Why?
Because last weekend's adventure with baitfishing gave me an idea. I tied some minnow imitations. I just made them up with materials I had on hand. And it worked!
The lower one uses the following materials:
orange embroidery thread body
white saddle hackle tail
matched mallard flank wings (which slipped and became asymmetrical)
peacock herl
ice drop or whatever that is called flash
DNA flash
black monocord thread.
I used much more DNA than I've ever used on any fly. Instead of just 1 or two strands each side, I used five. Underwater, it is really blue and iridescent. This one caught a trout.
I fished a c&r TMA -- I could see two or three trout below the pedestrian bridge. I started out with one of my wet fly things--like this one except with some gold mixed in 50-50:
This failed to attract any attention.
Then I fished another streamer that has been very successful during spring and summer:
This also did nothing. It was time to try my theory--that winter trout are in fact hungry and will devour a crippled minnow if given half a chance.
And it worked!
It took a few casts. The first time the fish was attracted, it approached, turned away, approached again and refused. The next time, it whacked at it but I couldn't feel it hit (I was fishing from above--line sensitivity is very poor in this circumstance). But I also believe it was hitting the long tail. So I tied on a trailing hook and gave it another try. Sure enough, the fish came out from under its lie and approached. I watched its lips open, then my fly was obscured. I waited just a moment and lifted my rod and sure enough, I had it!
Unfortunately though, after a decent amount of fight, I lost it. I believe it was on the trailer.
A fly tied to imitate a minnow can work--even when I do the designing and tying!
The only good photos I took were of a hatch:
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