Favorite Leech Patterns

[Ian Horning]

Hi all,

I'm wondering what you're favorite leech patterns are for stillwater. I know a lot of patterns already, but there are so many and I'm wondering if anyone's tried these many patterns head-to-head to see which ones are the "best." I know there's never an absolute best pattern, sometimes some work better than others.

I'm looking forward to what y'all have to say!

Ian

[Bodofish]

There are many different types leaches and sizes, I normally think bunny leach when I hear leach. For lakes I normally go with more bugger than leach as they're more the size the fish are looking for the places I frequent. That said, I have a bunch of black and purple and brownish bunny leaches that I've never done much with, just too big in most places. In the one lake they would probably work in (Pass) I'm normally using a white streamer-ish fly. The bunny leaches are more riverish fare for metal and Salmon. Clear as mud?

[MotoBoat]

One type leach to consider is a............thinking...........balance leach(?). Two varities, one has a bobby pin clipped off at a desired length and tied onto the hook shank so it overhangs the hook eye. That acts as a buoyancy compensator, fly rides horizontal when attached to a line that is in a vertical orientation. I think these are used more for indicator or choronomid fishing, a vertical form of fly fishing in lakes. Not everyone cup-o-tea I know, but worth mention so you can decide. From what I understand, a micro leach, basically size 12 and smaller is what is used for this technique.

I like Zonkers, and would include them as leech patterns. They have a minnow body, with Rabbit strip along the back from hook eye, and extending past the hook bend to act as a tail. Action in the water from the Wabbit is impressive. Profile of the fly is very "baitfish" looking.

I am in the process of tinkering with "hinged" flies. Depending on fly length and materials this could be a leach pattern.

Two types, firstly fishing line is tied to the rear of a hook, so a loop is formed. The loop would have the eye of a second hook attached, and a hinge point.

Second type is using tube material to tie fly materials to. Tippet slides up through the tubing, hook tied to end of tippet, hook is easily replaced if damaged, or for a size/color change. The hinged part of this fly is cutting the tubing into desired lengths, angling the ends, burning with a lighter to curl back tips, forcing the fly to compress into a "s" when stripped. Like a worm that is wriggling or is is wiggling........on a hook. If I get this wright, could be the ticket.

[Ian Horning]

Thanks for the patterns! I have been tinkering around with rabbit material as well. My goal has been to create a fly that when underwater, actually swims. I tie a small "shank" (a severed tip of a south bend baitholder hook that costs $0.99) onto backing, then attach a trailer hook at the end. Wrapping rabbit fur around the backing with it secured at both ends creates a fly that literally swims and has no rigidity. I found the MOAL leech is similar to this, but I tie mine in smaller lake patterns. Seriously the action on these things is amazing, just need to go out and test them now....

[MotoBoat]

Thanks for the patterns! I have been tinkering around with rabbit material as well. My goal has been to create a fly that when underwater, actually swims. I tie a small "shank" (a severed tip of a south bend baitholder hook that costs $0.99) onto backing, then attach a trailer hook at the end. Wrapping rabbit fur around the backing with it secured at both ends creates a fly that literally swims and has no rigidity. I found the MOAL leech is similar to this, but I tie mine in smaller lake patterns. Seriously the action on these things is amazing, just need to go out and test them now....

I need a picture of your creation to fully imagine how your fly is tied together. This sounds fairly close to a baitfish pattern that I tie for beach fly fishing (Salmon). Except, none of the fly's materials are attached to the "backing", in my case the backing would be to tie the "trailer hook" onto. The trailing hook is then easily removed and replaced, thereby resurrecting the fly with a new pointy end.

Ian, what is the entire length of your fly when complete? What colors are you tying? Does the wabbit strip travel in a straight line from eye to rear hook? Or is the wabbit tied onto the leading hook(severed at hook bend), then coiled onto the backing, terminating on the shank of the trailer or stinger hook?

[Ian Horning]

I guess yeah the best way to describe it is to show a picture. These are all prototypes, the first ones I've made. That being said I can see a couple minor adjustments and additives bringing these bugs a long way!

To clarify, I wetted down the black one, which is the longest one I've made. The little brownish red one is about an inch and a half long, The brown one is two, and the black one is like two and a half. Also, trimming the rabbit fur can make the bulk less for smaller presentations.

