is a 3 step process |
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This fly need a dense array of hackles that fill the remain free space on the hook shank so select hackles that have some fluffy barbules and a majority of hackle barbules that are about 1.5 times the gape of the hook. For this fly I have selected a red saddle hackle and a grizzly hackle that has been died red. Depending on the length of your hackles you may need up to 4 hackles. |
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{{+1}}Chatto’s blue water minnow{{-1}}
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This is a larger blue water version of my very successful 'Flats minnow". It's a very fishy looking fly and has a little blood spot that adds to the appearance of the fly being a wounded fish.{{end}}
{{+1}}Articulated swimmer – “brown bomber” with optional rattle{{-1}}
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Hard bodied Brown bomber lures are very popular as a lures for targeting barra and jacks in Queensland waters and most lure fishers have at least on in the lure tray. Based on the colours of the 'brown bomber' lure, particularly if I am targeting barra in fresh water dams like Awonga that are often a bit tannin stained, it's a fly I don't hesitate to tie on.{{end}}
{{+1}}Articulated swimmer – mega – orange & yellow with rattle{{-1}}
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This mega sized version of that original fly is my go to fly when I know I am targeting particularly big barra. It's tied on a size #3/0 Mustard 34007 hook and at 15cm long it's an uncomfortable fly to cast properly for long durations but I am happy to tie it on to target a specific fish or to fish that short period of the ebb tide when I am targeting big barra known to haunt bridge pylons and mid river structures that are only accessible for the short period of the ebb tide.{{end}}