[Bodofish]

Give these a try. I use them when tying salmon/big trout patterns. you put a loop of 20 to 50# braid on the end of the shackle and that facilitates easy hook changes and or replacements.

http://www.orvis.com/p/senyos-articulated-shanks/8a05

Although trout will sure try to take down some pretty big offerings, for most Washington lakes, I stick with the buggerish offerings that not so much imitate a leach as generic food. I've also found that in lakes the fish aren't too picky, they'll try to take most anything they think they can fit in their mouths. That said, what I try to do is match the size of the fish with the size of the fly. A big fish can take a small fly but the reverse can not be said. With big rabbitty leaches, I get more strikes than hookups. I would be more inclined to toss rabbit fur in a river than a lake. Totally a size thing.

[Ian Horning]

I do have some articulated shanks, but they are just more expensive. The hook change thing can be really nice as well. I guess we'll have to see if trout will take such large offerings. If they don't, I know some warmwater friends of mine will, namely largemouth bass. But, big fish will take big offerings, and even in lakes when fish feed on generally smaller patterns, sometimes the "trophy" fish come out and get excited by an oversized offering.

[MotoBoat]

One thing is for sure, little fish will hit the same 3 or 4" Rapala that a larger fish being targeted do. I suppose in that situation, the hook size could be increased to deter the smaller mouth of the smaller trout to keep from being hooked. Then again, a 3/0 or 4/0 salmon hook and a 4" plastic squid does not deter a "shaker" from getting hooked in the mouth. The answer is probably go barbless.

Ian, how are you able to bend that black fly that is wet, into a "U" shape? Is there a bendable wire under the rabbit strip, or because the fly was wet, the fly would stay bent for a picture?

At first, I thought the articulated specific fly shanks Bodo linked was a bit pricey. But $10, buys 20 shanks, made from Stainless. Right now, I am using a cheap Wright & McGill worm hook for the lead hook, the trailer being a size 1 or 1/0 colored Gamakatsu hook. There is some rust transfer through the tying thread from the worm hook, even though I wash my gear and flies thoroughly in fresh water after each use. But then again, I caught 12 Coho on that fly in 3 weeks time, did not affect the fishes interest at all. I suspect the rust is from the fly tying thread being soaked in water after rinsing, and taking a while to fully dry out.

[Ian Horning]

The material (rabbit) is wrapped around backing, which is what I use to connect the "shank" and trailer hook. This backing remains supple, so the entire fly beyond the 1/3 inch "shank" and the trailer hook can actually bend, thus causing the massive amounts of movement that I've been referring to.

As for this rust issue. I usually take any flies that have been used and rinse them if they were used in saltwater, and then set them in front of a fan to completely dry them.

[MotoBoat]

The fan idea is a good one!

I was hanging the flies from the wood window sill above the sink I washed the flies. There is a window there, allowing the sun's heat to come in direct contact with the flies. At the time, it was in the 80's inside the house for the Coho season (hot summer 2015). The flies dried very quickly, now that I think about it. Even though the Eagle Claw worm hooks rusted, they are very tough, heat treated~ Very old hooks, might be of better quality than today's, or the same, not sure.

I have not tried trimming the rabbit strip, to achieve a smaller diameter profile. That could be a more worm like profile? Ian, have you trimmed any flies? Do the flies look more worm like in the water?

[Ian Horning]

Yes, I generally trim all of the leeches. Two of the patterns shown were not trimmed, the two brownish ones. I have since trimmed them down a little (actually not trimming, but tearing halves of fibers off with fingers). They do slim down a bit but the rabbit does still fluff up when the pattern is motionless. However, when fished on a sinking line, the fly is constantly moving, especially if fished on one that sinks at like 5-7 IPS. Again, I have yet to test the fly's action in a place other than a sink, so only time will tell I guess.

[MotoBoat]

Ian, is that a weighted bead or plastic bead tied onto the leading hook? I guess that your short front hook shank would not allow for added weight tied in under the wabbit strip.

[Ian Horning]

Its a weighted brass bead. You could wrap some heavy wire (they make lead and lead free stuff) around the little shank to help it sink even better. It would be interesting to see what adding lead to the back hook would do, the fly might have a much different action if the tail sinks as well.

[MotoBoat]

Your right, weighting the back hook, having flexible backing between the hooks, might make the rear hook sink faster, and bend downward. Like in a reverse "C" shape!

[msmoke]

Have you tried the cha-cha leech? Giant pink bead head with a cha-cha yarn body. Super active egg sucking leech pattern I picked up from watching Fly Tying: The Angler's Art on public television.